PILI Alumni Award presented to Priya Desai (left) by Jill Roberts, Chair of PILI’s Alumni Network Leadership Council (right).
Nominations are open for PILI awards to recognize attorneys and legal programs making outstanding contributions in pro bono and public interest law across the state of Illinois. For each award, you can either submit a self-nomination or nominate a colleague.
The submission deadline for award nominations is Friday, September 4th. Follow the links below to submit your nomination.
PILI Annual Awards
Every year, PILI presents several awards to acknowledge lawyers and legal programs whose dedication to service, fairness, and justice inspires us and makes us proud.
- The Distinguished Public Service Award honors an individual whose commitment to public interest work has shaped a career dedicated to service in Illinois.
- The PILI Alumni Awards recognize one former PILI Law Student Intern and one former PILI Graduate Fellow as a rising star or for a noteworthy career in the public interest law sector or for their impactful pro bono work. Not sure if someone is PILI Alum? Email us to confirm.
- The Pro Bono Initiative Award acknowledges a single entity for its significant pro bono work in Illinois.
These awards will be presented at PILI’s Annual Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, December 9, 2026.
See a list of past annual award recipients »
Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee Awards
Five of the Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committees are giving circuit-wide pro bono awards to one or more lawyers who have provided outstanding pro bono services to low-income individuals and charitable organizations in their respective judicial circuits.
- Bond and Madison Counties should make a nomination for the Third Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Service Awards.
- Coles, Cumberland, Clark, Edgar and Vermilion Counties should make a nomination for the Fifth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Service Awards.
- Champaign, DeWitt, Douglas, Macon, Moultrie and Piatt Counties should make a nomination for the Sixth Judicial Circuit Community Legal Services Award.
- Marshall, Peoria, Putnam and Tazewell Counties should make a nomination for the Tenth Judicial Circuit Joseph A. Dailing Pro Bono Service Award.
- DuPage County should make a nomination for the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Service Award.
- DeKalb and Kendall Counties should make a nomination for the Twenty-Third Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Service Award.
These awards will be presented at each Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee’s Pro Bono Week event in October. More details on Pro Bono Week 2026 events is coming soon.
If you have questions about any of these awards, contact Michael Bergmann at 312-832-5129 or by email.