Get caught up on all the latest news from PILI, and look ahead with us to the what’s coming up in our Law Student Internship, Graduate Fellowship, Alumni, and Pro Bono Initiative Programs.
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Since opening in 1977, Prairie State Legal Services, Inc. has been responding to the civil legal needs of eligible Illinoisans across a 36-county area in northern and central Illinois. From the beginning, Prairie State has recognized the need to involve the local legal community in its efforts, operating a pro bono program in some form for over thirty years. Prairie State’s regional offices have local pro bono coordinators who have developed strong relationships in their communities and match cases to pro bono attorneys. In an effort to facilitate even more pro bono work, Prairie State recently created the position of Director of Volunteer Services, filled by Prairie State attorney, Marisa Wiesman. The goal of this position is to centralize the coordination of Prairie State’s pro bono programs at an organization-wide level, and to have one person who can share model successes and lessons learned between counties while directly assisting volunteer attorneys on their pro bono cases.
“There are a lot of people out there who really need the assistance of a pro bono attorney,” Wiesman says, adding that sometimes there’s a misconception that legal aid organizations in an area are able to meet the needs of all the people who need services. “While we do great work for our clients, we are only scratching the surface. There are thousands of people who never make it to us,” she explains. “Even when clients do access our services, there are many clients we cannot fully serve because we simply don’t have the resources to do so.”
Wiesman is quick to acknowledge the significant pro bono work already happening in Prairie State’s service area, as well as the room for more to happen. Some attorneys are hesitant to get involved in pro bono work, Wiesman says, citing uncertainty about the commitment or time involved, or a lack of familiarity with the area of law and reluctance to learn something new. Prairie State helps to overcome these hesitations by building pro bono programs that recognize that everyone has a different comfort level. Wiesman doesn’t want pro bono attorneys to think that signing on to do pro bono work means a contested case that will last for years. In practice, Prairie State matches the volunteer attorney with the type of case and commitment desired. The amount of support Prairie State provides depends on the geographic area, the volunteer and the case. Some volunteers handle pro bono cases with minimal involvement from Prairie State, while other projects are more structured and collaborative. Either way, volunteer attorney receive expert training and support from Prairie State. “Pro bono is easier than people think,” Wiesman says, adding that Prairie State welcomes volunteers throughout its service area, which includes the collar counties of DuPage, Lake, Kane, Will and McHenry. Pro bono opportunities are available outside of regular business hours and at the beginning and end of the work day, which can be ideal for attorneys working in Chicago and living in these collar county communities.
One example of a structured pro bono opportunity Prairie State offers is their new Social Security pro bono projects in their St. Charles and Waukegan offices. In St. Charles, attorney and non-attorney volunteers assist clients with their Social Security disability applications, increasing the likelihood of approval by submitting a strong application from the start. In Waukegan, volunteer attorneys assist clients at the reconsideration stage of appeal if their initial disability application has been denied. Wiesman highlights these projects as particularly good pro bono opportunities for corporate attorneys, non-litigators, or people more comfortable with transactional work, since the work involves gathering documents and writing a persuasive letter on behalf of the client, rather than representation at a hearing. Wiesman also emphasizes that volunteers don’t need prior Social Security experience, because Prairie State provides specific trainings for both of these pro bono opportunities. Another time-limited, non-litigation pro bono opportunity is with Prairie State’s telephone counseling program in Waukegan and Wheaton. Volunteers provide legal advice to clients over the phone, get direct client interaction, and can see the immediate impact of their pro bono work.
Wiesman makes a point to city the reward involved in pro bono work. “Legal aid handles cases that affect basic human needs,” she says. “A pro bono attorney can save a family’s home in the matter of a few hours, or keep someone safe from an abuser. Even working on one case in a year has a measureable impact on a person’s life.”
With a staff of over 100, Prairie State works daily to meet the civil legal needs of eligible northern and central Illinois residents in its thirty-six county service area. “We have a very committed staff, who are performing legal work at the highest level,” Weisman states. “We also have a lot of young attorneys on staff right now, and they are so impressive.” But recognizing that they can’t meet the vast need for legal services alone, with this new Director of Volunteer Services position and with the continuous addition of new pro bono opportunities, Prairie State is developing new ways to engage pro bono volunteers.
