PILI Announces $220,000 in Public Interest Law Student Internship Grants

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PILI has announced that it will make $220,000 in grants to 26 public interest law organizations across Illinois for FY 2015. These grants will provide stipends for 51 PILI Law Student Interns over the 2014-15 academic year and the summer of 2015 through PILI’s Law Student Internship Program. Law students apply from law schools across the country to compete for these funded public interest internship opportunities, and recipients work 400 hours during the summer or 200 hours during the school year serving low-income and underrepresented individuals and families with legal needs.

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Calling All PILI Alumni!

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Alumni Wanted: Leadership opportunities with PILI’s Alumni Network now available!

We are seeking Alumni to join our Alumni Network Leadership Council and Teams to help PILI create a meaningful Alumni experience for over 3,700 PILIs, and to advance our mission to cultivate a lifelong commitment to public interest law and pro bono service within the Illinois legal community. Former Interns & Fellows from all classes are invited to participate. Please contact Education & Outreach Manager Katie Pieper at (312) 832-5128 or by e-mail for more information about this opportunity.

PILI’s Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committees In The News

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PILI's Third Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee at a recent pro bono event for veterans

PILI’s Third Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee at a recent pro bono event for veterans

The Chicago Daily Law Bulletin ran an article on September 12 about PILI’s Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committees and the real difference they are making in the lives of low-income people with legal needs in Illinois.

Illinois Supreme Court Justice Rita Garman, who spoke at a summit meeting PILI held for committee chairs this summer, talked in the article about the urgent need for pro bono legal services in Illinois:

“The legal services they need are not a luxury — they involve issues of housing, health care, abuse and neglect and domestic violence. While the past 40 years have seen the enactment of many laws protecting consumers, tenants, victims of domestic violence and others in need, obtaining the benefits of these laws and navigating the various bureaucracies to obtain benefits and services has become more and more complicated.

“Therefore, providing access to legal aid or pro bono legal services is not only admirable, it is a professional and societal obligation.”

Read the full article: “Pro bono needs to be a team effort”

Learn more about all the innovative work our six Pro Bono Committees are doing to advance pro bono across Illinois here »

Extra, Extra! Read all about it! PILI’s July/August 2014 Newsletter is Here!

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Get caught up on all the latest news from PILI, and look ahead with us to what’s coming up in our Law Student Internship, Graduate Fellowship, Alumni, and Pro Bono Initiative Programs.

[button href=”/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/PILI-Newsletter-July-August-2014.html” target=”_blank”]Read PILI’s Newsletter »[/button]

 

Like what you read? You can also click here to sign up for PILI’s bi-monthly e-newsletter.

Applications Now Being Accepted for Fall Semester PILI Interns

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PILI has announced $17,500 in grants to seven Participating Agencies to support Law Student Interns during the 2014 fall semester. Those agencies that will host fall Interns are: Coordinated Advice Referral Program for Legal Services (CARPLS), Center for Disability & Elder Law, Chicago Legal Clinic, Inc, Chicago Volunteer Legal Services, Equip for Equality, LAF Chicago, and the National Immigrant Justice Center. Chicago-area law students are invited to apply for these positions through our online application system as of August 1st. Fall Semester Interns will work for 200 hours and receive a $2,500 stipend for their work.

Learn more information about PILI’s School-Year Law Student Internship Program and Online Application System »

PILI Alumni Spotlight: Betsy Shuman-Moore, 1981 PILI Intern

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Betsy Shuman-MooreBetsy Shuman-Moore has been committed to public interest work from the start of her career, starting with a Bachelor of Social Work degree from the University of Illinois and continuing through to her present positions as director of the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee’s Bias Violence and Fair Housing Projects.  Betsy has shown great dedication toward eliminating housing discrimination and furthering fair housing opportunities for Chicago residents. She served for seven years as a staff attorney and legal director for the Leadership Council for Metropolitan Open Communities – the same organization where she completed her PILI Internship in 1981. “It was quite an education for me,” she says of her Internship. “I learned about housing discrimination and the powerful tool of fair housing testers to prove discrimination, and was excited to join the attorneys in federal court and learn about federal legal practice on the ground.”  During her Internship, she recalls working on two major cases involving affordable housing and racial discrimination in the Chicago area, Arlington Heights v. Metropolitan Housing Development Corp. and Phillips v. Hunter Trails.  And she remembers working for Leadership Council’s then-general counsel Bill Caruso fondly: “The Leadership Council made a lot of the early fair housing case law, a record to be proud of.”

