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Major Gift Helps Establish PILI’s Pro Bono Program Endowment Fund
Earlier this year, PILI received a significant donation from a former member of its Board of Directors. In making the gift, the donor wished to remain anonymous but made the gift in honor of one of PILI’s original guiding lights, Thomas Nicholson and to establish an endowment fund to sustain and grow PILI’s Pro Bono Program.
Tom Nicholson was a man of many parts. He was erudite, a wartime Navy Officer, an accomplished lawyer and a 100-mile cyclist. He was also a PILI leader during its formative years and, with foresight in 1988 as its President, effectively broadened PILI’s mission by changing its name from “Public Interest Law Internship” to “Public Interest Law Initiative.” It was a turning point for the organization.
After graduating from Princeton, Tom spent three years in Algeria as an Information Officer for the US State Department. Tom eventually attended the University of Chicago Law School. He began practicing law at the firm of Isham Lincoln & Beale before ultimately joining Mayer Brown until his retirement in 1988. Tom passed away in 2002, just as PILI celebrated its 25th Anniversary. His wife, Eleanor, who remains connected to PILI to this day had this to say, “From his final years in the practice of law until his death, I believe that Tom’s faith in the work of PILI inspired and sustained him.”
This generous donation in honor of Tom has helped to establish an endowment fund to sustain and grow PILI’s Pro Bono Program. Through this Program, PILI works to increase the availability of pro bono legal help for those who cannot afford an attorney in Illinois by developing innovative pro bono opportunities, offering pro bono programming and resources, cultivating best practices, and celebrating the life-changing pro bono performed throughout the state.
“PILI is extremely grateful to this generous donor and we are thrilled to be able to establish this new endowment fund to ensure the long-term stability of our work through our Pro Bono Program” said Michael G. Bergmann, PILI’s Executive Director. “As PILI readies to celebrate its 45th Anniversary, this gift is also a wonderful memorial to the leadership and vision of one of our founders, Tom Nicholson, who helped chart our path as a leader in the public interest law community in Illinois.”
Over the last decade, the Pro Bono Program has grown significantly from consulting services, to statewide expansion to direct representation through volunteers across Illinois. PILI is now helping over 3,000 clients a year through our Pro Bono Program and engaging with hundreds of volunteers statewide. This endowment fund will help to ensure that work continues and the ongoing need for free legal services is met.
PILI has had an endowment fund for its Law Student Internship Program for many years now thanks to both the Francis Beidler Foundation and the Estate of Florence Miller. These funds have provided for stability and growth in PILI’s Law Student Internship Program, ensuring that fluctuations in funding do not severely impact the number of Interns we can fund each year. We look forward to how this new endowment can similarly shore up our Pro Bono Program.
If you are interested in exploring making a major gift towards either of these endowments or leaving your legacy to support the work of PILI, please contact PILI’s Executive Director, Michael G. Bergmann, by e-mail or at 312-832-5129.
PILI Alumni Spotlight: Militza M. Pagán, Staff Attorney at the Shriver Center on Poverty Law
As Latinx and Hispanic Heritage Month ends and we approach Pro Bono Week, PILI was honored to interview PILI Alum Militza Pagán, a staff attorney with the Shriver Center on Poverty Law in Chicago, to highlight her impactful work throughout the state of Illinois. The Shriver Center is a multifaceted organization that provides legal aid services, advocacy, education and community resources, with the goal of eliminating economic and racial inequity. Militza works specifically on the Economic Justice Team, addressing issues such as immigrant rights and labor protection for low wage workers, specifically domestic workers.
A lifelong Chicagoan, Militza moved to the United States from Puerto Rico when she was five and always knew she wanted to work within the community. She attributes her dedication to giving back to her parents, both of whom are pastors. Militza emphasized that her present role as a lawyer is an extension of her commitment and dedication to public service that has been instilled in her since she was young.
“You should always be willing to extend a hand to others because we don’t decide the conditions we are born into.” Militza said.
During her undergraduate academic career at Yale University, Militza worked with an organization, Junta for Progressive Action, which fundamentally shaped her perspective about the power of public interest law, or as Militza calls it, ‘community driven advocacy’ or ‘community lawyering’. While at ‘Junta’, Militza worked with the organization to create one of the nation’s first “municipal ID programs” to ensure that immigrants would have access to identification and financial protection. Under the former leadership of Kica Matos, Militza realized that having a legal background would serve her goals of fundamentally changing people’s lives in a tangible way.