PILI is pleased to spotlight Elizabeth Lewis, a partner at McDermott Will & Emery and the current Chair of PILI’s Alumni Network Leadership Council. A 2006 graduate of Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Elizabeth served as a PILI Fellow at Loyola’s Childlaw Clinic, representing children in abuse and neglect proceedings in juvenile court, serving as a child representative in high conflict custody proceedings, and representing minors in delinquency proceedings. “I had been actively involved with the Clinic for several years, first as a work-study student and then as a 711 student,” she explains. “It was a perfect fit.” Under the supervision of Professors Bruce Boyer and Stacey Platt, Elizabeth felt lucky to work closely and directly with her clients. “Working with children and young adults and helping them navigate difficult life issues is extremely rewarding,” she says. “Witnessing the impact of the stability and even the happiness that we were able to achieve for certain clients was well worth all of the efforts.”
Since her Fellowship, which was sponsored by McDermott Will & Emery, Elizabeth has worked in their U.S. and International Tax Group and is now a partner with the firm. She is also co-chair of McDermott’s pro bono committee in Chicago and the coordinator of McDermott’s Kids First Program. In addition to this and to chairing PILI’s Alumni Network Leadership Council, she is a member of the Young Professionals Board of the Chicago Bar Foundation. “Pro bono is a part of my everyday life,” Elizabeth says. “A day rarely passes without spending some amount of time representing a pro bono client, working on pro bono committee matters, or working with PILI or the Chicago Bar Foundation.”
Her own pro bono practice has been very active. She directly represented many children and families in a wide variety of education, school discipline, custody and visitation cases and DCFS administrative appeals. She also regularly works with nonprofit organizations on tax exemption issues. Elizabeth says it was her PILI Fellowship that cemented her interest in pro bono work. “My Fellowship made it quite clear to me that pro bono is an essential component of my day to day life and that it is possible to balance pro bono in an otherwise busy schedule,” she explains. She goes on to say that serving as a PILI Fellow also demonstrated her commitment to pro bono to those around her, which benefited her pro bono practice as well as and her career overall. “Other attorneys at my firm knew as soon as I walked in the door that I was committed to pro bono. As a result, I was staffed on a pro bono case almost immediately and was quickly asked to serve as the coordinator for the Kids First Program in Chicago,” she recounts. “Getting involved early on helped me to gain visibility in the firm, to develop legal skills applicable to my every day practice and to help those in need from the outset.”
Elizabeth credits her PILI Fellowship and ongoing pro bono work with helping her develop important skills that set her apart as a tax lawyer. “Working with children and young adults taught me the importance of communicating complicated legal issues in a clear, concise and simple manner,” she explains. “This has helped me immensely in my tax practice as we often present complicated tax planning issues and strategies to non-tax personnel at the client.” Elizabeth’s PILI Fellowship also taught her the importance of time management, perspective, and balance, as well as how to take ownership over a case and effectively run it from start to finish. “This experience has allowed me to demonstrate my capabilities and competence both inside and outside of the pro bono practice,” she says.
Elizabeth’s impressive pro bono work has not gone unnoticed. In 2008 she received the McDermott Will & Emery Award for Outstanding Achievement and Commitment to Pro Bono and Service to the Community, and in 2009 PILI awarded her our Distinguished Alumni Award. More recently, Elizabeth was the 2012 recipient of the Maurice Weigle Exceptional Young Lawyer Award by The Chicago Bar Association and The Chicago Bar Foundation. She was also part of a team of four McDermott attorneys who received the Northern District of Illinois’ Award for Excellence in Pro Bono Service in 2013, and in 2014 she was named an Illinois Rising Star by Super Lawyers Magazine.
On top of this, as Chair of PILI’s Alumni Network Leadership Council, she is part of a group of attorneys who share her commitment to pro bono work, and she takes a lead role in helping PILI connect with our Alumni, encourage continued pubic interest and pro bono work, and raise funds to support future PILI Interns. “I really cannot say enough about how positively my PILI Fellowship has enhanced my career as an attorney,” she says. “I love being on PILI’s Alumni Network Leadership Council because it allows me to give back to PILI, to help to inspire current law students to make pro bono a part of their legal career, and to spend time with many talented, interesting and like-minded Alumni.”
