Report on PILI’s Fall 2018 Interns

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The following is a report on the Fall 2018 Interns including the type of work they did, the clients they served and their impact. It also includes evaluation data on their experience with PILI. Learn more about our Internship Program here »

Who they were:

In fall 2018, there were 9 Law Student Interns:

  • 4 were 2Ls and 5 were 3Ls
  • 5 identified as female and 4 as male
  • 5 identified as racially or ethnically diverse
  • 1 was a double PILI

Interns came from the following Law Schools:

  • 1 from Chicago-Kent College of Law
  • 3 from Loyola University Chicago School of law
  • 1 from DePaul University School of Law
  • 1 from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law
  • 1 from The John Marshall Law School
  • 2 from The University of Chicago

What they did:

Interns worked at the following agencies:

  • CARPLS
  • Center for Disability and Elder Law
  • Chicago Legal Clinic
  • Chicago Volunteer Legal Services
  • Equip for Equality
  • LAF
  • Legal Aid Society
  • Shriver Center
  • The National Immigrant Justice Center

Interns worked in the following practice areas:

  • Children Law
  • Civil Rights
  • Disability
  • Domestic Violence
  • Elder Law
  • Family Law
  • Guardianship & Estates
  • Housing Law
  • Immigration
  • Public Benefits
Interns report on their impact:

 “I assisted in the preparation of humanitarian visa application for victims of crime. This including conducting ongoing client interviews, drafting client affidavits, compiling evidence, researching inadmissibility issues and waivers, and requesting records and certifications from law enforcement agencies.”

“Overall, I wrote ten memos on civil rights issues, housing law issues, fines and costs for traffic offenses, labor issues, and public benefit issues. Two of these memos were an analysis of claims for potential lawsuits.”

“I remember doing a divorce prove up and the woman that I was representing was crying and throughout the litigation she held my hand. Knowing that I could be there for her and help her during her time of need was truly rewarding.”

Direct and Brief Legal Services

Interns provided direct legal services to 169 clients and brief legal services to 58 clients for a total of 227 clients served. Of those clients:

  •  78%  were people of color
  •  71%  identified as women
  •  41%  were people over 50
  •  27% were immigrants
  •  26%  were people with disabilities
  • 8% were veterans
  •  5%  were children
  •  4% identified as LGBTQ
Other Legal Services

All of those who responded provided other legal services as well, including:

    • Legal or policy research/writing (6)
    • Administrative and legal support work (intake, case paperwork and filing) (6)
    • Class actions/impact litigation (2)
    • Community outreach/education (1)

Overall Feedback from Interns:

Overall rating of PILI experience:

On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being “very poor” and 5 being “very good,” Interns rated the program a 4.8 overall.

Quality of Experience

Interns indicated the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with the following statements regarding the quality of their Internship experience:

5 = Strongly Agree, 4 = Agree, 3 = Neutral, 2 = Disagree, 1 = Strongly Disagree

Average
The work I performed was challenging and stimulating. 4.9
I was given the opportunity to see a reasonable range of my agency’s workload. 4.9
I was provided levels of responsibility consistent with my ability throughout the semester. 4.8
I was satisfied with my agency’s efforts to provide me with an educational experience. 4.9
My agency helped me develop an understanding of the practice of public interest law. 4.9
I received enough training and assistance to understand the legal work asked of me. 5
Most of the work I was assigned was legal or law-related. 5

 

Impact on Career

Interns indicated the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with the following statements regarding the impact on their legal career:

5 = Strongly Agree, 4 = Agree, 3 = Neutral, 2 = Disagree, 1 = Strongly Disagree

Average
Even before doing this Internship, I had intended to pursue a career in public interest law. 4.6
As a result of my Internship, I am able to make a more informed decision about a career in public interest law. 5
As a result of my Internship, I am more likely to integrate public interest/pro bono law into my future practice. 4.8
As a result of my Internship, I am more likely to seek a job in public interest law. 4.8
As a result of my Internship, I have developed new legal skills. 5
What Interns said about their experience:

“This work has forever changed my outlook on how the law serves to both promote and inhibit the freedoms and equalities of our most marginalized communities. I hope to use this experience to ground my legal practice and humanize my experience.”