“For everyone to have the opportunity to realize their full potential, public interest work has to include working to change systems. This means changing laws and policies to improve conditions and give people that opportunity,” Militza emphasized.
While in law school at Chicago-Kent College of Law, Militza completed a PILI Law Student Internship at BPI (Business and Professional People for the Public Interest). As a rising leader in the local and national legal aid community, Militza emphasized the impact of having a PILI Internship during law school. She says that impact is why she has remained an active member of the Alumni Network.
“PILI provided me the opportunity to explore different types of law, organizations, and ways to be involved in the public interest community. It set me on my public interest career path. I serve on the Alumni Network Leadership Council because I want law students to have that same opportunity.” Militza added.
Conscientious and passionate about improving the condition of people’s lives, Militza doesn’t shy away from tackling complex, intersectional issues. She expressed the need to stay open, humble, and empathetic about the systemic concerns in our community.
“When we want to help people in need, we need to focus on the root causes. Poverty is the product of policy choices—not the product of individuals’ decisions.” she added.
Militza has had an exceptionally impactful career since graduating from the Chicago-Kent College of Law in 2017. Working with the Shriver Center, Militza has served individuals across Illinois, including working people, women, and immigrants. Most notably, Militza was a driving force in dismantling the “Public Charge” rule, a discriminatory federal regulation established by the Trump Administration in 2019. The regulation penalized low-income immigrants seeking to become legal permanent residents for accessing life-saving government programs and led many immigrants to forgo essential services in the midst of a pandemic.
The Shriver Center, along with other local and national advocacy organizations, created a coalition that successfully litigated against the “Public Charge” rule, which was ultimately invalidated nation-wide and dismissed by the Biden Administration. Militza commented that her work towards delegitimizing the “Public Charge” rule is one of her greatest accomplishments thus far.
“I was proud to be a part of a broad coalition of people who stood up alongside immigrants to stop this cruel rule.” Militza said.
Militza left us with inspiring words about the value of working in public interest law, specifically with the Shriver Center.
“My role as a lawyer is not to tell people how to solve their problems. People know the issues that most affect their lives and know how they want their problems solved. My role is to be a tool for people to create the change they want for themselves and their families—to support their vision for communities where everyone can thrive.”
You can read more about Militza and her work with the Shriver Center on their website.
Read other PILI Alumni Spotlights »
PILI Launches Two New Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committees
PILI launched two new Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committees in the Second and Twenty-Third Judicial Circuits in September.
The Second Judicial Circuit is in the Fifth Appellate District and includes Crawford, Edwards, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jefferson, Lawrence, Richland, Wabash, Wayne and White Counties. The Second Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee will be chaired by the Honorable Jo Beth Weber, a resident circuit judge in Jefferson County. Funding for this new committee and the work PILI will be doing in the Second Circuit is, in part, made possible through the State of Illinois’ Restore, Reinvest, Renew (R3) Program. R3 grants fund programs in Illinois communities that have been harmed by violence, excessive incarceration, and economic disinvestment and PILI was a member of the inaugural R3 funding class.
Prior to the first committee meeting, PILI participated in the Hand Up Summit held in Mt. Vernon in August at which PILI staff meet with those seeking pro bono assistance with expungement and/or sealing of their criminal records who were ineligible to receive assistance through Land of Lincoln Legal Aid. PILI is currently working to place those cases with local pro bono attorneys. At its first meeting, the committee also discussed a variety of projects to expand and enhance pro bono across the circuit.
For more information on this committee, please contact PILI Managing Attorney Abigail Causer by email or at 217-693-6017. You can view a roster of the committee members on its web page.
The Twenty-Third Judicial Circuit is in the Second Appellate District and includes DeKalb and Kendall Counties. The Twenty-Third Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee will be co-chaired by Associate Judge John F. McAdams, currently based in Kendall County, and Associate Judge Joseph C. Pedersen, currently based in DeKalb County. Funding for this new committee is made possible through the Lawyers Trust Fund of Illinois, which provides a significant amount of funding for PILI’s work through most of its committees.
In its first meeting, the committee discussed planning a CLE program to promote the need for pro bono and to identify ways in which local attorneys could get involved in pro bono. The committee also discussed holding a virtual Illinois Free Legal Answers clinic and possibly an expungement clinic.
For more information on this committee, please contact PILI Managing Attorney Jessica Schneider by email or at 312-832-5125. You can view a roster of the committee members on its web page.
