Having trouble viewing this email? Click here

September/October 2011

Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI): cultivatinga lifelong commitment to public interest lawGreetings! Since its founding in 1977, PILI has cultivated a lifelong commitmentto public interest law by creating opportunities for law students andattorneys to provide public interest and pro bono work in Illinois. With a new fiscal year underway and our summer Internship andFellowship programs completed, we have been busy with severalAlumni and Pro Bono Initiative Programs. In fact, our second­everAlumni Reunion Reception is less than a week away! We hope you'llbe able to join us. In this newsletter, we also shine a spotlight onsome exciting new pro bono efforts. And did you know that pro bononow has an app? This and more below! We hope you find this e­newsletter informativeand we appreciate your involvement in and support of PILI.

Yours truly, The Staff of the Public Interest Law Initiative Michael G. Bergmann, Executive Director Shana Heller­Ogden, Development & Communications AssociateJulia Kepler, Office AdministratorSheila Simhan, Program Manager

PILI NewsNew Fiscal Year for PILIPILI's new fiscal year began on September 1, as our summerInternship and Fellowship programs closed and amidst severalAlumni and Pro Bono Initiative programs. We have so many plansfor the upcoming year ­ won't you help us make a strong start bydonating to PILI today? Visit our website for more information. Wethank you for your support! Sponsorships Available for the PILI 2011 Annual AwardsLuncheonPILI celebrates the best aspects of the legal profession every yearat our Annual Awards Luncheon: Celebrating Service: The LegalProfession at its Best. This event brings together hundreds ofmembers of the Illinois legal community to pay tribute to the peopleand organizations whose exemplary pro bono work has inspired usand made us proud. This year, the Annual Awards Luncheon will beheld on Thursday, December 1 from 11:30am­1:30pm at theRenaissance Downtown Hotel Chicago. PILI offers three levels ofsponsorship for our Annual Awards Luncheon. Contact PILIExecutive Director Michael Bergmann or visit our website to learnmore about how you can become involved in supporting this event.

PILI Law Student Internship & GraduateFellowship Programs PILI Interns (first or second year law students) and PILI Fellows (recent

Issue: 16

In This IssuePILI News

PILI Internship & FellowshipPrograms

PILI Alumni Program

PILI Pro Bono InitiativeProgram

PILI Helpful Links

about us

programs

participating agencies

events

publications

news

donate

contact us

Additional Helpful Links

IllinoisProBono.org

More About the New ILSupreme Court Pro BonoReporting Requirement

New Illinois Supreme CourtRule Permits Retired,Inactive and CorporateAttorneys to Perform Pro

Bono Work

Other Useful Links

PILI & ILAOPro Bono Matching

System

Pro Bono Matching SystemHome

Find A Pro Bono Mentor

Become A Pro BonoMentor

PILI Interns and Fellows at an educationalprogram this summer

law school graduates) work in and learn about public interest law, andbegin what PILI hopes is a lifelong commitment to public interest law andpro bono work. Below is the latest news about PILI's Internship andFellowship Programs. Visit PILI's website to learn more about theInternship and Fellowship Programs.

PILI Interns and Fellows Complete Summer at Chicago LegalService AgenciesThis summer, 35 PILI Internsand 40 PILI Fellows togethercontributed thousands of hoursto Illinois legal serviceagencies. Interns spent theirsummers drafting pleadings,interviewing clients, writingbriefs, and going to court,among other activities. OnePILI Intern at Chicago VolunteerLegal Services told us, "Istrongly believe the work ofCVLS and the mediationprogram is absolutely vital to the continued health of Chicago, and Iam honored to have been a part of that work." Fellows, for their part,conducted legal research and document reviews, in addition todiscussing strategies and other legal work. Said one PILI Fellow,"This was a fantastic use of my post­law school, pre­law firm time!"Supervisors reported that PILI Interns and Fellows increased thenumber of clients they are able to serve, increased the quality oftheir representation, increased their capacity to take on complicatedcases, expanded the range of services they were able to provide,and reduced their waiting lists. Congratulations to all of you oncompleting your Internship or Fellowship, and thank you for yourcontributions to legal aid! Upcoming Application PeriodsApplication periods for PILI 2012 Spring and Summer Internships areopening soon:

the application period for Spring 2012 PILI Internships willopen on November 1 for all applicants, andthe application period for Summer 2012 PILI Internships willopen on October 15th for 2Ls and on December 1st for 1Ls.

Applicants must register on IllinoisProBono.org and submit a resumeand cover letter. Visit our website for more information.

