Volunteer Spotlight: Abigail Fleming

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Abigail Fleming is an attorney at Fleming Law Office in Peoria and Chair of the Young Lawyers Subcommittee of the Tenth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee. Abigail has been instrumental in developing and growing the Tenth Judicial Circuit Self-Represented Litigant Help Desks by volunteering herself and recruiting other volunteers. 

How did you first get involved with the Help Desks?

I serve on the Tenth Judicial Circuit Committee that started the Peoria and Tazewell County Help Desks and was part of the first core group of volunteers to start this project. We wanted to start the Help Desks to address some of the requests for bite-sized volunteer opportunities and also to address the growing need in our community for pro bono legal services.

Why did you want to volunteer?

If you want to see a change in your community, it has to start with you. My mom always instilled in me how important it is to give back to your community and help those who are in need, but that you must lead by example. I try to make volunteering a part of my routine– setting aside some time each month to give back in one fashion or another. When you approach volunteering like a part of your regular routine, you don’t see giving up your time as burdensome, but you look forward to an opportunity to change someone else’s life for the better.

What do you enjoy about this volunteer opportunity?

I enjoy volunteering for the Help Desks because it provides a rare opportunity to help many people in need (typically 4-5 people) in a very small amount of time (2 hours) during each session. I often assist in drafting pleadings/motions, notices, proposed orders, or other court documents, or just providing basic legal advice. The clients may have been told, “No,” by many other individuals. You may be the first person to tell them, “Yes, I can help you,” even if it is for a short period of time. This means a lot to our clients.

When you assist a pro se client who has an active or future pending case, your expertise ends up not only helping the individual, but also helping the circuit clerk and courts run more smoothly, aids the Judges with managing the case, and limits the amount of cases that may need to go through intake at the local pro bono service centers. Your help has a tremendous impact.

What advice would you have for someone interested in volunteering?

Many volunteer attorneys have told me that they don’t feel they have enough expertise in certain areas to be comfortable volunteering. If you completed 4 years of undergraduate studies, 3 years of law school, and passed a State Bar Exam, you have expertise to share. You may compare yourselves to other experts in your field, but pro se individuals are often looking for answers to basic questions, or want direction on Form Pleadings. You are absolutely qualified and able to give back. Please do not forget that you have the power to give back in a small way (volunteering at a Help Desk or Wills Clinic), or in a larger way (taking an entire case start to finish). If every lawyer in our community took on a small volunteer opportunity here or there during the year, we would see a much more efficient legal system and greater fulfillment of the need in the area. Please give it a try – you won’t regret that you did.

Learn more about PILI’s Pro Bono Opportunities here »

Kirkland & Ellis Sponsors Legal Help Within Reach Clinic in Rockford

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On October 7th, PILI hosted a Legal Help Within Reach Clinic in Rockford, Illinois. That morning, 11 volunteers from Kirkland & Ellis in Chicago took a bus to the Rockford Mass Transit District to meet with 14 clients to discuss special education needs. Special thanks to Equip for Equality and RAMP Center for Independent Living for partnering with us on this clinic!

Through Legal Help Within Reach, PILI recruits attorneys and law student volunteers from urban areas to volunteer at free legal clinics for low-income Illinoisans living in rural and underserved communities. These clinics provide much needed and otherwise inaccessible legal assistance to low-income people, families and communities in need.

PILI is grateful for the support of Equal Justice Works, Deere & Company, Lane & Waterman and Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila for providing significant funding to support this project.

Learn more about Legal Help Within Reach here »

Volunteer Spotlight: Judge Michael Brandt (Ret.)

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Judge Michael Brandt (Ret.) was a Circuit Court Judge in the Tenth Judicial Circuit for over 20 years, including being Chief Circuit Judge from 2011 to 2013. After retiring from the bench, he continued his law practice and is now an avid pro bono volunteer. When PILI launched the Conflict of Interest Pro Bono Referral Panel in the Tenth Judicial Circuit, Judge Brandt was one of the first to volunteer. Read about his volunteer experience below.

How did you first get involved with the Conflict of Interest Pro Bono Panel?

I first became involved around 2012 when I was Chief Circuit Judge of the 10th Circuit when PILI was first invited to organize a Tenth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee. I have been a member ever since. When I retired from the bench I went into solo practice and I took on pro bono cases from Prairie State Legal Services. I became chair of the Peoria County Bar Association Pro Bono Committee for a year around 2015 or 2016. At that time, that committee was handling the conflict cases. I continued to volunteer once PILI started doing the conflict cases.

Why did you want to volunteer?

I started doing pro bono work for Prairie State when I was first in private practice from 1982 to 1993; had to stop, of course, when I became a judge; and now again since 2014. It’s the right thing to do.

What do you enjoy about this volunteer opportunity?

Doing pro bono work gives back, gives thanks, and does good, and it’s something that I can do. I ruled out building houses for Habitat for Humanity for safety reasons and philanthropic committees are not my cup of tea.

