National Volunteer Week, celebrated this year from April 21-25, 2025, is an opportunity for PILI to recognize and acknowledge our own outstanding and dedicated volunteers. Without our vast network of volunteers throughout Illinois, PILI would not be where it is today. Today, we are spotlighting members of our Board of Directors who stand for justice by using their own time and talents to increase access to justice.
Mark O’Meara
Chapman and Cutler LLP
When & why did you become involved with PILI? I joined the PILI Board when I was elected as Chapman and Cutler’s pro bono partner. Chapman and Cutler is a longtime supporter of PILI and wants to ensure that we continue our partnership with PILI by, among other things, being actively involved at the board level.
How does PILI’s 2025 theme, Stand for Justice, resonate with you? The theme resonates with me as a reinforcement of the importance of ensuring everyone has access to the legal system.
Why do you volunteer? It is important to be able to give back. Our family volunteers with other organizations and it is a great opportunity to spend time with my family while instilling in our children the values of putting other needs ahead of theirs.
In what ways has PILI helped support or inspire your commitment to public interest law? PILI has exposed me to a broader range of public interest law and the number of organizations dedicated to providing access to justice in Illinois. I have also interacted with some very talented attorneys that have dedicated their careers to public interest law.
What is something that you have seen PILI do or be a part of that has really resonated with/inspired/excited you? The most exciting thing that I have seen since being a part of PILI is how it has grown from being a Chicagoland organization to having a presence throughout the state.
Hari Santhanam
Perkins Coie
When & why did you become involved with PILI? I became involved with PILI right out of law school back in 2008. I was fortunate that the law firm I joined at the time was willing to sponsor a PILI Fellowship for me at the DePaul Asylum & Immigration Law Clinic. I learned so much about immigration law during that summer, which I have continued to apply along the years in pro bono matters. This past year, I joined the PILI Board, and I hope to both pay back and pay forward my experience as a PILI Alum.
How does PILI’s 2025 theme, Stand for Justice, resonate with you? Justice to me is grounded in access to the legal system. The system, despite its flaws, generally works for those who have the privilege of being represented by a lawyer who can help them navigate it. Unfortunately, the system could do far better in providing access. I believe it is incumbent on the legal profession to ensure that the underprivileged have access to legal representation.
Why do you volunteer? I volunteer because I see a critical need for legal representation among the underrepresented. In many areas like immigration, I know firsthand that the mere fact that an individual is being represented by a lawyer can make a difference. Over the years, I’ve volunteered or partnered with a number of organizations but two that stand out for me are the National Immigrant Justice Center and my alma matter, Northwestern University.
In what ways has PILI helped support or inspire your commitment to public interest law? My PILI Fellowship provided me with my first experience and foundation for doing pro bono legal work. I’ve carried that experience with me and built on it over the years as I have handled pro bono immigration matters ranging from civil suits to asylum appeals. I’d say PILI also has inspired me to tackle causes that resonate with me. For example, for the better part of my legal career, I’ve been trying to change the law across the country as it relates to a criminal defendant’s right to confront forensic lab analysts under the Confrontation Clause of the Sixth Amendment. I’ve litigated several appeals on that issue in Alaska, Arizona, Illinois, and the Seventh Circuit with varying success. But last year I finally got a chance to make a lasting, nationwide difference in Smith v. Arizona, which I argued before the U.S. Supreme Court and won 9-0.
What is something that you have seen PILI do or be a part of that has really resonated with/inspired/excited you? I am proud that PILI’s central mission is to advance equal access to justice. And I love that PILI manages to do that with a broad reach and by partnering with numerous organizations across the state.
Angel Wawrzyniak
Constant, Wawrzynek & Grove LLC
When & why did you become involved with PILI? My first involvement with PILI was being appointed as Chair when the Fifth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee was created. In 2023, I was elected to serve on the PILI Board of Directors.
How does PILI’s 2025 theme, Stand for Justice, resonate with you? Attorneys are uniquely qualified to help society navigate tumultuous times. It is our ethical duty to uphold the rule of law, defend the rights of the people, and ensure that all people have access to the court system.
Why do you volunteer? I volunteer because I can. And if everyone who can help did, the world would be a much better place. Not a one of us can help everyone or solve every problem; but together we can come close.
In what ways has PILI helped support or inspire your commitment to public interest law? My involvement with the Pro Bono Committee over the years, and now my involvement on the PILI Board, has shined a light on the unmet legal need, and thus encouraged me to take on more pro bono and low bono clients.
What is something that you have seen PILI do or be a part of that has really resonated with/inspired/excited you? One of my favorite projects that the Pro Bono Committees have been involved with has been the expungement clinics and name change clinics. Being able to spend a day and help multiple people address an issue that will impact their entire lives (clearing their record or correcting their legal name), is incredibly rewarding.