After moving from the Leadership Council to the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee, Betsy spent 17 years as director of its Hate Crime Project. She led volunteer attorneys to advocate for hate crime victims in criminal court and file civil suits against those who commit hate crimes. “We also have successfully advocated for many improvements in the Illinois Hate Crime Act and policy, educated thousands of community residents, and trained hundreds of law enforcement and other professionals,” she explains.  This worked has influenced her current career mission with the Fair Housing Project to further educate Chicago residents about fair housing and lending laws, advocate for progressive laws and policies, and represent those who need assistance in enforcing their right to fair housing.

Betsy currently serves on the Illinois Advisory Committee to the U.S. Civil Rights Commission.  In addition to receiving the PILI Distinguished Alumni Award in 1993, she has also received the Thomas and Eleanor Wright Award from the Chicago Commission on Human Relations in 2002, and was selected as a “Super Lawyer” in Illinois in civil rights in 2005. Her dedication to public service extends to her personal, charitable work as well. “I just joined the Metropolitan Tenants Organization board. I’m a tutor with Family Matters in Rogers Park, where I live. I do a lot of social justice work through my Lutheran church in Lakeview, including currently helping resettle a refugee family from Bhutan,” Betsy explains.

Betsy says her PILI Internship “introduced me to what is now a huge network of lawyers dedicated to public interest law in the Chicago area.” She is proud to be a part of this network and community. Her Internship gave her the necessary exposure to the skills and tools she needed to pursue a career in social justice, including litigation, legislative and policy advocacy, education and training, and working with law enforcement. She states, “teaching people what their rights are and the importance of asserting them is critical to achieving equality for all in the Chicago area and the country.”

This perspective has helped Betsy become one of the region’s preeminent fair housing leaders, and has driven her to work extensively for organizations whose mission is to help others gain equal access housing in Chicago and beyond.  “I have been very fortunate to have spent my entire career in public interest law,” says Betsy. And being a PILI Intern “reinforced my desire to dedicate my career to the public interest.”

Read more PILI Alumni Spotlights »

PILI Elects New Directors to Its Board of Directors

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At its meeting on July 24, 2014, the PILI Board of Directors elected several new directors to its board. Those elected to serve included Karina Ayala-Bermejo of Metropolitan Family Services, Traci Braun of Exelon Corporation and Jonathan Jennings of Pattishall, McAuliffe, Newbury, Hilliard & Geraldson LLP. Each of these attorneys have had impressive legal careers with demonstrated commitments to pro bono and public interest law. Brief biographical information is provided below for each new director.

Karina Ayala-Bermejo
Metropolitan Family Services (MFS)

Karina is the Executive Vice President of Human Resources & General Counsel for MFS, where she is responsible for all legal and human resources aspects for MFS. Prior to MFS, she was with the City of Chicago for nearly three years most recently as the First Deputy Commissioner for the Department of Human Resources (DHR). She also served as DHR Managing Deputy Commissioner and DHR Acting Commissioner. Prior to the City, she spent seven years as the Director of Community Services for the Chicago Bar Association (CBA) where she encouraged attorneys to take on pro bono work and collaborated with the bar and various divisions of the Circuit Court of Cook County on initiatives to improve the justice system. Karina has been a leader involved in community service for over 20 years. She currently serves as Hispanic National Bar Association National Vice President of Regions; Board of Directors of the Jane Addams Juvenile Court Foundation; Advisory Board Member for the DePaul University College of Law Center for Public Interest Law, and Board Member of the Chicago Legal Clinic. Karina has also served on the U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois Magistrate Judge Selection Committee, is a Founding Member of Illinois Legal Aid Online, and served on the Latina Leadership Council of the Chicago Foundation For Women. She has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the CBA Alliance for Women’s Alta May Hewlett Award, the Chicago Commission of Human Relations’ Advisory Council on Latino Affairs Award, and DePaul College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award. Karina received her Juris Doctor from DePaul University College of Law.

