Help the Victims of Hurricane Harvey & Irma

Posted on August 30, 2017September 16, 2017 by Lauren Harper

This article originally appeared on the Chicago Bar Foundation’s website and has been updated to include information on Hurricane Irma relief.

As we continue to tackle our local access to justice challenges, we are also greatly concerned about the devastation from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. The human toll is creating huge challenges for everyone, and there are lots of ways to contribute through the Red Cross, Salvation Army and others to help meet some of those immediate needs.

As the recovery process begins, many thousands of people are going to need legal help for storm-related issues as well. That heightened need will be exacerbated in the Houston area because the main legal aid program there, Lone Star Legal Aid, had their office burn down due to storm-related causes.

The easiest and best thing you can do from here to help on the access to justice front is to make a contribution to support the pro bono and legal aid efforts in the impacted areas. The Texas Access to Justice Foundation and Florida Bar Foundation have each set up a special fund if you are interested in making a contribution to directly support legal aid for storm victims.

On the pro bono front, the ABA has created a central hub for information on pro bono efforts for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. The National Disaster Legal Aid Resource Center is also a good resource for individuals looking for ways to get involved and to support relief efforts.

In Texas, the state Supreme Court has issued an order allowing out-of-state attorneys to temporarily practice in Texas in order to help the thousands of victims of this week’s devastating storm and flooding. The State Bar of Texas has an online volunteer form you can fill out, and Brenna DeVaney of Skadden Arps is taking the lead on coordinating law firm efforts in through the Association of Pro Bono Counsel.

Law School Representatives Meet for 2017 Roundtable

Posted on July 28, 2017March 16, 2018 by Lauren Harper

Representatives from area law schools recently met for PILI’s annual Law School Pro Bono Roundtable. While there, they discussed the success of a Justice Bus Program, the impact of the current presidential administration on public interest law, and recent rule and requirement changes affecting law schools.

OneJustice’s Justice Bus

During the program, a representative from OneJustice, a public interest law agency in California, called into the meeting to explain the Justice Bus Project to the group. The Justice Bus Project takes teams of attorney and law student volunteers from urban areas to set up legal clinics for low-income individuals in rural communities. Attendees discussed developing a similar program in Illinois to provide law students with a Justice Bus volunteer opportunity while providing legal services for people in need.

Impact of Recent Election and New Administration

Next, attendees discussed the impact of the current administration on law students and public interest law. Attendees reviewed what was happening with the loan forgiveness program and what could happen if that program is changed or eradicated. They also discussed the possibility of law students being less interested in government jobs, but that there had been a recent surge in attention towards public interest law since the election.

Recent Rule and Requirement Changes

One of the major recent rule changes was the American Bar Association’s reversal of their position on students receiving school credit for paid work, leaving open the possibility that students could now get credit for their paid internships. Different schools shared their positions on this issue. PILI recently decided to allow PILI Interns to receive school credit if both the student’s law school and Internship agency approve.

Another regulation affecting law schools is the New York State Bar’s requirement that students do 50 hours of pro bono work before being admitted. Since a significant number of students are interested in moving to New York after law school, law schools in Illinois are considering how to address this requirement. Many law schools are now implementing a pro bono requirement for their students or aspire to do so. Law schools also have or are planning to establish a pro bono pledge, asking students to maintain an active pro bono practice after graduation.

Thank you to all who attended and assisted with this program.

Discussing Hot Topics in Family Law

Posted on July 24, 2017August 10, 2017 by Lauren Harper

On June 23rd, PILI’s Fifth Judicial Pro Bono Committee and Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation provided a complimentary CLE on “Hot Topics in Family Law” at the Charleston Carnegie Public Library. A similar CLE was hosted by the Sixth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee in Champaign on July 21st.

Family law is one of the greatest areas of need in civil legal aid, and changing rules make it important to stay up-to-date. Topics included new child support rules, guardianships, parenting plans, the Domestic Relations Act and a case law update.

Attendees agreed to take on a pro bono matter within the next year and received 3.0 hours of MCLE credit. Special thanks to all those who attended and to the speakers.

Learn more about the Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committees »

PILI Alumni Spotlight: Ruth Lopez-McCarthy, 2007 & 2008 Law Student Intern

Posted on July 17, 2017July 17, 2017 by Lauren Harper

Ruth Lopez-McCarthy is an Alum of PILI’s Internship Program. In 2007, she was an Intern at the Chicago Legal Clinic and in 2008, she was an Intern at LAF and worked on civil legal issues. Since then, she has remained committed to service and now works as a Managing Attorney at the National Immigrant Justice Center.