PILI Alumni Program Today, over 3,000 law students and graduates have participated in PILI'sInternship and Fellowship Programs. The Alumni Program maintains theconnection between these lawyers, PILI and the public interest lawcommunity. Below is the latest news about PILI's Alumni Program. VisitPILI's website to learn more about its Alumni Program. PILI Alumni Reunion Reception ­ Last Chance to Buy Tickets!PILI's second annual Alumni ReunionReception is coming up in less than oneweek on October 5! The reception will be anInternational Wine and Cheese Tasting atBin 36, 339 North Dearborn Street from 5:30­7:30 pm. Reconnect with your fellow PILIAlumni and help us celebrate PILI'sInternship and Fellowship Programs withdrinks, appetizers and great company!Proceeds from the event will support a PILIAlumni Named Internship for the summer of2012. Tickets and individual sponsorshipsare available, and PILI is pleased to offer a special discounted ticketprice for Alumni who are currently in law school, recent grads, orworking in public interest. Visit our website or contact PILIDevelopment & Communications Associate Shana Heller­Ogden formore information. We hope to see you there! Keeping in Touch with PILI AlumniAs another class of PILI Summer Interns and Fellows completestheir work at legal service agencies, PILI would like to remind you tomake sure we have your most recent contact information. By stayingin touch with PILI, you can ensure that you get information about

Find Assistance With APro Bono Matter

Provide Assistance With APro Bono Matter

Customized Pro BonoResources andOpportunities

For Law Students

For Corporate Counsel

For Paralegals

For Senior/RetiredAttorneys

For Government Attorneys

PILI Has Gone Web 2.0. Join us!

Subscribe here orforward this newsletter so

that others cansubscribe.

PILI Alumni at the Board Service programon August 23

upcoming programs and events, like the "Serving on a NonprofitBoard of Directors" program we held in August, or the ReunionReception coming up next week. You can fill out this form online orsend us an e­mail to make sure our records are up­to­date. Thankyou! PILI Hosts Alumni Evening Program and Networking Reception:Serving on a Nonprofit Board of DirectorsOn August 23, PILI hosted aprogram for our Alumni entitled"Serving on a Nonprofit Board ofDirectors." Attorneys from TheLaw Project did an interactivesegment on the dynamics ofboard service for attorneys, andBrian Whitlock, Tax Partner atBlackman Kallick, presented asegment on understandingnonprofit financial statements.The event, hosted by Kirkland &Ellis, wrapped up with anetworking reception. We alsodistributed a list of the latest board service and pro bonoopportunities available within Chicago's public interest lawcommunity to attendees. If you are a PILI Alum interested innonprofit board service, or if you are interested in learning aboutupcoming PILI Alumni programs, contact PILI Program ManagerSheila Simhan or visit our website. PILI Alumni Spotlight: Kate Pomper, 2006 InternKate Pomper's career has been marked by acommitment to public interest law at every stage.A current Assistant Attorney General with theOffice of the Illinois Attorney General, Kate got herfirst experience working in public interest law as aPILI Intern at the Sargent Shriver National Centeron Poverty Law. She spent most of her summerthere working on a lawsuit to enforce a contract forSection 8 housing for elderly and disabledindividuals. The following summer she interned atthe Legal Assistance Foundation of MetropolitanChicago in their South Side office, and in 2008,after receiving degrees from the University of Michigan's Law Schooland Ford School of Public Policy, she was awarded a Polikoff­Gautreaux Fellowship at Business and Professional People for thePublic Interest (BPI). Click here to read the rest of Kate's spotlight. PILI Alumni Spotlight: John Thurmond, 2002 FellowJohn Thurmond was a PILI Fellow at the Legal AssistanceFoundation of Metropolitan Chicago in thesummer and fall of 2002. Working with RichardWheelock in LAF's Housing Law Initiative, hehelped provide high­quality civil legal services tolow­income and disadvantaged people andcommunities. "The highlight of my time at theLAFMC was helping a single mother move fromthe Cabrini Green housing project to 'scatteredsite' housing elsewhere in the city," recountsJohn. "It was a wonderfully educational andrewarding experience!" After completing his PILIFellowship, John worked in private practice witha specialty in transactional real estate law for several years atKirkland & Ellis LLP and SNR Denton LLP; he is now a legal recruiterfor Lateral Link, placing highly qualified associate and partner levelattorneys in law firms and corporate legal departments. Click here toread the rest of John's spotlight.