With these additions, PILI now manages 11 Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committees across the state. The first such committee was launched in 2011, with all of the committees striving to increase equal access to justice by promoting and enhancing pro bono legal services within a specific judicial circuit by:
- Raising awareness of the need for free or low-cost legal services;
- Identifying and reducing barriers to providing free or low-cost legal services;
- Promoting pro bono legal services and recruiting attorneys and legal professionals to participate in existing pro bono programs;
- Identifying gaps in the delivery of legal services to low-income individuals and families and developing innovative approaches to filling those gaps through pro bono; and
- Recognizing the pro bono contributions of attorneys and legal professionals.
Each Committee consists of members of the judiciary as well as pro bono leaders from local law firms, corporations, bar associations, and public interest law organizations. All of the Committees differ in size and their goals vary depending on the local make-up of the circuit. In addition to these two new committees, PILI also have committees in the following circuits: First Circuit, Third Circuit, Fifth Circuit, Sixth Circuit, Tenth Circuit, Eleventh Circuit, Fourteenth Circuit, Eighteenth Circuit and Twentieth Circuit.
Learn more about the Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committees >>
September 2021 PILI Post: Recommit to Pro Bono This Fall
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PILI Welcomes Six New Board Members
With the start of our new fiscal year, we are excited to welcome six new members of our Board of Directors!
Thomas E. Dutton
Shareholder at Greenberg Traurig, LLP
As a trial lawyer with more than 30 years of experience, Thomas Dutton has tried cases involving a variety of subject matters. He has first-chair jury trial, bench trial and ADR experience in class action and mass action toxic tort litigation, securities cases, post-acquisition disputes, product liability cases and fraud claims. From 2008 to 2016, he taught Trial Advocacy at the University of Chicago Law School.
At Greenberg Traurig, Tom’s practice focuses on complex commercial and tort litigation. He is currently involved in arbitrations with 20 states seeking to recover money under the Master Settlement Agreement between 46 states and the tobacco companies. He recently defended the nation’s largest third-party property management company and its principals in multi-jurisdiction claims for RICO, fraud and breach of fiduciary duty at privatized military housing projects in California, Virginia and Georgia. In 2012, after winning a dismissal of Fiat S.p.A., Tom resolved all claims against Fiat’s subsidiaries – CNH North America LLC, Fiat-Allis North America LLC, and CNH Global N.V. – for personal injuries and property damage allegedly caused by exposure to contaminants in the drinking water and groundwater near CNH manufacturing facilities in Grand Island, Nebraska.
At his former firm, Tom played a major role in the May 2001 jury trial victory profiled by The National Law Journal in “Motorola Defeats Huge Property Damage Claim.” That victory was later named The National Law Journal’s Defense Win of the Month for May 2001.
William V. Essig
Partner at Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
Bill Essig is a trial lawyer who defends pharmaceutical and medical device companies in mass tort and product liability litigation across the country. He has won defense verdicts as trial counsel in federal multidistrict litigation (MDL) and state court products liability litigation. Clients also frequently call on Bill to develop and prepare medical and scientific expert and company witnesses for trial. He also represents clients in commercial and white-collar criminal litigation.
Bill received the firm’s Pro Bono Service Award in 2014 for work representing clients referred through the Family Defense Center (now Ascend Justice) in challenging wrongful charges of abuse or neglect by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). As the firm’s coordinator of the Ascend Justice Pro Bono Law Firm program, Bill has led a team of attorneys in obtaining multiple expungements for clients, including after appeal to the Illinois Appellate Court. Bill also served as court-appointed pro bono counsel for a pretrial detainee at Cook County Jail, who alleged unconstitutional denial of antipsychotic medications by correctional officers.
Tracy Hannan
Associate General Counsel at Exelon Corporation
Tracy Hannan currently works as an Associate General Counsel in Litigation for Exelon Corporation. Prior to joining Exelon in 2014, Tracy was a litigation partner at Wildman Harrold. Tracy has been active in pro bono throughout her career. Most recently, she was named co-chair of Exelon Legal’s Pro Bono Committee in 2019. In that role, Tracy identified and coordinated pro bono opportunities for the Chicago legal team, including attorneys and non-attorneys, and additionally led Exelon’s Annual All Hands Pro Bono event.