She has a Bachelor’s in Spanish from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Juris Doctorate from Chicago-Kent College of Law. She was always interested in working in the public interest sector and was pleased to meet other law students who felt the same at PILI. “I remember walking into the first PILI Intern luncheon and was filled with this profound joy that there were other students that aspired to work in public interest and feeling like I was not alone,” she said.

Immigrant rights and immigration reform have been central to Ruth’s legal career. After law school, she worked at several immigrant rights organization in Washington, D.C. and Chicago, including Reform Immigration America, the Northern Border Coalition, Alliance for Citizenship, and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. She worked for several years as a freelance contractor for other immigrant rights organizations before joining the National Immigrant Justice Center in January. She now manages the Legal Protection Fund, a City of Chicago-funded initiative aimed at educating the community and providing immediate legal information, screenings, consultations and representation to individuals who may be at risk of deportation.

She is grateful that she has been connected to PILI throughout her legal career. “From the start of my career, I was connected to a group of individuals that understood my passions and mentored me through law school and as an attorney,” she said. “The relationships I made as a PILI Intern and Alum have thoroughly enhanced my personal life and career as an attorney.”

PILI Alumni Spotlight: Karla Albite, 2015 Graduate Fellow

Posted on July 17, 2017July 17, 2017 by Lauren Harper

Karla Albite was a 2015 PILI Fellow at Cabrini Green Legal Aid (CGLA), and is now an associate at Sidley Austin LLP in Chicago. She has a vibrant pro bono practice and feels that her Fellowship was a crucial part of preparing her for her legal career.

“It really is incredible how impactful my CGLA experience was in providing me with real-world legal skills,” Karla said. “The opportunity to be an attorney (filing papers, going to court, working with opposing counsel, learning the ins and outs of the court) while also being able to serve members of the Chicago community was an incomparable experience.”

Karla has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science & Economics from the University of Notre Dame, a Master’s of Education from Lipscomb University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Miami School of Law. Prior to law school, she worked as a community organizer, a Teach for America Corps member and advisor, and a middle school Language Arts teacher. As a law student, she interned for several judges, the Federal Public Defender’s Office and the state Public Defender’s Office’s Appellate Division in Florida, and was Editor in Chief of her school’s law review.

After graduation, she moved to Chicago for her PILI Fellowship where she worked in CGLA’s housing division. “My fondest memory at CGLA was telling a client positive news about their case,” she said. “The joy and relief in our clients’ voices when they realized that they would have a roof over their heads is something that I will never forget.”

Karla now works as a litigation associate at Sidley Austin and continues to do pro bono work, including § 1983 cases. She recently represented a veteran who had lost education benefits and is currently representing a prisoner litigant. Karla also participates with the Daley Center’s municipal court program where she assists self-represented litigants in small claims matters.

She believes that her experience at CGLA helped prepare her for her current legal work. “Once I started at my current law firm, I felt much more confident and prepared to be a lawyer than I would have been without the PILI Fellowship,” she said. “As law students we learn to think like lawyers, but the experience of actually being a lawyer is something that cannot be learned in class.”

Karla also stays connected with CGLA as a member of their Young Professionals Board and maintains committed to serving the public interest. “I have a much deeper understanding and appreciation of our job as lawyers and the corresponding commitment to public service that the profession requires.”

Pro Bono Spotlight: Legal Advice Fair

Posted on July 17, 2017March 16, 2018 by Lauren Harper

Twice a year, in the spring and the fall, attorneys gather at Mid Central Community Action in Bloomington, Illinois on a Saturday morning for the Legal Advice Fair. Co-sponsored by MCCA, the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee, Prairie State Legal Services, State Farm Bank, the Immigration Project and the McLean County Bar Association, this semi-annual Fair provides low-income people with free legal advice.

“There’s an energy about going to this community center, starting the morning out early, with a bunch of attorneys and support staff and paralegals in the room getting ready for what’s about to happen,” said Ryan Gammelgard, Counsel in State Farm Law Department. What’s about to happen is around 30-40 low-income people are going to walk through the door with legal issues looking for assistance.

