Young Professionals Board Leadership Announced


Established in 2017, PILI’s Young Professionals Board (YPB) is a group dedicated to empowering PILI through fundraising and by serving as PILI’s ambassadors in their communities. Members are emerging leaders who have begun their professional careers in the past fifteen years. PILI recently announced the inaugural leadership for the YPB.

The new YPB Chair is Sabreena El-Amin of Jackson Lewis P.C. who is also an Alumna of PILI’s Law Student Internship Program. The Chair presides over the YPB, leading its efforts in broadening the reach and awareness of PILI.

The new YPB Chair-Elect is Steven Trubac of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP. The Chair-Elect helps to plan and execute the work of the YPB as well as presiding over meetings in the Chair’s absence. Steve will also serve as the YPB Liaison to PILI’s Board of Directors, attending board meetings as a non-voting member to facilitate communication between the YPB and PILI’s Board of Directors.

The new YPB Vice Chair is Themi Rush of Berkeley Research Group. The Vice Chair helps to plan and execute the work of the YPB as well as presides over meetings in the Chair and Chair-Elect’s absence. Themi will also serve as the Membership Chair, leading the effort to recruit and engage YPB members.

Additionally, Carter Isham of LexisNexis will serve as the YPB’s Marketing Chair helping to raise awareness of the YPB and the work of PILI. Elizabeth Dudek of Charles River Associates will also serve as the YPB’s Giving Tuesday Chair, helping to develop and execute PILI’s Giving Tuesday campaign to encourage young professionals to support the work of PILI.

Meet the rest of the Young Professionals Board »

PILI Joins Illinois Armed Forces Legal Aid Network

PILI is proud to announce that we are now a member of the Illinois Armed Forces Legal Aid Network (IL-AFLAN). IL-AFLAN provides civil legal services across Illinois to veterans, active duty military and their spouses and dependents. It is a network comprised of legal aid organizations and law school clinics across Illinois. Support for PILI’s participation in IL-AFLAN is generously underwritten by the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation.

“PILI is excited to start this new project to serve those who have so faithfully served our country,” said Michael G. Bergmann, PILI’s Executive Director. “Since 2011, PILI has been expanding our efforts statewide to help fill gaps in legal services with pro bono work. This project seems like a natural extension of our existing projects and we look forward to increasing our reach and helping to ensure our service men and women get access to legal help.”

Through IL-AFLAN, PILI is responsible for accepting referrals through the Network and placing them with pro bono attorneys in 101 counties in Illinois, excluding Cook County. PILI will recruit volunteer attorneys, provide training and support, and offer malpractice coverage.

If you are interested in volunteering through PILI to assist veterans, active duty military members and their families, learn more and sign up here »

If you are a veteran, active duty military, or the spouse or dependents of a veteran or active member of the military and in need of legal assistance, call 855-IL-AFLAN (855-452-3526) to talk to an attorney about discharge upgrades, benefits appeals, or civil legal problems like family, housing, and consumer issues.

PILI Joins Illinois Armed Forces Legal Aid Network

PILI is proud to announce that we are now a member of the Illinois Armed Forces Legal Aid Network (IL-AFLAN). IL-AFLAN provides civil legal services across Illinois to veterans, active duty military and their spouses and dependents. It is a network comprised of legal aid organizations and law school clinics across Illinois. Support for PILI’s participation in IL-AFLAN is generously underwritten by the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation.

“PILI is excited to start this new project to serve those who have so faithfully served our country,” said Michael G. Bergmann, PILI’s Executive Director. “Since 2011, PILI has been expanding our efforts statewide to help fill gaps in legal services with pro bono work. This project seems like a natural extension of our existing projects and we look forward to increasing our reach and helping to ensure our service men and women get access to legal help.”

Through IL-AFLAN, PILI is responsible for accepting referrals through the Network and placing them with pro bono attorneys in 101 counties in Illinois, excluding Cook County. PILI will recruit volunteer attorneys, provide training and support, and offer malpractice coverage.

If you are interested in volunteering through PILI to assist veterans, active duty military members and their families, learn more and sign up here »

If you are a veteran, active duty military, or the spouse or dependents of a veteran or active member of the military and in need of legal assistance, call 855-IL-AFLAN (855-452-3526) to talk to an attorney about discharge upgrades, benefits appeals, or civil legal problems like family, housing, and consumer issues.

Thank You to Volunteers at the June Legal Prep Community Law Clinic

On Tuesday June 5th, Chicago Volunteer Legal Services (CVLS) adopted the Legal Prep Community Law Clinic. PILI’s Alumni Network Leadership Council collaborates with Chicago Volunteer Legal Services (CVLS) and Legal Prep Charter Academies to host a monthly community-based clinic for the student families and neighbors of Legal Prep in the Garfield Park neighborhood.