One PILI Alumnus who is really making a difference at a national level is Mario Sullivan, named partner at Johnson & Sullivan, Ltd., and current Chair of the Young Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association. Mario has committed a substantial amount of time to improving the legal profession, helping young lawyers across the country, improving access to justice, improving our communities, and developing programs that help and encourage young lawyers to perform community service.
Mario was a PILI Intern in 2004 at the Chicago Legal Clinic, where he worked closely with staff attorneys to assist clients dealing with landlord/tenant issues, divorces, bankruptcy, and other legal services. His PILI Internship allowed him the opportunity to explore a range of aspects of practicing law, from being in the courtroom to discovery to client relations. He also learned practice skills that have been instrumental in his career, and came to personally understand the importance of giving back to his community through this sort of work. Mario says he found real satisfaction in being able to help people and remove some of the burden from their shoulders. “Seeing the peace and relief we brought to our clients was the best feeling ever,” he recalls.
Now as Chair of the ABA YLD, Mario has taken his commitment to service and giving back to a new level. Of the many initiatives he has championed and spearheaded during his Chair year, September 2013 through August 2014, he is most proud of their public service project, and anti-bullying campaign called “Bullyproof: Young Lawyers Educating and Empowering to End Bullying.” This is a comprehensive initiative that provides education and resources to help empower parents, educators, students, and young lawyers to help make bullying a thing of the past. The campaign has a website full of resources, including an inspirational video and a toolkit for download.
“I am so proud of Bullyproof and everything we have done,” Mario says. “I think it is important that everyone get involved and help end bullying, but I believe lawyers are in the best position to make a difference.” He explains that this is because lawyers can lobby for laws to assist in ending bullying by providing clear definitions and guidelines, lawyers have the training to explain the laws in terms that students, teachers, and administrators can understand, and lawyers have the ability to train teachers and administrators on the correct way to address bullying. Of no small consideration too is that fact that, as Mario says, “the nation’s youth listen when lawyers speak.” Because of this, Mario feels lawyers are uniquely positioned to advance the cause of anti-bullying and ensure safe environments for today’s youth. “Our profession has a history of making a difference and changing the nation for the better of all its people,” Mario explains. “The legal profession needs to take the next step in ending bullying.”
Mario has been involved with the ABA since early in his legal career. He was a law school representative for the Board of Governors, and after graduating from The John Marshall Law School in 2005, he joined the ABA YLD, where he was first the representative for the National LGBT Bar Association, and later the Diversity Director, the Conference, Program, and Products Director, and Secretary/Treasurer, in addition to other leadership roles on other committees. “Being a part of the ABA Young Lawyers Division has provided me with the opportunity to assist all young lawyers across the country and develop programs to help the communities we serve.” In addition to Bullyproof, under Mario’s leadership this year the ABA YLD is undertaking several other exciting projects, including “Ask An Experienced Lawyer,” a database of lawyers across the country whom young lawyers can contact for advice and staring points. “Speaking with law students, new members to the profession, and our friends overseas, I continue to see that young lawyers around the world are facing the same challenges in a difficult economy and I know that together we can get through this,” Mario said at the ABA Midyear Meeting last month. “It is a great honor to Chair an organization such as ABA YLD that is dedicated to the success of all young lawyers and with great leaders sharing one common goal: moving the profession forward.”
PILI is happy to welcome Reena Bajowala of Jenner & Block LLP to our Board of Directors! Reena is a partner in the firm’s Complex Commercial Litigation Practice and a member of the Class Action Litigation, ERISA Litigation and Technology Litigation groups.
Reena bears the special distinction of being not just a PILI Alumna, but a “double PILI,” having served as both a PILI Intern (at CVLS) and a PILI Fellow (at the ACLU of Illinois). She is active on PILI’s Alumni Network Leadership Council, and maintains a significant pro bono practice, focusing on political asylum and human trafficking matters in particular among a wide range of issues. She is additionally involved in several other nonprofit organizations, including the National Immigrant Justice Center, the North American South Asian Bar Association, and the Indian-American Bar Association (IABA), as well as Jenner’s Women’s Forum Steering Committee and Diversity & Inclusion Committee.
Reena joins PILI’s Board following the departure of Andrew Vail, also a partner at Jenner & Block and also a PILI Alumnus, who had served as a Director for PILI since 2010. PILI welcomes Reena and thanks Andrew for his years of dedicated service.