An Idea to Increase Pro Bono

The Legal Advice Fair started out as an idea from Scott Vogelmeier, a Senior Compliance Analyst at State Farm Bank who had just moved to Bloomington from El Paso, Texas. He had volunteered with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid at a Legal Fair and thought something similar could be done in Illinois. He presented Adrian Barr at Prairie State Legal Services with the idea of doing a half-day legal fair where clients could come in for one-time legal advice on their civil legal issues. Attorneys wouldn’t need to make long-term commitments and clients would receive assistance on their issues.

Adrian and Scott presented the idea to State Farm and McClean County Bar through PILI’s Eleventh Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee. The Pro Bono Committee is a group of lawyers and judges that strive to enhance equal access to justice by encouraging and promoting pro bono work in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit. “PILI was the conduit that we were able to present this idea to everyone,” said Adrian. The Committee was enthusiastic about the idea and they put the first fair together in 3 months and welcomed their first clients in the fall of 2015.

Putting the Plan Into Action

People come to the clinic with a range of legal needs, including family issues, housing issues, debt issues, immigration issues and more. “The response has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Adrian. “Clients are just so happy that someone could talk them through their cases.” Approximately 30 attorneys and paralegals with different backgrounds attend each clinic.

One woman attended the clinic who needed help collecting child support from her ex-husband. She told Prairie State, “I feel relieved and empowered. Thank you for providing such a needed service to our community.”

The group puts on the fair twice a year, in the fall and spring, for clients in need. So far, there have been four such fairs and 130 clients have received legal assistance.

Attorneys also appreciate the experience as well. “I absolutely enjoy it,” said Carrie Haas, a trial lawyer with Dunn Law Firm and a Co-Chair of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee. “With so many people living below the poverty line and not having access to legal services, I think it’s essential for the community.”

Her Co-Chair, Todd Miller of Ogar & Miller agrees. “I think that there is an unfortunate disconnect between many of those in need of legal assistance and the ‘system,’” he said. “The connection, provided by this program, between the legal community and the members of the community in need benefits all of us.”

The Impact of Teamwork

Since the implementation of the program, the local bar has seen a dramatic increase in volunteerism. At Praire State in 2014, 88 cases were referred to volunteers. In 2015, 101 cases were referred to volunteers. And in 2016, 124 cases were referred. The 40 percent increase in pro bono referrals over 2 yearsis largely as a result of the Legal Advice Fair. Additionally, Adrian is working with State Farm to develop additional volunteer opportunities.

“I’m very pleased with the willingness of the local bar,” said Scott. “I didn’t know any of these people when I first moved here, and I was really pleased to see there’s a group that is willing to do whatever it takes.”

It was the goal of the Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee Program to bring together groups like these to address local needs. “PILI is able to develop opportunities and address issues that need to be addressed,” said Ryan. “This Legal Fair would not exist but for PILI.”

And while PILI might have provided the space to bring everyone together, it’s taken the work of everyone to get it off the ground and serve clients in need. As Adrian at Prairie State said, “It’s really been a group effort.”

PILI Board Member Spotlight: Joshua Vincent

Posted on July 17, 2017July 17, 2017 by Lauren Harper

Josh Vincent is a partner at Hinshaw & Culbertson in Chicago and has been on PILI’s board since 2011. He first encountered PILI in 2006 when he was trying to implement a formal pro bono program and pro bono policy at his firm. He contacted PILI for help and met with a few PILI board members and staff to discuss what a model pro bono policy looks like, and how Hinshaw could structure their pro bono program.

“It was a very beneficial and extremely useful meeting,” said Josh. “It helped us get our program off the ground.”

Josh had gotten the idea of starting a formal pro bono program when he began taking on direct criminal appeals in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit on a pro bono basis. Starting in 2002, he began taking cases on his own and then realized they would be a good teaching tool for new associates. He began staffing the pro bono appeals with incoming classes of associates while they were waiting for their bar results. Then, after he reached out to PILI, he formalized the pro bono program and began looking for other opportunities for Hinshaw attorneys to get involved in pro bono.

Outside of his pro bono work, Josh is the senior member of the Appellate Practice Group at Hinshaw and focuses on commercial disputes, labor and employment, professional and products liability, insurance coverage, administrative review, eminent domain and criminal justice. He went to law school at DePaul University College of Law and attended the University of Michigan for his undergraduate.

Josh continues to head up the Chicago Metropolitan Area Pro Bono Committee at Hinshaw and is also Hinshaw’s Director of Professional Development. In addition to his legal volunteerism, Josh is involved with SkyART, an organization that provides youth with an accessible, safe place to participate in visual arts programs.