Thanks to our wonderful volunteers from CVLS including PILI Intern Chidi Ahukanna, PILI Intern Kirstin Erickson and PILI Board Member
Phil Mohr. Thank you also to Marissa LaVette from the American Bar Association for volunteering. They helped five clients with cases involving divorce, decedent’s estate, guardianship, adoption and insurance issues.

PILI coordinates this monthly clinic, typically held on the first Tuesday of each month. If you are interested in hosting or your firm is interested in adopting a clinic date, please contact PILI Program Manager Brent Page by email or by phone at 312-832-5128.

Learn more about the Legal Prep Community Law Clinic »

Volunteers Served 47 Clients in Need at Bloomington Legal Fair

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The Eleventh Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee co-sponsored a Legal Advice Fair in Bloomington on Saturday, May 19th. There, volunteer attorneys gave one-time legal advice to people in need about family issues, housing disputes, immigration law, debt concerns and more.

During this half-day event, 22 volunteers served 47 clients. This is the largest number of clients served at the Legal Advice Fair to date.

This event was also sponsored by Prairie State Legal Services, State Farm, the Immigration Project, Mid Central Community Action, Inc. and the McLean County Bar Association.

This Legal Fair is hosted twice a year, in spring and fall, in Bloomington. Similar programs are being replicated in other Judicial Circuits to provide assistance to more people in need. Thank you to all those who made this event such a success!

Learn more about the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee »

Learn more about the Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee Program »

Judge Lisa Wilson Speaking at the Annual Pro Bono Reception

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We are delighted that the Honorable Lisa Y. Wilson, Associate Judge in the Tenth Judicial Circuit and Chair of PILI’s Tenth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee will be our featured guest speaker at this year’s Annual Pro Bono Reception on June 20th.

“From every stage of her career, Judge Wilson has focused on equal access to justice,” said Michael Bergmann, PILI’s Executive Director. “As Chair of the Tenth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee, she is ensuring that more people obtain that access through pro bono service. We are so excited to have her speak to the power of pro bono at our Annual Pro Bono Reception this year.”

Judge Wilson graduated from the Northern Illinois University College of Law in 1987 and spent most of her career working at Prairie State Legal Services where she became a managing attorney. In 2009, she was named an associate judge in the Tenth Judicial Circuit. From the bench, she has focused on restorative justice and focusing on treatment and prevention. She presides over four criminal Problem Solving Courts in Peoria County:  Mental Health, Veterans, Drug and DUI as well as the traditional criminal DUI court.

A longtime advocate for pro bono service, Judge Wilson helped launch PILI’s Tenth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee in 2013 and has since served as Committee Chair. Under her leadership, the Committee has hosted a robust slate of pro bono trainings and volunteer opportunities including two bi-monthly Self-Represented Litigant Help Desks at the Peoria and Tazewell County Courthouses. In February, the Committee launched the Tenth Judicial Circuit Conflict of Interest Pro Bono Referral Panel Pilot Program to provide a referral source for Prairie State Legal Services’ Peoria Office to send potential clients who have been denied service due to a conflict of interest. This is the first such panel in the state.

Among Judge Wilson’s many awards and honors are the  2016 Business/Professions Award from the Community Foundation of Central Illinois; the 2011 Pekin YWCA Outstanding Achievement Professions Award; the Illinois Legal Aid Online Legal Advocate in 2009; the WEEK 25 Women in Leadership Award in 2004; 40 Leaders Under 40 Award in 2000; and the Prairie State Legal Services Excellence Award in 1995.

You can see Judge Wilson at the Annual Pro Bono Reception on June 20th at the Ivy Room at Tree Studios in Chicago. At that event, we will also unveil the 2018 Pro Bono Recognition Roster and raise funds for PILI’s Pro Bono Initiative Program.

Learn more about the event »

Purchase tickets here »

Fourteenth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee Hosts Legal Answers Volunteer Programs

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On May 16th, the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee co-sponsored a two Illinois Free Legal Answers volunteer programs in the Quad Cities. Attorneys and gathered at Deere & Company in the morning and at Quad City Bank & Trust in the afternoon to answer legal questions on Illinois Legal Aid Online’s Legal Answers website.

Legal Answers is a secure website (IL.freelegalanswers.org) where lower income Illinois residents can ask a lawyer for help with a legal issue. Qualified users post questions about civil legal problems. Volunteer lawyers then log onto the site and select questions to answer. It’s like a virtual walk-in legal clinic.