“It’s great to get hands-on experience during the school year. I really appreciate the opportunity to work with people and clients because you don’t get that same experience in class.”

“I had a great Internship experience and I had the opportunity to network with lawyers, past PILI Interns, and PILI board members.”

“There is an incredible amount of opportunity with PILI. I have a richer understanding of what it means to practice law.”

PILI Alumni Spotlight: Sean Morales-Doyle

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Sean Morales-Doyle is a “double PILI” having worked as a PILI Intern at LAF in 2005 and at the ACLU of Illinois in 2006. He now works as Counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, working on voting rights issues in their Democracy Program.

“I knew when I went to law school that I wanted to get involved in public interest work,” Sean said. “I wasn’t sure what that meant or what I wanted to do. PILI gave me an opportunity to explore different opportunities.”

During his PILI Internships, Sean worked at different types of organizations to gain different experiences. At LAF, he worked in the Housing Practice Group, where he focused more on working directly with clients on housing issues. At the ACLU of Illinois, he gained experience in impact litigation, researching policies and writing memos.

“Those first experiences really gave me an idea of what my options were,” said Sean. “I was still figuring it out, but for someone who didn’t come from a family of lawyers or know a lot of lawyers, the experience helped me see what lawyers do and made me excited about it would mean to be a public interest lawyer.”

After graduating from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, Sean worked in the office of the Illinois Attorney General as an assistant attorney general in the Special Litigation Bureau. In 2009, he became a law clerk for the Honorable William J. Hibbler. In 2011, he started practicing at Despres, Schwartz & Geoghegan where he litigated a variety of cases including constitutional, civil rights, labor and employment claims.

While in Chicago, he joined PILI’s Alumni Network Leadership Council, serving as a Fundraising & Events Team Lead, helping to plan the Annual Alumni Reunion and raising money to support the Alumni Named Internship Campaign. He also volunteered as an Advisor for PILI Interns & Fellows to help introduce them to the Illinois public interest law community.

“Being a PILI Alumni says something about who you were as a law student and what your goals as a lawyer are,” explained Sean. “It’s always interesting to hear how others are incorporating public interest and pro bono into their careers. It’s also a good way for lawyers interested in pro bono to stay in touch with what’s going on in public interest and vice versa.”

In January 2018, Sean moved to New York to work at the Brennan Center. Over the last year, he’s advocated for passage of election reform legislation in several states, including successfully lobbying for passage of automatic voter registration in New Jersey. He also conducted and supervised research on criminal disenfranchisement laws and voting rights restoration to support a successful campaign to pass a constitutional amendment in Florida. Additionally, he pursued litigation to protect voting rights in the 2018 elections. His work builds off the variety of experiences in litigation and advocacy work that he gained starting with his PILI Internships.

“PILI provided me an opportunity to do something I otherwise wouldn’t be able to do,” he said. “PILI made a public interest internship a possibility, and I’m very appreciative of that.”

Read more PILI Alumni spotlights »

2018 Distinguished Intern Alumni Award: Adam Gross

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Adam Gross has been committed to service since his PILI Law Student Internship at Business and Professional People for the Public Interest (BPI) in 1993. Adam later joined BPI as a Skadden Fellow and has been there ever since.

In 2005, Adam was appointed Director of BPI’s Affordable Housing Program, leading efforts to expand housing opportunities for low-and moderate-income people in Chicago and throughout the region. In 2014, Adam was also named the inaugural Director of BPI’s Justice Reform Program. In this role, he has been deeply engaged in a range of issues around criminal justice reform in the juvenile and adult systems, and currently focuses the lion’s share of his time on issues of police reform and accountability in Chicago.