In his free time, Josh likes to ride motorcycles and cook. He has modern and classic bikes, and has toured some of the most scenic places in the United States including the Adirondacks, the Ozarks, California, Arizona, Wisconsin and Michigan. He has even traveled internationally and rode motercycles through Corsica. He is also a talented chef and auditioned for the Food Network show, “Grill It! With Bobby Flay” with his grilled pizza.

He says he likes serving on PILI’s board because it combines his passion for pro bono work and professional development of young lawyers. “I really like being associated with an organization whose mission is so dedicated to helping staff public interest organizations with law students,” he said. “It brings together issues that are near and dear to my heart so it was kind of a perfect fit.”

He said he also likes working with individuals from a cross-section of law firms and corporations that share his dedication to service. “It’s a great place to be able to value the same things in terms of giving back to the community and providing training and a commitment to service.”

Thank you for supporting our Annual Pro Bono Recepiton

Posted on June 22, 2017June 29, 2018 by Lauren Harper

We are so grateful to our event sponsors, attendees and donors who made the 2018 Annual Pro Bono Reception such a success!

We raised over $75,000 to support PILI’s Pro Bono Program. These funds will help us to increase the availability of pro bono legal help for those in need. Thank you!

View photos from the event.

View the 2018 Pro Bono Recognition Roster.

Learn more about PILI’s Pro Bono Program.

Guardianship Basics CLE presented by PILI, Prairie State and Rock Island County Bar

Posted on June 20, 2017June 20, 2017 by Lauren Harper

On Friday, June 16th, PILI’s Fourteenth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee, Prairie State Legal Services and the Rock Island County Bar Association presented a CLE on guardianship basics at Western Illinois University – Quad Cities. During this program, speakers explored the basics of pursuing an adult guardianship and for serving as a guardian ad litem. Attendees also learned how to provide pro bono assistance to low-income individuals with guardianship cases through Prairie State Legal Services.

Thank you to all those who attended and to the speakers Mary Ann Brown of Nash Nash Bean & Ford, Carrie Clark of McCarthy, Callas, & Feeney, and Chief Probate Judge Linnea Thompson of the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit.

Attendees received 2.25 hours of MCLE credit for this program, which was part of a larger full day CLE presented by Rock Island County Bar Association. The program was free to those who agreed to take on a pro bono case in the next 12 months.

Learn more about the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee »

See other upcoming events in the Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committees »

Corporate Attorneys Discuss Increasing Pro Bono Participation

Posted on June 16, 2017March 16, 2018 by Lauren Harper

Corporate legal departments are seeing a surge of interest in pro bono work among their attorneys. Pro bono leaders from corporate legal departments recently gathered at PILI’s Corporate Pro Bono Roundtable to discuss harnessing that energy and excitment, developing joint pro bono programs and ventures, coordinating pro bono across multiple locations and increasing attorney participation in pro bono work.

Harnessing newfound energy and excitement in pro bono work and legal advocacy

Pro bono coordinators discussed their approach to matching the types of issues a volunteer wants to work on to match them with the best possible pro bono project or agency. Short-term pro bono opportunities such as a clinic or a help desk make good introductions to pro bono work as well. Capturing that excitment can help build up a a pro bono practice.

Developing joint pro bono programs and ventures

Joint pro bono programs and ventures provide an opportunity for corporate pro bono programs to work with public interest law agencies and law firms. Partnering with outside counsel on a pro bono project can help to build relationships. Corporate legal departments can also volunteer at an agency’s established clinic instead of needing to develop a whole new project from scratch.

Coordinating pro bono across multiple locations

Collaboration on pro bono work between offices can help build teamwork and camaraderie. On particularly complicated cases, corporate legal departments can also partner with law firms. Attorneys can communicate using Skype and other technology, and departments can become closer across office locations through volunteering.

Increasing attorney participation in pro bono work

More attorneys are likely to participate in bite-size pro bono opportunities that can be done within a day or a few hours. Corporate legal departments can adopt a clinic day or help desk. Pro bono coordinators can use client and volunteer stories to inspire other attorneys to volunter. It is important to create a culture of service by including pro bono information in a new employee’s orientation and enlisting upper management to encourage pro bono participation.

Attendees received 1.5 hours of MCLE Professional Responsibility credit for attending this program.

View the materials distributed at this program »