What advice would you have for someone interested in volunteering?

Every little bit helps. One case a year or have one active pro bono case on-going. You will not be forced to take any case you are uncomfortable with. The help and resources from Prairie State, PILI, and the bar associations are tremendous. You won’t be alone. And you are helping our civil justice system (strained by pro se litigants); most importantly, you are helping people in need.

Thank You to Brinks, Gilson & Lione for Volunteering at the Legal Prep Clinic

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Thank you to attorneys from Brinks Gilson & Lione who volunteered at PILI’s Legal Prep Community Law Clinic in October! Attorneys volunteered to assist clients with legal issues including adoption, probate, guardianship and family law.

PILI’s Alumni Network Leadership Council collaborates with Chicago Volunteer Legal Services (CVLS) and Legal Prep Charter Academies to host a monthly community-based clinic for the student families and neighbors of Legal Prep in the Garfield Park neighborhood.

PILI coordinates this monthly clinic, typically held on the first Tuesday of each month. If you are interested in hosting or your firm is interested in adopting a clinic date, please contact PILI Program Manager Brent Page by email or by phone at 312-832-5128.

Learn more about the Legal Prep Community Law Clinic »

Volunteer Spotlight: Jennifer Kincaid

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Jennifer Kincaid is attorney at Pepping, Balk, Kincaid & Olson, Ltd. in Silva, Illinois. She has answered over 600 questions on Illinois Free Legal Answers – more than any other lawyer in the state! Read about her volunteer experience below.

How’d you first get involved with Illinois Free Legal Answers?

I answered my first question on the forum in February 2017. I believe I signed up after attending a CLE where the program was explained. It sounded like an easy way to help people with real issues.

Why did you want to volunteer?

It was such an easy way to provide pro bono assistance to individuals on my own time. You could do as many or as few questions as you wanted, as often as you wanted, on topics that were of interest, or that aligned with my current practice areas. I have always volunteered to take cases from Prairie State when they called, but this was a way to make an impact on a more consistent basis and throughout the whole state.

What do you enjoy about this volunteer opportunity?

I see from the responses from the clients that they really appreciate having some direction on where to turn for advice or what steps to take in their case to move forward. It’s easy, it’s on my terms and time, and I really enjoy helping as many clients as possible. I find myself bored watching TV and logging in to see what questions have been sitting needing an answer for a long time and trying to tackle those. Or, just finding one I know will be a quick answer and getting that sent out.

What advice would you have for someone interested in volunteering?

Just take one question and see how it goes. Find an area you already know about, or wanted to learn more about, and give an answer to a client. Any help you give these clients will make a difference for them because some have nowhere else to turn or just don’t know what to do. It’s not a huge time commitment, like taking on a full-blown pro bono case. You really are making a difference for someone with significant legal issues. I also suggest not giving your personal contact information at work. The great thing about the forum is there is insulation between you and the client, so if you can’t help them you can return the question to the queue for another attorney to step in and help.

Learn more about Free Legal Answers and other Pro Bono Opportunities here »

PILI to Fund $333,000 in Public Interest Law Student Internship Grants in 2020

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PILI will grant $333,000 to fund 64 Law Student Interns at 30 public interest law organizations across Illinois during the 2019-20 academic year and the summer of 2020. PILI’s Law Student Internship Program connects law students from across the country with public interest law agencies in Illinois and pays them for their work.

PILI Interns work 400 hours during the summer or 200 hours during the school year at public interest law agencies. PILI has grown the number of Internship placements by 64% since 2011 and also raised the summer stipend from $5,000 in 2015 to its current amount of $6,000 and the school-year stipend from $2,500 to $3,000.

Among this year’s Interns, there will be several Named and Honorary Interns, which are funded through special commitments made by individual and organizational champions for public interest law. Learn more about Named & Honorary Internships »

PILI has operated its Law Student Internship Program since 1977, and it is the only program of its kind. Students apply from law schools across the country to compete for these funded public interest law internship opportunities. The Internships provide law students with invaluable legal experience, while also giving agencies much needed support to assist more clients in need.

Internships placements are currently offered in Alton, Bloomington, Chicago, East St. Louis, Champaign, Peoria and Rock Island, Illinois. See a full list of agencies »

PILI Welcomes Jessica Schneider as 2019-2020 Alumni Network Leadership Council Chair

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PILI is excited to welcome Jessica Schneider as the Chair of PILI’s Alumni Network Leadership Council. Jessica is a staff attorney at Equip for Equality. She served for the past year as Chair-Elect and Liaison to the PILI Board of Directors and will serve as Chair from September 1, 2019 to August 31, 2020.

“My favorite part of serving on the Alumni Network Leadership Council is making connections with new people,” said Jessica. “I also have expanded my idea of PILI is and how I can contribute. It’s nice to be on the formal side of things.”

