Congratulations on receiving a PILI Graduate Fellowship! The below information is meant to help you make the most of your summer experience. Please don’t hesitate to contact PILI staff if you need help or have any questions.
Required Forms & Registrations:
Required Fellow registration form:
Fellows are required to complete this brief program registration form by Friday, April 28th.
[button href=”https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2017summerregistration”]Fill Out the Registration Form[/button]
PILI Advising Program:
A unique aspect of PILI’s Fellowship Program is our Advising Program, which pairs Fellows with a member of PILI’s Board of Directors or Alumni Network for a personal introduction to the Illinois legal community. Many of our Board Members and Alumni are leaders in pro bono and public interest law, and participating in this program can help you start to build your professional network early in your career. This is an optional component of PILI’s Fellowship Program, which the majority of our Fellows participate in every year. The deadline to register for the Advising Program is April 28th.
[button href=”https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2017adviseeregistration”]Sign Up for the Advising Program[/button]
Service Tracking Forms and Program Evaluation:
PILI requires all Fellows to complete a service tracking form and a separate program evaluation. These will be sent out via email towards the end of your Fellowship, and the links are also available below. We will also send an evaluation after the conclusion of your Fellowship. PILI relies heavily on this information to improve the Fellowship Program, and to provide required information to many of the program’s funders. Click here for more information.
You can also download a Client Service Tracking Sheet. This is an optional tool to help you keep track of the work you do and clients you serve, so that you can provide accurate feedback to PILI about your Fellowship.
If you are having any problems or issues with your Fellowship that you would like PILI to address immediately, don’t wait for the evaluation period. Please contact us right away.
Events & Opportunities:
PILI Intern and Fellow Orientation, June 1st
PILI will host a full-day orientation at the beginning of the summer for PILI Interns & Fellows. This orientation will be a valuable learning experience and provide a solid foundation from which you can better serve your clients and the organizations where you work this summer. Trainings will cover a range of topics, including best practices for working with legal aid clients, legal writing for public interest law attorneys, conflict management and more. Learn more and register here »
Educational Seminar Series:
PILI offers a weekly Educational Seminar Series that focuses on substantive legal topics, career development strategies and skill building relevant to public interest law. We provide lunch at each of these seminars, and require you to register ahead of time to make sure we have enough food for everyone. We will send out weekly reminder emails asking you to RSVP for these seminars. Attendance counts towards your 300 hour requirement. We hope you will be able to join us! Full schedule for Seminar Series coming soon »
PILI welcomes other area law student interns to our seminars as well, so please invite your fellow summer interns to join, whether or not they receive funding from PILI. They can sign up to receive notifications about the Educational Seminar Series here »
Other PILI Events:
We hope that you will take advantage of several other social and networking opportunities available through PILI this summer. One particularly notable event is our Annual Pro Bono Reception on June 21st. This is a fundraising event for PILI that is usually attended by over 300 attorneys from law firms, corporations, legal service agencies, the judiciary, and law schools across the state. All PILI Fellows are invited to attend this event for free, and you will receive more information in the coming weeks. It’s a great way to get to know the public interest and pro bono landscape in Illinois and to network with other like-minded law students and attorneys.
Additional Resources:
Expectations of PILI Graduate Fellows:
The value of a PILI Fellowship can be both personal and professional as you experience the world of legal aid, expand your network and gain practical legal skills. At the same time, there are certain expectations of PILI Fellows that you will be held to by your firm, your host agency and PILI. Find an outline of those expectations here. (pdf).
About your funding as a PILI Fellow:
Your hiring law firm may be providing you with funding for your PILI Fellowship. If you have questions regarding that funding, you should contact your firm’s hiring coordinator. If you are unsure of who to talk with at your firm, contact PILI Program Associate Brent Page by email or by phone at (312) 832-5128.
PILI Educational Seminars Archive:
An online archive of past PILI educational seminars, covering a variety of topics in public interest law and professional development, is available on our YouTube channel »
PILI Facebook Spotlight
Each Friday, PILI spotlights one Intern or Fellow and the work they are doing on our Facebook page. This is a great way to introduce yourself to the Illinois legal community. If you would like to be featured in a spotlight, please contact PILI Development & Communications Associate Lauren Harper.
Important Dates:
April 28: Deadline to complete the Fellowship registration and register forPILI’s Advising Program
June 1: Intern & Fellow Orientation
June 15: PILI’s Annual Pro Bono Reception
If you have any other questions about your Fellowship, or if you require special assistance, auxiliary aids, or other accommodations to fully participate in the PILI Graduate Fellowship Program, please contact PILI Program Associate Brent Page by email or by phone at 312-832-5128.