PILI’s Board of Directors is currently led by President Lee Ann Russo of Jones Day, and by Vice President Richard F. O’Malley, Jr. of Sidley Austin LLP. See for a full list of all of PILI’s Board Members »
We are so grateful to our PILI Alumni and friends for a fun and successful Order ON the Court last week! We had a great turn-out, and funds raised through event and raffle ticket sales went to support the PILI Alumni Named Internship Campaign.
PILI especially wishes to thank our generous raffle donors, including John Deere, the Chicago Wolves, Alumni Council Member Reena Bajowala, who donated Bulls tickets, and Alumni Council Member Marc Katz, who donated Cubs tickets. We would also like to thank Emily Seymore, our Fundraising Team Leader, and the whole PILI Alumni Network Leadership Council, for helping make this event a success! We couldn’t have done it without you!
Those awesome PILI hoodies we had for sale at the event are still available – click here for the order form. And if you loved our new PILI swag and want to know how to get your hands on some PILI water bottles, just stay tuned to the PILI Alumni Network for more info about upcoming events!
PILI Alumni, friends, and family are invited to our second annual Basketball Party! Join us on March 20th at Bar Louie, 333 North Dearborn, from 5:30-7:30, for the second round of the college basketball play-offs. This event is hosted by the PILI Alumni Network Leadership Council.
Special and new this year, your ticket purchase or donation not only gets you and your friends two drinks and appetizers, it will automatically net you a spot in the inaugural PILI Donor Challenge Bracket!That’s right, show your commitment to giving back and be designated a “PILI Player” in a full-scale bracket displayed at the event! For anyone who buys raffle tickets — beginning at just $5.00 — you will advance in the Donor Bracket and be recognized for your commitment to giving back, PILI tournament style! So step up, sign up, or just show up and we’ll get your name posted to the leaderboard!
All-Star – $5/1 raffle ticket
Sweet Supporter – $15/3 raffle tickets
Elite Encourager – $25/5 raffle tickets
Final Funder – $50/10 raffle tickets
Champion – $100/10 raffle tickets
Right now, Northwestern and Michigan are tied for the lead in PILI’s Donor Challenge Bracket, with Marquette and Oregon close behind. Want do see your team pull ahead? Buy your raffle tickets today!
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Please also consider making a donation if you can’t attend. All funds go to support our PILI Alumni Named Interns.
We are pleased to announce that Illinois Appellate Court Justice Michael Hyman will be the keynote speaker at PILI’s Annual Pro Bono Reception on June 18!
During his tenure with the court, Justice Hyman has been very involved in causes which he cares about. He is the current president of the Jewish Judges Association of Illinois and also serves on the board of the Illinois Judges Foundation and the Lawyers Trust Fund of Illinois, among many other things. Read his full bio on the appellate court’s website.
PILI’s Annual Pro Bono Reception is our opportunity to celebrate the Illinois legal community’s pro bono achievements and triumphs, and to spotlight the amazing and critically-needed pro bono work being done in our state, as well as the work of PILI’s Pro Bono Initiative Program. Each year, we pay tribute to Illinois law firms and corporate legal departments named to PILI’s Pro Bono Recognition Roster while enjoying drinks, appetizers, and excellent company. Sponsorship opportunities for this event are available now, and tickets will be on sale soon.
PILI’s Executive Director, Michael Bergmann, will be in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, March 5 and will be hosting a Happy Hour for DC-area PILI Alumni and friends. We hope you will join Michael and fellow Alumni to network with one another and to learn about what’s new with PILI. The happy hour will be at BlackFinn American Salon from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
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PILI has elected David Sudzus, partner at Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, to serve on its Board of Directors. Dave is a partner in the Products Liability and Mass Tort Practice Group. He serves as a Vice Chair of the Products Liability Practice Group and is a charter member of the firm’s Electronic Discovery and Data Management Committee. Dave also is active in pro bono matters, handling cases involving commercial disputes, alleged civil rights violations and other issues. He serves on the firm’s national pro bono committee and is co-chair of the pro bono committee for the firm’s Chicago office.
Dave joins PILI’s Board following the departure of Mark Furlane, also a partner at Drinker Biddle, who had served as a Director for PILI for five years. PILI wholeheartedly welcomes Dave and thanks Mark for his many years of service!