Pro Bono Volunteer Opportunities in the Sixth Judicial Circuit
Through the below pro bono opportunities, you can provide critically needed legal services to individuals and families in need in the Sixth Judicial Circuit. We hope you will get involved and also help spread the word!
The following is a list of pro bono opportunities available in the Sixth Circuit through the Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI):
Illinois 
Armed Forces Legal Aid Network
Illinois Armed Forces Legal Aid Network (IL-AFLAN) provides civil legal services across Illinois to veterans, active duty military and their spouses and dependents. As an IL-AFLAN member, PILI refers pro bono matters to volunteer attorneys in the 101 counties outside of Cook County.
ILLINOIS FREE LEGAL ANSWERS
A project of the American Bar Association, 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 a secure website where low-income Illinois residents can ask a lawyer for help with a legal issue. Volunteer lawyers then log onto the site and provide assistance. It is a virtual walk-in legal clinic administered by PILI.
PILI PRO BONO MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
Through PILI’s Pro Bono Mentorship Program, volunteer attorneys who lack experience in a particular area of law will be paired with a more experienced attorney for advice and counsel to ensure competent representation of pro bono clients. The purpose of this program is to increase the number of clients who receive pro bono assistance while simultaneously offering a unique and invaluable learning opportunity for attorneys.
SELF-REPRESENTED LITIGANT HELP DESKS
Volunteers at the Self-Represented Litigant Help Desks meet with self-represented litigants for 30-minute appointments to help them understand and navigate the legal process, fill out forms and answer questions. Volunteer shifts are currently available at the Champaign and Macon County Courthouses. Paralegals and law students are also needed, in addition to attorneys, to do intake.
Sixth Judicial Circuit Conflict of Interest Pro Bono Referral Panel
The Conflict of Interest Pro Bono Referral Panel provides a referral source for Land of Lincoln Legal Aid to send potential clients who have been denied service due to a conflict of interest. A potential client is only eligible for referral to the program if they have been denied services by Land of Lincoln due to a conflict and the potential client has been referred to the program. Once PILI had approved the case, we will try to place it with a local pro bono attorney in the Sixth Circuit to provide assistance. This project is launching in early 2022 thanks to funding through the Illinois Access to Justice grant program.
A variety of pro bono opportunities are also available in the Sixth Circuit through Land of Lincoln Legal Aid:
Many opportunities exist for volunteers to assist Land of Lincoln clients through direct representation, counsel and advice, document preparation, and clinic settings. Due to limited resources, Land of Lincoln attorneys cannot assist everyone who is eligible for their services, so they rely on volunteer attorneys to help many of their clients who are in need of legal assistance.
The Immigration Project
The Immigration Project provides immigration legal services in central and southern Illinois through counsel and advice, clinics and application support services. There are several ways to volunteer including: taking on a case with supervision, one day commitments for virtual workshops and guardianship cases for children released from ICE detention throughout the state.
Learn more about the Sixth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee »