March 2021: Spring has Sprung as PILI Leaps Forward

Hello!

Spring has finally sprung in Chicago and our Spring Interns are hard at work, helping to increase access to justice at their agencies. This spring, eight PILI Interns are each working 200 hours part-time during the semester. You can read more about them below.

We also spotlight two 2020 PILI Interns who were recently appointed to PILI leadership positions: Ruben Bautista who is serving on our Board of Directors and Diana Arroyo who is serving on our Alumni Network Leadership Council.

Read the rest of our newsletter to read about our upcoming virtual Arcade for Legal Aid, the 2021 Pro Bono Recognition Roster, our International Women's Day post and other exciting news at PILI!

Sincerely,

The Staff at PILI

Other PILI Announcements

Register for the Virtual Pro Bono CLE Series on March 30th
Calling all PILI Alumni! Join us to hear PILI updates and learn more about the ongoing work of Access to Justice at the first ever PILI Alumni Virtual Town Hall on April 7th at 12:00 noon CT
Join us for the Arcade for Legal Aid on April 28th
Apply for the 2021 Pro Bono Recognition Roster by May 14th
PILI received Eviction Response Grant from the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation and the Illinois Department of Human Services

Volunteer Opportunities

Illinois Free Legal Answers

Illinois Free Legal Answers is a virtual legal clinic where low-income Illinois residents can submit a question online to ask a lawyer for help with a legal issue. We're seeing an increase in questions during the COVID-19 Pandemic and need more volunteers to answer questions. Learn more.

Illinois Free Legal Answers for Civil Appeals

Self-represented litigants in the Illinois Appellate Court face many unique challenges without adequate resources to assist them through the appellate process. This platform is the first-ever virtual legal advice clinic for civil appeals in Illinois. Volunteer lawyers with appellate experience are needed! Learn more.

Illinois Armed Forces Legal Aid Network (IL-AFLAN)

IL-AFLAN provides civil legal services across Illinois to veterans, active duty military and their spouses and dependents and PILI refers pro bono matters in the 101 counties outside of Cook County. Help us serve those who have served us! Learn more.

Meet our 2020 Intern Leadership Representatives

Each year, PILI appoints one Intern and one Fellow from the most recent class to serve on either the Board of Directors and the Alumni Network Leadership Council. We're excited to introduce Ruben Bautista, a 2020 Intern who is serving on our Board of Directors and Diana Arroyo, a 2020 Intern who is serving on our Alumni Leadership Council.

Upcoming Programs & Events

March 22nd - Legal Help Within Reach: Expungement Clinic
March 30th - PILI Virtual Pro Bono CLE Series – Mediation: Focus on Eviction
April 7th - PILI Alumni Virtual T o w n H a ll
April 21st - Spring Intern Reception
April 28th - YPB Virtual Arcade for Legal Aid
April 28th to 29th - ISBA Law Day Virtual CLE & Clinic
April 30th - Twentieth Judicial Circuit Law Day 2021 CLE

What We've Been Up To

Introducing Spring 2021 Interns

PILI is excited to introduce eight spring Law Student Interns who are working 200 hours during the semester at legal service agencies in Chicago. Read more about them here.

Virtual Pro Bono: Highlights from the 2021 Corporate Pro Bono Roundtable

On March 10th, representatives from Illinois in-house corporate legal departments met online for PILI’s Corporate Pro Bono Roundtable. This year, the group discussed promoting pro bono in a virtual world. Read more about their discussion.

Thank You to Our Volunteers

Over the last few weeks, we've hosted several virtual pro bono clinics and are so grateful to those who have volunteered!

Chapman and Cutler hosted the February Virtual Legal Prep Community Law Clinic, helping five clients with their civil legal issues.
Ropes & Gray LLP hosted the March Virtual Legal Prep Community Law Clinic where they prepared to help three clients with divorce and descendant estate issues.
DuPage County Bar Association and NIU College of Law hosted an Illinois Free Legal Answers virtual clinic and paired up to help people in need.

Thank you to these and all our amazing volunteers!

Around the Web

PILI's 2021 Theme: The Gateway to Justice

In Illinois, PILI is the gateway through which the legal community serves. PILI converts gifts of time and money into system-wide positive impact—together, we not only directly serve those who need legal help, but also engage, inspire and empower those advancing equal access to justice.