Traci M. Braun
Exelon Corproation

Traci is Associate General Counsel for Exelon Corporation. At Exelon, she is responsible for handling and supervising litigation on behalf of the company, including death cases, multimillion-dollar vendor disputes, and litigation in support of multibillion-dollar transactions. In addition, for the last five years, Traci has served as co-chair of Exelon’s Pro Bono Committee, supervising and creating pro bono volunteer opportunities for attorneys and staff of the company’s legal department. Prior to joining Exelon in 2008, Traci was a partner in Jenner & Block LLP, in Chicago, where she was a member of the firm’s product liability and mass tort defense practice as well as its class action litigation practice. She has represented manufacturers and distributors of consumer products, including pharmaceutical and chemical products, in breach of warranty, fraud, and other related claims, and has defended numerous class actions in both state and federal courts. Traci was also an active member of the firm’s pro bono committee. In addition to serving on PILI’s Board of Directors, Traci also serves on the Board of Directors for Cabrini Green Legal Aid, a nonprofit organization that provides legal representation and support services for individuals negatively impacted by the criminal justice system, and is Exelon’s lead for the Chicago Bar Foundation’s yearly Investing in Justice Campaign. Traci received her Juris Doctor from the University of Wisconsin Law School.

Jonathan S. Jennings
Pattishall, McAuliffe, Newbury, Hilliard & Geraldson LLP

Jonathan protects brands, copyrighted works and domain names throughout the world. As part of his practice, he represents plaintiffs and defendants in a wide variety of disputes involving trademark, copyright, trade secret, right of publicity, breach of contract, unfair competition and false advertising claims. Jonathan also helps companies and individuals with brand development, audits, clearance, and worldwide registration issues; due diligence; licensing and assignment transactions; and with clearing advertising, promotional and marketing claims and contests. He also evaluates and counsels companies on claims in the food, beverage and pharmaceutical fields in light of FDA, FTC and consumer protection laws and regulations. He has been recently honored as a 2014 AV-rated Preeminent Lawyer, a 2014 Illinois “Super Lawyer” in Intellectual Property Litigation, and a 2014 Illinois “Leading Lawyer” in Intellectual Property Law. After over 1000 interviews and surveys with industry clients and peers, Managing Intellectual Property Magazine also selected Jonathan as an “IP Star”. Jonathan was recently appointed as an Adjunct Professor at Northwestern University School of Law, where he will teach trademarks and unfair competition law. He also enjoys taking on pro bono matters for artists, The Chicago Bar Association, and not-for-profit charitable and service organizations. Jonathan also previously served on the Board of Managers for the Chicago Bar Association through which he also held a one year appointment to the PILI Board of Directors. He received his Juris Doctor from the Northwestern University School of Law.

PILI Alumni Spotlight: Charles P. Golbert, 1990 Fellow

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Charles P. GolbertAs the Deputy Public Guardian in charge of the adult guardianship division of the Office of the Cook County Public Guardian, Charles Golbert has made public service a focal-point of his career for the past 23 years.  He oversees all aspects of the office’s guardianship services for its 800 adult wards with disabilities, including legal and social services and management of nearly $100 million in collective ward assets. His current work echoes the work he did as a PILI Fellow with the Office of the Cook County Public Guardian and the firm now known as Katten, Muchin and Rosenman. His Fellowship offered him a more robust understanding of the Juvenile Court system, including researching and writing appellate briefs. “I had the opportunity to use a 711 license to represent children in abuse and neglect proceedings,” Charles says of his PILI Fellowship.  “I sued the Department of Vital Statistics to establish a legal identity for a foundling child….After about a year of litigation, we won the case and obtained a legal identity for this child.”