During this program an ILAO attorney provided training on how to answer questions and then attorneys drafted answers to family and housing law questions. Throughout the day, fifteen attorneys volunteered and worked on answering questions. Attorneys can volunteer at any time by logging onto Free Legal Answers and picking questions to answer.

This program was also co-sponsored by the American Bar Association, Illinois Legal Aid Online and PILI.

Learn more about the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee »

Meet the 2018 Class of Summer Interns and Fellows

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PILI is excited to welcome the 2018 class of summer Interns and Fellows! This year, 49 summer Law Student Interns and 76 Graduate Fellows will provide 42,400 hours of legal services.

Summer 2018 PILI Interns come from 31 law schools and include rising 2Ls and 3Ls. They will each provide 400 hours of legal services at 28 legal service agencies, for a total of 19,600 hours served.

[button href=”https://pili.org/internships/current-pili-interns”]Meet Our 2018 Interns[/button]

Our 2018 Graduate Fellows come from 23 law schools and are sponsored by 16 law firms. They will each provide 300 hours of legal services between graduation and joining their firm, for a total of 22,500 hours served at one of 60 legal service agencies.

[button href=”https://pili.org/fellowships/current-pili-fellows”]Meet Our 2018 Fellows[/button]

Each summer, PILI organizes the Educational Seminar Series for Interns and Fellows. Many of these programs are open to any legal aid intern in the Chicago area. You can find more information and receive updates about these programs here.

We look forward to meeting our summer class at the Intern & Fellow Orientation on Thursday, May 31st. We are again hosting a full-day orientation to help provide a solid foundation from which PILI Interns and Fellows can better serve their clients and organizations this summer.

Learn more about the Law Student Internship Program »

Learn more about the Graduate Fellowship Program »

PILI Announces Its 2018 Named and Honorary Interns

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This summer, 21 Law Student Interns hold Named or Honorary Internship positions, which are created and funded by individuals and groups dedicated to promoting public interest law.

Our Named and Honorary Internships include:

  • Alfred C. Tisdahl Memorial Intern
  • Andersen-O’Brien Named Intern
  • Baker McKenzie Intern
  • Brad & Terri Lane Intern
  • Chicago Bar Foundation Interns (3)
  • Florence Miller Memorial Interns (2)
  • Illinois State Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Intern
  • Jerome Gilson Honorary Intern
  • Jerome Mirza Memorial Interns (2)
  • Kimball & Karen Anderson Intern
  • Kirkland & Ellis Intern
  • Nikki Will Stein Honorary Intern
  • PILI Alumni Named Intern
  • Polk Bros. Foundation Intern
  • Roslyn C. Lieb Honorary Intern
  • Ruth Ann Schmitt Legal Aid Intern
  • Sidley Austin Intern

[button href=”https://pili.org/donate/named-internships/named-honorary-interns”]Meet the Named & Honorary Interns[/button]

We are grateful to the individuals and groups who make it possible for Interns to provide legal services for people, families and communities in need.

Sponsor a Named or Honorary Intern »

Meet all of PILI’s summer Interns »

Introducing Two New Alumni Class Representatives

PILI is excited to introduce our newest PILI Alumni Class Representatives: Michael Parks of Thompson Coburn and Angela Frye of Verizon Wireless. The Alumni Class Representatives serve as ambassadors for PILI’s mission and work to personally connect with their PILI Intern and Fellow classmates to strengthen the community of 4,000 PILI Alumni. One former Intern and one former Fellow represent five-year groups of PILI Intern & Fellow Alumni.

Michael Parks

Michael was a PILI Fellow at the Roger Baldwin Foundation of the ACLU of Illinois in 1992. “Being a PILI Fellow was the perfect way to cap off my law school experience,” Michael said. “It provided me an opportunity to become immersed in public interest work, and paved the way for me to continue doing pro bono work in my private practice.”

Now a partner at Thompson Coburn LLP, Michael counsels clients on patent and trademark issues and represents them in federal courts across the United States. He also serves on the President’s Council of the Museum of Science & Industry and as a board member at Equip for Equality.

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Angela was a PILI Fellow at the Cook County Public Guardian’s Office in 1997. “I have always been grateful for my PILI Fellowship experience,” she said. “I saw first-hand the dedication and hard work that public interest attorneys put forth every day, but also learned about the huge need for lawyers in private practice to take on pro bono work as they advance in their legal careers.”

Angela now works as Assistant General Counsel at Verizon Wireless, where she is a pro bono leader. She dedicates her own time to pro bono clients and volunteers with organizations such as the Domestic Violence Legal Clinic. She also encourages her colleagues to get involved in pro bono service as well.

Meet the other Alumni Class Representatives »

Sign up to hear from Alumni Class Representatives »