Individually, Tracy recently represented a pro bono client who was sentenced to life without parole for crimes he committed as a juvenile. Following a resentencing hearing and appeal, Tracy secured a reduced sentence and subsequently secured an even earlier release through clemency. The individual was released just before Christmas in 2020, after having served 28 years in prison since the age of 18. A committed pro bono advocate, Tracy currently represents two siblings seeking asylum relief in immigration proceedings.
Wendy Hinton Vaughn
Clinical Professor at the Northern Illinois University College of Law
Wendy Hinton Vaughn is a Clinical Professor at Northern Illinois University College of Law (NIU) and the supervising attorney of the law school’s Zeke Giorgi Legal Clinic in Rockford. Professor Vaughn co-directs NIU’s new COVID-19 Legal Response Clinic, which provides remote legal advice and information to clients across the state of Illinois. One way they have been doing this is by working with students to answer questions on Illinois Free Legal Answers.
Professor Vaughn joined NIU College of Law in 2007. At NIU, she teaches clinical courses, as well as Family Law and Poverty Law in Theory and Practice. Professor Vaughn directs the Civil Justice Clinic at NIU, which provides representation to clients in order of protection, family law, and elder law matters.
In 2021, the Illinois Supreme Court appointed Professor Vaughn as a Commissioner to the Illinois Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Commission for a second three-year term. Additionally, Professor Vaughn is a founding member of the Board of Directors of Children’s Safe Harbor, which provides supervised visitation and supervised exchange services for children in Winnebago and Boone Counties.
Before coming to NIU, Professor Vaughn worked as the supervising attorney of the Family Law Advocacy Group at Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County and previously as the legal director of Levitt & Quinn Family Law Center, a non-profit organization in Los Angeles, California. After law school, she served as a supervising attorney and as director of the Intake Program, and previously as an Equal Justice Works Fellow, at the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia. She received her J.D. from New York University School of Law and has a B.A. in International Studies from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas.
Patricia McCarthy
Regional Sales Manager at LexisNexis
Patty McCarthy is a Regional Sales Manager with LexisNexis where she leads a team of Practice Area Consultants who work with large law firm customers and law schools. Over her 20 years with LexisNexis, she has worked with law firms across the country to help them leverage and utilize the LexisNexis investments to assist them in serving their clients and growing their business. Patty embraces the LexisNexis corporate values to promote the Rule of Law. Patty is a new member of the Board of Managers for the Chicago Bar Association and was previously a member of the Board of Directors of the Constitutional Rights Foundation of Chicago.
Patty joined LexisNexis after practicing as a litigator for seven years. During law school, her work experience included: summer associate at McConnell, Valdes, Kelley, Sifre, Griggs & Ruiz-Suria in San Juan, Puerto Rico and an internship at U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Regional Counsel in Chicago. Patty received her JD from DePaul University College of Law and graduated with a B.S. with Honors in Business Administration with concentration in Accounting from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Benjamin M. Rhode
Counsel at Ropes & Gray
Benjamin Rhode is a counsel in Ropes & Gray’s business restructuring group. Ben’s practice focuses on all aspects of corporate restructuring, bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings for a variety of stakeholders, including, public and private companies, boards, financial sponsors and investors in complex situations in national and international capacities. Additionally, Ben’s expertise intersects various industries including automotive, retail, oil & gas, health care, communications, gaming and media & entertainment. Ben has also been involved in a variety of pro bono matters over the course of his career, including advising several nonprofit organizations in navigating financially distressed situations.
Ben received his JD, magna cum laude at Cornell Law School in 2012, after receiving his Bachelor of Science with Great Distinction at Clarkson University in 2007.
Pro Bono Spotlight: Alexandra Sossa, Bilingual Executive Director of the Farmworker & Landscaper Advocacy Project (FLAP)
In celebration of Latinx and Hispanic Heritage Month, PILI interviewed Alexandra Sossa, the Bilingual Executive Director of the Farmworker & Landscaper Advocacy Project (FLAP) in Chicago. FLAP works statewide to improve working conditions and opportunities for very low income workers in numerous industries including farm, landscape and hospitality, regardless of immigration status. FLAP has played a vital role in advocating for and empowering Latinx and Hispanic Illinoisans through education, community outreach, referrals, community legal education and legal aid services.
While FLAP predominantly focuses on labor rights, the organization also handles intersectional issues including human labor trafficking, deportation, wage theft and providing cash transfers for very low income individuals.
Alexandra has 32 years of experience in community outreach and advocacy, working predominantly with very low income Latinx immigrants. Her background ranges from direct public service with coffee plantation workers in Colombia to working at the Spanish Mexican Embassy.