After completing his PILI Fellowship, Charles continued his public interest work, first at Katten, Muchin and Rosenman, then returning to the Public Guardian’s Office as a staff attorney serving in a variety of roles.   Prior to his appointment as the Deputy Public Guardian, Charles was the head of the Public Guardian’s appellate division, successfully litigating and supervising hundreds of appeals in the Illinois Supreme and Appellate Courts.  In these positions, Charles has represented children and adults with disabilities in both state and federal court and the appellate courts.  Advocating for and representing people with disabilities includes a wide variety of matters, including abuse and neglect proceedings, civil rights actions, institutional reform class action litigation, contested guardianships, financial exploitation lawsuits, and policy and legislative matters.

In addition to his public interest law career, Charles also teaches elder law at John Marshall Law School and has authored or coauthored about 18 published law journal articles.  He has advocated for children and persons with disabilities at every level of local, state, and federal government, including the White House.  “I have also strived to stay active in PILI through the Alumni Leadership Council, most recently as its liaison to the PILI Board of Directors,” he says.

Charles’ commitment to public service extends to a variety of volunteer opportunities outside of his public interest law career. “I was a regular cook at the Inspiration Café for about a dozen years, and have served on their programs board, advisory board, and art auction planning committee,” he says. Charles incorporates his love of running and cycling into his charitable work: “I completed about a dozen multi-day charity bike rides in different parts of the country ranging from 175 to 575 miles that have raised around $10,000 for various charities such as HIV/AIDS research and services, respiratory health, and pediatric medical care.” Charles’ charitable work also extends to the art and culture sector, where he recently joined the board of directors at the Oracle Theatre.

A recipient of many awards for his contributions to the public interest law field, Charles  was a 2008 recipient of PILI’s Distinguished Alumni Award.  He has also received the President’s Recognition Award from the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) and the John J. Regan Writing Award from NAELA for one of his journal articles.  He also has received the Outstanding Affiliate Member Award from the National Guardianship Association and the Amicus Curiae Award from the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (ITLA).

Charles credits his PILI Fellowship for introducing him to a career in public interest law. “It’s fair to say that I owe my career to PILI,” he states. “My first opportunity to work at the Public Guardian’s Office was through my PILI Fellowship. I would probably never have worked at the Public Guardian’s Office if not for the opportunity afforded me to do so through PILI and Katten, Muchin and Rosenman.”

Charles’ commitment to public service work in both his professional and personal life comes from a desire to advocate for the needs of the abused and neglected.  His unique combination of skills, experience, education, and interests has helped him build his career in a way that makes a difference. Charles explains that his PILI Fellowship provided him with the vital experience necessary in “appreciating how rewarding it is to represent children and people with disabilities.”

Charles is also excited to announce that he has recently gotten engaged to Rachel Einwohner, a sociologist at Purdue University. PILI offers a heartfelt congratulations to Charles and Rachel!

Read more PILI Alumni Spotlights »

Two PILI Alumni Elected to PILI Board of Directors

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At its meeting on July 24, 2014, the PILI Board of Directors elected several new directors to its board, including two who were former PILI Graduate Fellows. Those Alumni who were elected to serve were David Callahan of Latham & Watkins LLP and David Scriven-Young of Peckar & Abramson P.C. The legal careers of both of these impressive attorneys have been the embodiment of PILI’s mission of cultivating a lifelong commitment to public interest law and pro bono service within the Illinois legal community to expand the availability of legal services for people, families and communities in need. Brief biographical information is provided below for each new director.

