The Legal Aid Society (LAS) is the legal aid arm of Metropolitan Family Services.  Founded in 1886, it is the oldest provider of legal aid in Illinois and the second oldest in the nation.  The mission of LAS is to protect and strengthen families by providing equal access to justice for all by focusing on the most vulnerable communities, including those who are impoverished, the elderly, and victims of violence & crimes.

LAS has four practice groups: Safety & Family focuses on issues related to family law and orders of protection for survivors of domestic violence and on the prevention of abuse and financial exploitation of seniors; Health, Housing, & Economic Stability represents low-income tenants facing evictions, housing voucher terminations, and other housing issues; Individual Rights & Social Justice works with survivors of human trafficking and immigrant victims of crime to obtain immigration relief, and with individuals with certain employment law matters; Communities Partnering 4 Peace is a community lawyering project dedicated to removing barriers to housing, employment, and financial stability, among other issues, for members of the Chicago community.

Interns and fellows generally work out of LAS’s downtown Chicago office, but some positions are based in Wheaton or Decatur, Illinois.  Our offices operate in a hybrid model, with in-person and remote opportunities.  Full-time positions are available for the summer, and part-time positions for the fall and spring semesters.  Some positions require Spanish-language skills and/or a 711 student attorney license.  Please see our website for a list of available positions.

A PILI intern or fellow will have a wide range of litigation exposure, including client interviewing and counseling, negotiation, research, drafting pleadings, court observation, and court appearances (if 711-licensed).

This agency is approved to host a Law Student Intern during the fall and summer. They are also approved to host Graduate Fellows.