PILI Pro Bono Initiative ProgramThrough its Pro Bono Initiative, PILI works collaboratively with law firms,corporations, public interest law agencies and law schools to create andpromote work environments, programs and opportunities that help newassociates and seasoned attorneys actualize their commitment to probono work. Below is the latest news about PILI's Pro BonoInitiative. Visit PILI's website to learn more about PILI's Pro Bono Initiative. Law Students Explore Possibilities in Public Interest LawOver 80 law students and

Mentor and PILI Alum Sean Ginty speakingwith law students

John Bourke from Aon with otherparticipants at the PILI Illinois Forum on

Pro Bono

recent graduates from aroundthe Chicago area gathered onSeptember 24 to learn aboutopportunities in public interestlaw and pro bono service. PILIand the Chicago Area LawSchool Consortium (CALSC)co­sponsored the event, whichwas hosted by Chicago­KentCollege of Law. Law studentsranging from 1Ls to recentgraduates were introduced tothe public interest landscape.The program began with apanel discussion on finding public interest law placements andincorporating pro bono/public interest law into law school and a legalcareer. Mentors from different areas of public interest thenconducted group mentoring sessions with the participants, and theprogram closed with a presentation on writing resumes and coverletters and developing networking and interviewing skills. Thanks toall of our panelists, mentors and presenters for making this eventsuch a success! More pictures can be seen on PILI's Facebookpage. PILI Illinois Forum on Pro Bono held September 14 PILI and the American BarAssociation's StandingCommittee on Pro Bono andPublic Service co­sponsored theIllinois Forum on Pro Bono onSeptember 14. Pro bono leadersfrom law firms, corporations,legal aid agencies and lawschools from around the stateexplored ways to improve thepro bono delivery system. TheForum was an opportunity toshare and address pro bonoconcerns state­wide whilelending a voice to the nationaldiscussion on pro bono. The ideas and strategies generated at thisForum will contribute to the ABA Pro Bono Summit's ultimate goal ofdeveloping a nationally coordinated action plan to improve the probono legal services delivery model. The ABA's Pro Bono Summit willbe held on October 24­25 in Washington DC. New App for Pro Bono from Illinois Legal Aid OnlineThe new Illinois Pro BonoApp will put pro bono in thepalm of your hand. IllinoisLegal Aid Online willrelease a free mobile app just in time for National Pro Bono Week,October 24 ­ 28. The Illinois Pro Bono App is designed for legalprofessionals who wish to volunteer with a legal aid organization. Theapp can be used to search for volunteer opportunities, viewupcoming MCLE trainings and community events, and access legalreference guides. Resources include 25 in­depth articles on discreteareas of civil law to supplement one's pro bono work. So, take abreak from your New York Times and Words with Friends Apps andtry something new that will be rewarding both for you and the peopleyou serve. The Illinois Pro Bono Mobile App will first be available foriPhone and iOs devices, and will be released on Android andBlackberry devices in the near future. A great volunteer opportunityand reliable support will soon be a click away! VisitIllinoisProBono.org for more information. ILAO Call for Nominations: Sing About Your Unsung Heroes!Honor a colleague or volunteer in the legal community by nominatingthem as a Volunteer­ or Advocate­of­the Month! Volunteer­ andAdvocate­of­the Month honorees are featured in a 3­4 minute videothat highlights their contributions to improving access to justice andmaking a difference in the lives of Illinois residents. The video isposted to www.IllinoisProBono.org (for pro bono volunteers) orwww.IllinoisLegalAdvocate.org (for legal aid advocates) and also toIllinois Legal Aid Online's (ILAO) YouTube channel. The videos areILAO's way of recognizing the unsung or under­sung heroes in theIllinois legal community. To nominate a legal aid advocate, pleasecomplete the brief online form HERE. For pro bono nominations,please go HERE. If you wish to watch the videos for past honorees,

view the advocate archive here or the volunteer archive here.Honorees are chosen from recent nominations by a committee ofpeople who work in the legal aid community. Nominators areinterviewed about the honoree and their work as part of the video.This is a free and innovative way to recognize your colleagues andvolunteers, so please nominate a deserving professional today! Pro Bono Spotlight: West Cook and North Chicago Pro BonoNetworksDonna Peel, anattorney who hadformerly worked for theUS Department ofJustice, wanted to useher legal skills andbackground do probono work and help her community. But as a stay­at­home mother oftwo, Donna quickly learned that identifying good pro bonoopportunities and finding legal resources for attorneys who had to fittheir schedule around school­aged children was easier said thandone. She also learned, however, that she was not alone in hersituation. In December 2010, Donna started the West Cook Pro BonoNetwork to provide pro bono opportunities to attorneys who wanted togive legal services to their community, but had limited availabilitydue to family or other obligations. "It pained me to think that therewere all these unused resources," said Donna. Click to read moreabout the West Cook and North Chicago Pro Bono Networks.

Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI)321 North Clark Street, 28th Floor

Chicago, IL 60654312­832­5127 | pili@pili­law.org | www.pili­law.org

Forward email

This email was sent to sheller­ogden@pili.org by mbergmann@pili­law.org | Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | Privacy Policy.

Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) | 321 North Clark Street | 28th Floor | Chicago | IL | 60654