Georgette joined PILI as the Operations & Communications Associate in February 2026, after serving in the role on a temporary basis since November 2025. In this position, she provides operations, administrative, and communications support across PILI’s organizational and programmatic efforts.

Georgette most recently worked as a Veterans Affairs Assistant with the Military, Veteran, and Returning Adult Center (MVRAC) at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, while completing her undergraduate studies. In that role, she supported student-facing programming, facilitated events, and assisted students in navigating mental health, educational, and financial resources available to veterans and nontraditional learners.

Georgette earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with a focus on Operations and Supply Chain Management and International Business. During her time at Gonzaga University, she served as the first student liaison to the Operations and Supply Chain Management Advisory Board and founded the Gonzaga University Supply Chain Association to connect students with industry professionals and career opportunities. She also served as Project Coordinator for Gonzaga’s team in the National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC), where the team placed third at the district level.

With a background in operations, coordination, and communications, Georgette brings valuable organizational insight and a collaborative approach to supporting PILI’s mission and daily operations.

PILI is pleased to share that, as of January 2026, we have received renewed and increased funding from several longtime foundation partners. We are deeply grateful for their continued investment in PILI’s mission to engage, inspire, and empower those advancing equal access to justice across Illinois.

PILI is grateful to the Francis Beidler Foundation for its renewed grant support of $13,000, which will support general operating expenses and a PILI Named Law Student Internship, the Alfred C. Tisdahl Memorial Internship. A longtime supporter of PILI, the Beidler Foundation’s continued commitment helps sustain both our organizational capacity and our Law Student Internship Program, strengthening the pipeline of future public interest attorneys.

PILI has also received renewed funding of $25,000 from the Robert Gallagher Foundation to support PILI’s Law Student Internship Program. This generous support will help fully fund two paid Internship opportunities for current law students committed to public interest law and pro bono service. The Robert E. Gallagher Charitable Trust honors the legacy of Robert E. Gallagher, a distinguished leader in the insurance industry and a committed philanthropist. Mr. Gallagher served as CEO of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. until 1995 and remained Chairman until his death in 2006. He was the father of Anne Gallagher O’Malley, wife of longtime PILI board member and current Life Director Richard F. O’Malley, Jr. PILI is sincerely grateful for the Trust’s continued support of our mission.

In addition, PILI is thrilled to announce renewed and increased support from the Lawyers Trust Fund of Illinois (LTF) through a two-year grant totaling $670,000, or $335,000 per year. This funding includes $212,000 per year to support PILI’s Pro Bono Program and $123,000 per year to support PILI’s Law Student Internship Program. LTF’s continued investment allows PILI to sustain and strengthen its Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committees and Law Student Internship Program while expanding opportunities to engage donors in supporting Named or Honorary Internships. We are deeply grateful to LTF, the state’s largest funder of civil legal aid, for its leadership and partnership in advancing access to justice.

Finally, PILI is grateful for the Diversity Scholarship Foundation for its renewed support that will fund a Spring Semester 2026 Law Student Intern. The Foundation was established by a group of attorneys and judges committed to the ideal that diverse law school student bodies are a means of ensuring further diversification in the legal community. To fulfill its mission, the Foundation seeks to financially assist underprivileged and under-represented minorities in attending law school by offering them scholarships. PILI appreciates the generosity of the Diversity Scholarship Foundation in sponsoring this Internship and their support of PILI.

Together, this renewed funding ensures PILI can continue to support aspiring public interest attorneys, strengthen pro bono infrastructure across Illinois, and advance equal access to justice statewide. We are incredibly thankful for the trust and continued partnership of these foundations.

Check out the December 2025 PILI Post here »

PILI is proud to share our 2025 Impact Brief, a snapshot of the people, programs, and partnerships that advanced equal access to justice across Illinois this year. The brief highlights key data, program accomplishments, and the collective efforts of our statewide community.

“Our milestones remind us that progress toward equal access to justice is not achieved alone—it’s the shared work of a community dedicated to service,” said Executive Director Michael G. Bergmann.

Strengthening the Pathways to Justice

Guided by PILI’s mission, vision, and values, our four core programs continue to expand legal aid capacity, empower future and current legal professionals, and deepen the culture of pro bono service statewide.

Law Student Internship Program

• 80 Law Student Interns

• 27,800 hours of service

• 2,523 clients served

Through placements at legal aid organizations, Interns helped meet urgent legal needs while gaining hands-on public interest experience.