Adam also serves as an advisor, mentor, and coach to young public interest attorneys. He is deeply involved with BPI’s Summer Internship Program and its recruitment and supervision of PILI Interns, PILI Fellows and other interns. He also previously served on PILI’s Board of Directors.

“It’s Adam’s deep personal commitment to justice that powers his incredible work as an advocate, leader, organizer, and mentor. His contributions in police accountability, affordable housing, and justice reform are making a real difference in the lives of people across Chicago and the region. Adam personifies to the highest level, the values BPI holds dear as a social justice organization.” – Hoy McConnell, Executive Director at BPI

View all PILI 2018 Award Recipients »

2018 Pro Bono Initiative Award: Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP

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In 1993, Katten was one of the first law firms to create a specific partner position to focus on pro bono work when they hired Jonathan Baum as a full time Director of Pro Bono Services. Katten’s pro bono program now provides a wide array of services to the underprivileged.

In 2017, Katten attorneys and staff provided 11,500 hours of pro bono legal services in Illinois. Over 1,000 of these hours came from cases related to the José de Diego Community Academy Clinic. In partnership with LAF, Katten started this clinic, one of the first school-based legal clinics in the nation, in 2013, to serve the families of this Chicago Public School and its Humboldt Park community.

Katten has partnered with many local organizations including the Domestic Violence Legal Clinic, the Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, and the National Immigrant Justice Center to bring pro bono legal services to those who need it most. They also regularly sponsor PILI Graduate Fellows, helping to ensure each new class of associates is dedicated to service. The firm’s attorneys aid and empower local communities, and the program has done much to improve lives impacted by poverty.

“Katten has been a long-standing and reliable partner of LAF, and their dedication to pro bono has increased our capacity to serve some of the most vulnerable members of our community. The breadth of their pro bono commitments is truly astounding.”
– Melissa O. Picciola, Director of Volunteer Services at LAF

View all PILI 2018 Award Recipients »

2018 Distinguished PILI Fellow Alumni Award: Reena Bajowala

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Reena Bajowala is a “Double PILI,” having served as a PILI Law Student Intern at Chicago Volunteer Legal Services (CVLS) in 2003 and as a PILI Graduate Fellow at the Roger Baldwin Foundation of ACLU Illinois in 2005. Reena co-founded and served on PILI’s Alumni Network Leadership Council and later served as a PILI board member.

Now a partner at Ice Miller LLP, Reena has a robust pro bono practice and has successfully handled a variety of complex pro bono cases. She helped secure the first public settlement for, and obtained restitution on behalf of, a human trafficking victim. She has helped clients from Africa and Central America in seeking political asylum, served as first chair on a Section 1983 prisoner rights case, filed an amicus brief on behalf of dozens of Asian-Pacific American organizations to contest racial injustice in a criminal case, and worked on a Fair Housing Act trial that involved more than one million pages of documentation and 60 depositions.

All of the pro bono cases Reena has handled over the years have focused on equal access to justice and leveling the playing field for the poor and underrepresented. Reena also works to advance diversity in the legal profession and serves on CVLS’ Advisory Board and the board of the Albany Park Theater Project.

“I have known Reena since she interned for us in 2003. While the work she did for us that summer was very different from the powerful pro bono litigation she handled later, her dedication to helping low income clients, her strength as a person and an attorney and her commitment to equal justice, were on display back then as they are now.” – Margaret Benson, Executive Director at CVLS

View all PILI 2018 Award Recipients »

2018 Distinguished Public Service Award: Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan

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Often recognized for her leadership and integrity, Lisa Madigan has brought a high level of activism to the Office of Illinois Attorney General and has been a champion for state funding for civil legal aid.