With FLAP, Alexandra serves as a liaison between the Latinx and Hispanic community and resources. Alexandra works on the ground with FLAP and other local organizations, including the Mexican Consulate in Chicago, to dismantle workplace exploitation.
Access to education, employment resources and legal aid for the Latinx and Hispanic community, regardless of immigration status, is a human right. However, historical, political and social barriers impede Latinx and Hispanic workers in Illinois from having equal access to legal information and resources, Alexandra emphasized.
“It can be difficult to reach out to the population because they don’t want to raise their profiles,” Alexandra said.
While the services FLAP provides, specifically legal aid services, are in high-demand, connecting folks to those resources can be a challenge, Alexandra explained.
“So, the opportunity is to raise awareness within the communities about their rights for everyone. No matter what the gender, no matter the religion, no matter immigration status, no matter what their sexual orientation is – legal protection is for everyone.” Alexandra said.
Expanding access to information and resources is an essential component of FLAP’s work. For example, FLAP has an established partnership with the Mexican Consulate in Chicago, faith-based organizations and other non-profits to conduct daily Know Your Rights Workshops across the state.
“We see on average 300 people per day. We take these groups of people and talk to them about their rights and work and their legal options when they have entered migration. We also have one for women, of course, and it covers questions specific to Latinas who feel the need to speak out about discrimination, and sexual harassment and other issues they are facing. It’s a conversation about options and resources that they may have.” Alexandra explained.
As the Bilingual Executive Director of FLAP, Alexandra Sossa has changed the lives of thousands of Illinoisans through advocacy and community outreach. During her 20 years of leadership, FLAP has filed 210 cases on behalf of workers who were not paid appropriately, recovering nearly 5 million dollars in damages and wages. You can read more about Alexandra and her impactful career on FLAP’s website.
If you would like to help more with FLAP’s mission, they have many opportunities to aid the Latinx/Hispanic community across Illinois. FLAP has many opportunities to join their organization, including internships, externships, administrative positions and a Board of Directors position. They also need volunteer pro bono attorneys in various parts of the state. You can find more information on volunteer and career opportunities at www.flapillinois.org/call-to-action/.
Alexandra left us some parting words about what she wishes more people knew about the Latinx/Hispanic community that FLAP serves:
“We are very hard workers,” she said. “We also have families. We need to work to support our families – and we want a better life for our families than the life we had in our country. That’s why we are here in the United States and Illinois, working hard to improve the life of our kids and our families. It doesn’t matter what the immigration status is – we deserve to be paid for our work and we deserve to be treated as human beings by the law.” Alexandra said.
Pro Bono, Justice and Wellness: Highlights from the 2021 Law Firm Pro Bono Roundtable
On September 22nd, law firm pro bono leaders met remotely for the Law Firm Pro Bono Roundtable. Below are the results and take-aways from the discussion.
Strategizing Around Remote Pro Bono Challenges & Successes
Attendees named numerous challenges with doing pro bono work virtually. Attendees noted they observe a significant number of attorneys are feeling burnt out by the pandemic. Zoom calls and interactions are less attractive than they had been a year and a half ago. It is also harder to get people to commit to virtual clinics and events since they are easier to skip than in-person events.
On the other hand, firms are noticing that those who are doing pro bono work are seeing benefits from the virtual setting. Some at-home, virtual pro bono options are easier, and people have had a bit more availability working from home than they used to. The technology infrastructure is now in place to allow more people to do remote pro bono work since there isn’t as much travel involved, either when meeting with the client or attending court for a pro bono case.
How to use pro bono work to advance racial justice
The attendees began this discussion by defining what we mean by “racial justice.” One definition the group decided on was an unjust action that derives itself from racism. Racial justice cannot be limited to the court rooms but should be embodied by the attorneys. It is important to educate associates on racial justice issues still going on and include diverse individuals in our firms.
Attendees noted they were seeing less interest in racial justice pro bono work as compared to last year but that firms were still focusing discussions on racism and racial justice. They affirmed it is important to maintain focus on the work, even when it isn’t always in the news.
Responding to New Crises Using Pro Bono
Attendees discussed ways to prepare for different crises before they happen. One suggestion was to create manuals to discuss how to handle typical “crisis” situations such as immigration issues, natural disasters, etc. While it is impossible to be totally prepared for an unexpected crisis, gathering materials beforehand could help have a smoother transition when a crisis does hit. Additionally, finding ways to educate attorneys on how current pro bono opportunities fit within current events can help motivate volunteers to participate in activities that aren’t directly related to the crisis.
