The following is an executive summary on the summer 2017 evaluations and service tracking forms received by PILI Interns, Fellows and Supervisors. You can learn more about our programs by following the links.
Law School Internship Program
44 Interns provided 17,600 hours of legal services at 26 public interest law agencies. Of those:
- 61% provided direct services and 60% provided brief services to a total of 1,884 clients;
- 76% worked on legal & policy research or writing, 41% provided legal support, and 39% conducted community outreach;
- 82% of the class identified as female, 39% identified as racially or ethnically diverse and 20% identified as LGBTQ; and
- 66% of Interns were from Illinois law schools.
Interns described their work and experience as follows:
- 98% agreed the work performed was challenging and stimulating.
- 100% responded they developed a new legal skill.
- 100% of Interns said they would recommend the Law Student Internship program to others.
- On a scale of 1 to 5, Interns rated the program a 4.7 overall.
“Overall PILI is a great opportunity for law students. I learned so much this summer and this summer has given me a leg up in law school.” – 2017 PILI Intern
Graduate Fellowship Program
70 Fellows provided 21,000 hours of legal services at 34 public interest law agencies. Of those:
- 61% provided direct services and 52% provided brief services to a total of 604 clients;
- 82% worked on legal & policy research or writing, 35% provided legal support, and 21% conducted community outreach;
- 48% of the class identified as female, 20% of the class identified as racially or ethnically diverse and 7% identified as LGBTQ; and
- 64% of Fellows were from Illinois law schools.
Fellows described their work and experience as follows:
- 95% more likely to integrate pro bono in future practice.
- 98% responded they developed a new legal skill.
- 100% of Fellows said they would recommend the Graduate Fellowship program to others.
- On a scale of 1 to 5, Fellows rated the program a 4.6 overall.
“I tell everyone that they should do the PILI Fellowship Program because Fellows are able to do meaningful, hands-on work within their community, at an organization of their choosing – a combination that is rare for young lawyers.” – 2017 Fellow
Advising Program
Overall, there were 58 Advisors for Interns and Fellows, including 10 Alumni Network Leadership Council Members and 17 PILI Board Members, with the goal to meet with their Advisee twice throughout the summer.
26 Interns (59% of all Interns) and 34 Fellows (48% of all Fellows) participated with 96% of Interns and 88% of Fellows meeting their Advisor at least once.
- On a scale of 1-5, Interns rated the program a 4.1 and Fellows rated the program a 3.8.
“PILI’s Advising Program was a great opportunity to learn about someone in the field you are interested in.” – 2017 Intern
PILI Educational Seminar Series
- PILI Intern & Fellow Orientation attended by 85 Interns and Fellows.
- Throughout the summer, PILI hosted 10 Educational Seminars, each averaging 25 attendees. The top 3 seminars were Serving with Excellence in Legal Aid: Understanding Implicit Bias, How Will Immigration Law Affect Your Practice, and the Public Interest Law Career Path Panel.
- PILI also conducted a Daley Center tour, co-sponsored 2 educational programs and organized 4 networking events.
“I loved every week. Panels were nice, substantive seminars were great, and job-related seminars were really helpful.” – 2017 PILI Intern
If you have any questions, please contact Program Manager Brent Page.