David K. Callahan
Latham & Watkins LLP

David is a partner in Latham & Watkins’ Litigation Department and a trial lawyer who focuses on complex litigation in the areas of patent, trademark, trade secret, false advertising and unfair competition. He has more than 20 years of experience litigating intellectual property matters, has tried numerous bench and jury trials, and has argued many appeals before the Federal and Seventh Circuit Courts of Appeal. He has significant experience in the area of medical device patent disputes, and he has represented clients in a diverse range of other technologies including semiconductors, consumer products, automotive products, and business methods among many others. In 2014, BTI named Mr. Callahan a “Client Service All-Star” and IP Law and Business named him one of the “Top 50 Under 45” IP lawyers in the country. Law and Politics has regularly listed him as an Illinois “Super Lawyer” since 2005 and Chambers and Partners named him to its Chambers USA, America’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2011-2013 editions. Prior to joining Latham & Watkins, David was a partner with Kirkland & Ellis LLP and was also a PILI Graduate Fellow with LAF after graduating from law school. In addition to serving on PILI’s Board of Directors, David is a member of the Advisory Board for the DePaul University Center for Intellectual Property Law and Information Technology (CIPLIT). David received his Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School.

David J. Scriven-Young
Peckar & Abramson P.C.

David is a senior litigation associate primarily in the Environmental Law, Construction, and Commercial Litigation Practices. His environmental expertise includes handling Superfund cases and wrongful death, personal injury, and property damage claims arising out of underground storage tank leaks, spills of chlorinated solvents, and other chemical releases. He is the author of the Illinois Environmental Law blog, which provides news and updates on cases, laws, and regulations involving Illinois environmental issues. In 2011, the LexisNexis Environmental Law & Climate Change Community named his blog one of the “Top 50 Blogs for Environmental Law & Climate Change.” David holds several leadership positions in bar associations and the community. He was appointed to PILI’s Board of Directors by the Chicago Bar Association where he serves on the CBA Board of Managers. He is also the Assembly Clerk for the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division. David has also been the recipient of several awards, including being named a Rising Star by Illinois Super Lawyers in 2011 and 2012, being selected by DePaul University to a list of 14 successful alumni under 40 years old, and receiving the David C. Hilliard Award for Outstanding Committee Service from the CBA Young Lawyers Section. Having served as a PILI Graduate Fellow at the Alliance for the Great Lakes after graduating from law school, David most recently served on PILI’s Alumni Network Leadership Council. David received his Juris Doctor from the DePaul University College of Law.

 

Lee Ann Russo of Jones Day Honored for Her Service to PILI

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At its July 24, 2014 meeting, the PILI Board of Directors acknowledged 2012-14 PILI Board President, Lee Ann Russo of Jones Day, for her leadership and service to PILI. Lee Ann has served on PILI’s Board of Directors since 2006, serving as its president since 2012.

2012-2014 PILI Board President Lee Ann Russo with PILI Executive Director Michael Bergmann (L) and 2014-2016 PILI President Richard O'Malley (L) of Sidley Austin LLP.

2012-2014 PILI Board President Lee Ann Russo with PILI Executive Director Michael Bergmann (L) and 2014-2016 PILI President Richard O’Malley (L) of Sidley Austin LLP.

A partner with Jones Day, Lee Ann’s practice is concentrated on complex business litigation. She has extensive experience in the areas of class action, securities, commodities and commercial litigation, with substantial trial experience before state and federal courts. She has served as lead counsel in the representation of issuers, officers and directors, and securities broker-dealers and commodity futures commission merchants, in state and federal securities and commodities fraud litigation. Lee Ann also serves as the administrative partner and pro bono coordinator for the Chicago Office of Jones Day. In addition to serving on PILI’s Board of Directors, Lee Ann is also a member of the Leadership Board of the National Immigrant Justice Center.

Under Lee Ann’s leadership, PILI grew its Law Student Internship Program by 31% and launched six Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee across Illinois; launched an entirely new website, revised our Mission Statement and established our first-ever Vision Statement; saw increased support in all areas of giving, but most especially with individual giving, including $25,400 committed over five years through the PILI Giving Circles; and placed our first Interns outside of Chicago at Land of Lincoln ad Prairie State and added our first Board members from outside of Chicago.

PILI is so very grateful to Lee Ann for her service and dedication to PILI!