Hello!
As we approach December and prepare for PILI’s 2021 Annual Awards Luncheon, we would like to recognize the support and hard work of judges, attorneys and legal professionals across Illinois. We are inspired by the legal community’s dedication to advancing justice as we saw during last month's Pro Bono Week celebration!
 
With one month left in 2021, a year filled with continuing challenges and unpredictability, you truly have made a difference in the lives of individuals from Chicago to Rock Island to Mt Vernon. To celebrate the very best of the legal profession, please join PILI during our Annual Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, December 1st. The event will be held both in-person at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago and virtually. Thank you to our generous sponsors and we hope to see you there! 

Sincerely,

  • The 2021 Annual Awards Luncheon is coming up on December 1st! This event brings together the Illinois legal community every year to celebrate the very best aspects of the legal profession: the generosity, expertise and commitment of the countless lawyers, law students, legal professionals, law firms and corporations who dedicate themselves to providing legal assistance to those in need. This event is PILI’s largest annual fundraiser, providing critical support for our work across Illinois. Register for the 2021 Annual Awards Luncheon and buy your tickets on our website.

  • Additionally, we will be recognizing three individuals and one organization during the event. You can read about their impressive backgrounds and breadth of work here. Congratulations to this year's award recipients!

  • Mark your calendars for the Illinois Forum on Pro Bono – November 17th from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. You can review the event details and register on our website.

  • Join us for the next in our Virtual Pro Bono CLE Series - Limited Scope Representation: Good for Pro Bono and Your Practice on December 14th. Learn more and register on our website.
  • PILI welcomes Grayson Alexander to the team! Read more about our new Administrative Coordinator on our website.

  • Pro Bono Week was a success! During October 24th to 30th, PILI participated in the national celebration of Pro Bono Week. We celebrated the week with a variety of virtual and in-person events across the state. We recognized five local attorneys for their outstanding pro bono work during events held throughout the week. And we even did some pro bono through Illinois Free Legal Answers, answering 124 civil legal questions during the week thanks to our Alumni Network Leadership Council and Young Professionals Board as well several law firms, corporations and law schools. You can read more about PILI's Pro Bono Week celebration on our website. Thank you for all of your participation — see you next year!
This month, PILI would like to extend a formal congratulations to the eight law students upon their completion of their Fall 2021 PILI Law Student Internships. As the fall session wraps up, we wanted to ask the PILI Interns about their experiences working for public interest agencies throughout Chicago. Read more about them, and the what they’ve gained, through their various Internships through PILI.
As one of the Interns, Nayeli Cadenas, a 2L at the University of Illinois College of Law and the Andersen Named Intern at Legal Aid Society, said, “Through working with Legal Aid Society I have been able to directly serve those from the community that I was born and raised in. I’ve been working on the Domestic Violence Team aiding individuals who are victims of DV in their divorce cases. Being able to see our clients begin to move on with their lives once their cases are over makes the work worth it.”
Expand Access to Justice by Volunteering with PILI
PILI has numerous volunteer opportunities for attorneys, retired attorneys and judges, and other legal professionals. We invite you to learn more about how to get involved with PILI's pro bono opportunities.

Interested? Find the right volunteer option for you on our website.
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.