Alumni Spotlights
PILI Alumni Spotlight: Gabriel Lara, 2020 Graduate Fellow
“My commitment to services is deeply rooted in my life and career. I have often sought out opportunities to give back to vulnerable communities through nonprofit work. Now, as an attorney, I look forward to continuing this important work through pro bono opportunities.”
PILI Alumni Spotlight: Diana Arroyo, 2020 Intern
“I think in law school, because of all the work and stress, it’s easy to lose focus of why we chose this career but engaging in direct client representation through public interest work has allowed me to remember why I came to law school—to make justice accessible to everyone.”
PILI Alumni Spotlight: Ruben Bautista, 2020 Intern
“As a PILI Intern, I have been able to join a cohort of so many great friends that are passionate about using the legal tools we have gain during law school to provide representation to communities that have limited access to legal representation.”
PILI Alumni Spotlight: Davina DiPaolo, 2019 Law Student Intern
“Justice means access and equality for all.”
PILI Alumni Spotlight: Sarah Lode, 2019 Graduate Fellow
“Justice is being able to be heard, to tell your story. It means having a seat at the table and being able to get to the place you need to be in order to have your story hear.”
Happy Valentine’s Day from PILI Alumni
Happy Valentine’s Day! We spoke with one of our PILI Alumni Couples, John and Jami Gekas, about their experience as PILIs and how their commitment to service plays a role in their relationships. Jami was a PILI Fellow at Legal Aid Chicago in 2001 and is now a partner at Foley & Lardner. John was […]
PILI Alumni Spotlight: Nora Cygan, 2019 Law Student Intern
“Since my Internship has ended, I am more eager than ever to work hard to help clients achieve the best possible representation.”
PILI Alumni Spotlight: Shenna Johnson, 2019 Graduate Fellow
“I will ensure that pro bono is not an afterthought, but rather, a consistent component of my practice.”
PILI Welcomes Jessica Schneider as 2019-2020 Alumni Network Leadership Council Chair
“The PILI Alumni are more than a network, it’s a community of people supporting each other.”

PILI Alumni Spotlight: Maria Kutnick, 2004 PILI Intern
“I’m so thankful that I was selected as a PILI Intern. It was the impetus for my legal career.”