Jessica was a PILI Intern at MALDEF in 2009. After she graduated from DePaul University College of Law in 2010, she volunteered at  at CARPLS and then worked at Chicago  Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights. Last year, she joined Equip for Equality as a staff attorney. All the while, she has stayed involved with PILI’s Alumni Network and has served on PILI’s Alumni Network Leadership Council for several years.

“Networks have always been important to me and I have looked for ones where I’ve found people I really identify with and who have the same interests and values as me,” said Jessica. “I felt like PILI was that and I met a lot of really great people and made good connections during and after law school through PILI. That’s why I stayed involved and as I have continued my legal career it has continued to offer new connections and opportunities that interest me.”

As Chair, Jessica hopes to facilitate similar connections for other PILI Alumni. She’s looking for ways to get more people involved and increase participation even more in the Alumni Programs and find out what they hope to gain from the Alumni Network. She notes that the Alumni Network is a great way for other public interest attorneys to get involved, with PILI’s Alumni Network Leadership Council focused more on programmatic and service opportunities rather than fundraising as is the case with most traditional young professionals boards and governing boards. It is led by Alumni and for Alumni who all have something to offer.

“PILI Alumni are my people,” said Jessica. “When I was seeking public interest employment, PILI really helped me make connections and I have been trying to pay it forward ever since. The PILI Alumni are more than a network, it’s a community of people supporting each other.”

PILI is grateful to the Immediate Past Chair, Emily Seymore for her leadership over the past year. In addition to Jessica being named to the Chair position, David J. Scriven-Young, Peckar & Abramson, was named Chair-Elect and Martin Cozzola of Chicago Volunteer Legal Services was named Vice Chair. We look forward to working with this great leadership team over the coming year!

Learn more about PILI’s Alumni Network »

PILI Welcomes Steven Trubac as 2019-2020 Young Professionals Board Chair

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PILI is excited to welcome Steve Trubac as the Chair of PILI’s Young Professionals Board. Steve is an associate at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP and a founding member of PILI’s Young Professionals Board, which was started in 2017. He served for the past year as Chair-Elect and Liaison to the PILI Board of Directors and will serve as Chair from September 1, 2019 to August 31, 2020.

“I am extremely proud to be serving on this board of young professionals who all have a deep commitment and passion for being there,” said Steve.

Steve joined Bryan Cave after graduating from the University of Chicago Law School in 2014. He focuses his practice on commercial litigation and intellectual property counseling and litigation. It was through his litigation work that he became convinced of the need for free legal assistance for those in need. “One of the things I think a lot about in my law practice is how it makes a world of difference  to just have an attorney,” said Steve. “It is unjust when pro se litigants don’t have the means or ability to have legal representation.”

Steve had been looking for ways to get involved when he was approached about joining PILI’s Young Professionals Board. He found it a perfect fit for him to give back and help increase equal access to justice. He enjoys being surrounded by young professionals who also care about service and also appreciated the Board of Directors’ enthusiasm when he attended meetings as a liaison. “I really enjoyed being able to attend the Board of Directors meetings over the last year,” said Steve. “It gave me an even greater perspective and I was able to see the deep commitment of the board members themselves.”

Looking forward, Steve hopes to continue to expand the reach and impact of the Young Professionals Board during his term as a chair. “We continue to surprise ourselves with how well we’re able to do when working as a group,” he said.

Indeed, PILI’s YPB has raised nearly $50,000 since 2017 between its two Arcade for Legal Aid events and other fundraising efforts. The group also hopes to get involved in service opportunities, and plans on hosting a Free Legal Answers Clinic with the Alumni Network Leadership Council on October 24th.

PILI is grateful to the Immediate Past Chair, Sabreena El-Amin, for her leadership over the past year. In addition to Steve being named to the Chair position, Themi Rush of Berkeley Research Group was named Chair-Elect and Michael Whalen of Paul Hastings was named Vice Chair. We look forward to working with this great leadership team over the coming year!

Read Steve’s guest post from last year about the “The Rewarding Work of a Young Professionals Board” »

Meet the rest of PILI’s Young Professionals Board »

Reed Smith Attorney Volunteer at Legal Prep Community Law Clinic

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Thank you to attorneys from Reed Smith LLP who volunteered at PILI’s Legal Prep Community Law Clinic in September! They spent the evening assisting low-income clients with legal issues including minor guardianship, landlord-tenant dispute and decedent’s estate.

PILI’s Alumni Network Leadership Council collaborates with Chicago Volunteer Legal Services (CVLS) and Legal Prep Charter Academies to host a monthly community-based clinic for the student families and neighbors of Legal Prep in the Garfield Park neighborhood.

PILI coordinates this monthly clinic, typically held on the first Tuesday of each month. If you are interested in hosting or your firm is interested in adopting a clinic date, please contact PILI Program Manager Brent Page by email or by phone at 312-832-5128.

Learn more about the Legal Prep Community Law Clinic »