Encouraging Wellness for Pro Bono Attorneys
Different law firms handle wellness in different ways. One suggestion was to connect with the wellness director or office within the firm to discuss ways to tie in wellness and well being into pro bono training. Another idea was to encourage pro bono work in teams to help alleviate some of the stress and encourage regular check-ins with the teams. It also helps to remind lawyers that the pro bono work they are doing is impactful and important.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Law Firm Pro Bono Roundtable. We look forward to seeing everyone at our Illinois Forum on Pro Bono later this fall. More details for that program will be available soon.
Illinois’ First Appellate-Specific Help Desk Celebrates First Anniversary
In September 2020, the Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) expanded Illinois Free Legal Answers to include Illinois Free Legal Answers for Civil Appeals. Illinois Free Legal Answers for Civil Appeals is a virtual legal advice clinic for civil legal issues where low-income Illinoisans who are self-represented can submit a question about their civil appeal. This program is the only appellate-specific help desk in Illinois to assist self-represented litigants (SRLs) with their civil appeal. It is also the first of its kind in the nation.
A project of the American Bar Association (ABA), Free Legal Answers was created to increase access to advice and information about non-criminal legal matters for those who cannot afford legal assistance. It is now active in 41 jurisdictions within the United States, including Illinois.
With Illinois Free Legal Answers for Civil Appeals, we are using the virtual legal clinic model of Illinois Free Legal Answers, which has been both crucial and successful during the pandemic. PILI is still looking to build our pool of volunteer attorneys with civil appellate experience and assist SRLs who previously had to navigate the civil appeal process alone.
In the first year of the program, 119 questions have been answered by 34 different attorneys through the system. Although some questions were specific about a substantive area of law, most of the questions asked by SRLs were procedural in nature, such as about deadlines, fee-waivers, and obtaining transcripts.
To launch the project last year, PILI provided trainings for volunteers, including a presentation on the civil appellate process and a video to provide an overview of the Illinois Free Legal Answers platform. This information is available for all volunteers assisting SRLs who submit questions about their civil appeal through the Illinois Free Legal Answers platform. Volunteers can learn more about receiving CLE credit for these trainings on PILI’s website.
Illinois Free Legal Answers for Civil Appeals is a unique collaboration among PILI, the ABA, the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC), and the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice to address the unmet need of SRLs in Illinois Appellate Courts. The AOIC had been working to increase resources to assist SRLs in the Illinois Appellate Courts. While self-help materials and statewide forms exist to help SRLs understand requirements and deadlines relating to their civil appeal, there are limitations within those projects and with court staff who are only able to provide legal information. The AOIC reached out to PILI about expanding the existing program to allow for questions relating to civil appeals. Volunteer lawyers log onto the site at their convenience and answer questions waiting in the queue.
In order to assist in launching the program, we also formed an Advisory Committee which included Appellate Justices, court staff, and attorneys who specialize in civil appeals throughout the state. The purpose of the Advisory Committee is to assist in developing and implementing this model on a statewide basis and included the following members: Justice Judy Cates, Illinois Appellate Court, Fifth District; Timothy Eaton, Taft Stettinius & Hollister; Laura G. Jennings, Novack Macey; Sharon Levy, Deputy Clerk III/Project Manager, Third District Appellate Court; Marron Mahoney, Mahoney Silverman & Cross, Appellate Lawyers Association Representative; Justice Aurelia Pucinski, Illinois Appellate Court, First District/First District Executive Committee Representative ; Josh Vincent, Hinshaw & Culbertson; Susan Welfeld, Chief Deputy Clerk, Civil Appeals Division, Circuit Court of Cook County ; Cheryl Zalenski, ABA Center on Pro Bono. We are incredibly grateful to this Advisory Committee in assisting as we launched the program.
If you are not already volunteering for the program, you can sign up and start answering questions at IL.freelegalanswers.org. You can filter for questions in the “Civil Appeals” category or sign up to receive notifications when Civil Appeal questions are asked under the “Manage Subscriptions” tab. If you have any questions about the program, please reach out to PILI Managing Attorney Abigail Causer by email or at 217-693-6017 .
August 2021 PILI Post: Happy New Fiscal Year’s Eve!
https://conta.cc/3zD9QgK