In 2012, Attorney General Madigan played a lead role in litigation that resulted in the National Foreclosure Settlement. Illinois received $105.8 million in the settlement and Attorney General Madigan directed it towards helping those impacted by the foreclosure crisis. She dedicated $20 million to civil legal aid and $5 million to mediation services to assist impacted homeowners and renters.

In 2015, the Attorney General’s Office was involved in a national consumer case and directed $7.2 million in settlement award funds to the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation to support its operations and grants program.

Most recently, Attorney General Madigan welcomed the Illinois Armed Forces Legal Aid Network funding into her budget. During its inaugural year, the network has served the civil legal needs of over 2,600 veterans, service members and their families.

“It is no exaggeration to say that Lisa Madigan has served as a life line for funding for civil legal aid in Illinois. Thank you is simply not an adequate enough word to express the gratitude the legal aid community and the clients we serve feel for General Madigan’s support. Lisa Madigan’s vision, commitment and tireless advocacy will be missed.” – Leslie Corbett, Executive Director at Illinois Equal Justice Foundation

View all PILI 2018 Award Recipients »

Happy Thanksgiving from PILI!

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We at PILI are so very grateful!

We are grateful to our Interns and Fellows for their work in serving individuals, families and communities in need. We are grateful for our Participating Agencies and other partners. We are grateful to our Alumni for maintaining their commitment to that work throughout their career. We are grateful to those who participate in our pro bono programming and to those who volunteer with us through our pro bono opportunities. And, we are especially grateful to those law firms, corporations, law schools and individuals who provide the critical financial support that makes possible all we do.

The staff and the Board of Directors at PILI extend our warmest greetings to all of PILI’s supporters and friends for a very Happy Thanksgiving.

PILI’s offices will close for the holiday at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 21st. We will reopen on Monday, November 26th.

PILI Celebrates Pro Bono Week

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Pro Bono Week 2018 was October 21st to October 27th this year and PILI celebrated with 11 events, 400 attendees, over a dozen awards and several pro bono opportunities! View a full schedule of our events here »

Thank you to all of those who organized, co-sponsored and celebrated with us!

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PILI Receives Two New Grants

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The Retirement Research Foundation (RRF) has awarded PILI a grant that will fund a Summer 2019 Law Student Intern. RFF’s mission is to improve the quality of life for older people in America, and  RRF is one of the first private foundations devoted exclusively to aging and retirement issues. This new Internship will be at the Center for Disability & Elder Law, and brings the total number of Summer 2019 Interns funded by PILI to 44. Those 44 Law Student Interns will provide and additional 17,600 hours of legal assistance to those in need through our Participating Agencies. PILI’s application system for the 2019 Spring Semester and 2019 Summer is now open for 2Ls and will open on December 1st for 1Ls.

Additionally, the DuPage Bar Foundation has also awarded a grant to support PILI’s work in DuPage County, including our Eighteenth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee and the PILI Intern with the Citizen Advocacy Center, located in Elmhurst. The mission of the DuPage Bar Foundation, which is the Charitable arm of the DuPage County Bar Association, is to support justice in the DuPage community by maintaining the integrity of the legal profession, contributing to the education of future lawyers, and improving the facilitation of justice through charitable acts. This is the first grant PILI has received from the DuPage Bar Foundation.

PILI is extremely grateful to the Retirement Research Foundation and the DuPage Bar Foundation for their support of our work.

PILI Welcomes New Administration & Finance Assistant

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PILI is excited to welcome Rebecca Fernández as our new Administration & Finance Assistant!

Rebecca is based in our Chicago Office and ensures the efficient day-to-day operations of PILI and provides support for our programs and staff. She received a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Iowa with a minor in Gender, Women’s & Sexuality Studies. She previously worked as an Intensive Case Management Intern at RefugeeOne and wrote a weekly opinion column in the Daily Iowan. Before coming to PILI, she was a visuals lead at Warby Parker.

She can be reached by email or by phone at 312-832-5127.

Meet the rest of PILI’s staff here »