Graduate Fellowship Program

• 53 Graduate Fellows

• 15,900 hours worked

• 811 clients served

Fellows provided critical support to legal aid partners before beginning their legal careers, establishing early commitments to service and pro bono engagement.

PILI Alumni Network

With over 5,000 Alumni since 1977, PILI’s Alumni Network remains a powerful force for advancing justice. Alumni stay involved through leadership councils, volunteer opportunities, mentoring, and community initiatives statewide.

Pro Bono Program

PILI’s Pro Bono Program continues to close gaps in legal aid capacity by mobilizing volunteers across Illinois.

• 3,293 civil legal questions answered through Illinois Free Legal Answers
• 639 attorneys attended PILI CLE programs
• 11 Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committees supporting regional needs
  Volunteer attorneys, law students, and legal professionals provided critical assistance through clinics, help desks, conflict-of-interest referral panels, and more.

Service in Action

The brief features powerful reflections from clients and volunteers alike—testimonies that speak to the real-world impact of public interest and pro bono service.

One Intern shared how their work provided clients “a stronger voice in the legal process” and deepened their own commitment to housing justice. An Illinois Free Legal Answers client expressed gratitude for receiving guidance when “it’s very hard for the average person to find help with legal matters.”

Looking Ahead

As we work to strengthen access to justice in 2026, PILI remains committed to bringing the legal community together in service of people, families, and communities across Illinois. The full 2025 Impact Report will be released in February 2026 and will include additional stories, data, and statewide outcomes.

Download the Brief Here.

(L) Kyle Petersen, PILI Board President and (R) Michael Bergmann, PILI Executive Director

On December 10, 2025, nearly 450 members of the Illinois legal community gathered together to celebrate the very best aspects of the legal profession at PILI’s Annual Awards Luncheon. Thank you to all who joined us to celebrate our work and in helping to further PILI’s mission to engage, inspire and empower those advancing equal access to justice.

Thanks to the support of over 50 law firms, corporations and law school sponsors as well as individual donors and supporters, we raised $237,250 through the event to support PILI’s work across Illinois. We are incredibly grateful for the very generous and critically needed support from the Illinois legal community.

At the event, PILI also bestowed its four annual awards as follows:

• Distinguished Intern Alumni Award: Arturo Hernandez
• Distinguished Fellow Alumni Award: Judy K. He
• Pro Bono Initiative Award: Greenberg Traurig
• Distinguished Public Service Award: Justice Mary Jane Theis

Learn more about this year’s recipients » 

You can also view photos from the event here »

SAVE THE DATE: In 2026, our Annual Awards Luncheon will be held on Wednesday, December 9th from 11:30 to 1:30 p.m. at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago.

Justice isn’t abstract—it’s lived and experienced. It’s the family who finds stability after avoiding eviction, the veteran securing benefits, the neighbor who finally feels seen and heard.

Every day, PILI engages, inspires, and empowers those advancing equal access to justice so these stories can become realities.

This year, our theme Stand for Justice asks us a simple question: What does it mean to stand for something greater than ourselves?

For PILI, it means bringing together law students, recent law school graduates, and legal professionals at all stages of their careers who believe that public interest law and pro bono service are the foundation of ensuring equal access to justice. For our supporters, it means funding opportunities that transform passion into purpose—whether through Law Student Interns, Graduate Fellows, or pro bono volunteers—all of which can fundamentally change a person’s life.

Because of supporters like you, last year:

• Our Interns and Fellows provided more than 36,000 hours of service, meeting urgent legal needs in communities statewide.
• Our statewide network of pro bono attorneys answered thousands of questions through Illinois Free Legal Answers, guiding people who had nowhere else to turn.
• Our growing Alumni Network of 5,000+continued to lead and mentor the next generation of advocates, while also serving their own communities in meaningful ways.

Yet the work ahead is even greater. Legal problems continue to threaten housing, safety, and well-being for too many Illinoisans. When you give to PILI, you stand for justice with us. You ensure that access to legal help is not left to chance, or just out of reach, but extended to everyone who needs it.

With your help, we can do more—and we must. Please make your gift today to support our work. Thank you for standing for justice with us.

Donate Now

With gratitude,

Michael G. Bergmann
Executive Director

What to learn about other ways to get involved with and support PILI?

• Read more about ways to support PILI and be part of our work
• Learn about our pro bono opportunities
• Attend one of our upcoming programs or events

PILI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and contributions are tax-deductible as allowable by law. All contributions to PILI also qualify under the Illinois Supreme Court’s Pro Bono Reporting Rule.