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| PILI/CBF Pro Bono Initiative
Monthly E-newsletter |
January 2008 |
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Greetings!
Happy New Year! I hope you enjoyed the holidays and that 2008 has gotten off to a good start for you.
At this time of year, many cherish the calm after the busy holiday season. But others miss the buzz and excitement that comes with the holidays. Either way, this is a great time of year to start a new pro bono case. Whether you are looking for a new agency to work with or are continuing with one you have previously worked, consider taking a new case today. It is never too soon to start racking up your pro bono hours!
There are a lot of exciting things happening with PBI in the coming months discussed in more detail in this month's newsletter. The Corporate Roundtable Series is set to launch next month and the PBI Program Planning Teams is already working on the 2008 Pro Bono Forums and Agency Series. We've also launched two new Teams and are looking for volunteers to join us. Working with our project partner, PILI, a new PILI Alumni Program has been launched to build on the commitment to public interest demonstrated by former Interns and Fellows.
I look forward to working with you throughout the coming year. If I can be of any assistance to you, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Michael G. Bergmann
Pro Bono Initiative Director |
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PBI & Pro Bono News
Important Illinois Supreme Court Rule Change Pending
The Illinois Supreme Court is considering a proposed Rule change that would allow attorneys who work in corporate law departments and have limited admission status in Illinois (i.e., are licensed in a state other than Illinois to practice law but only to represent their own company in Illinois), along with attorneys on "retired" or "inactive" status, to do pro bono work. The proposed Rule change was drafted by a coalition of groups that included the CBA, the CBF, the Illinois Coalition for Equal Justice and other interested parties, and is set for hearing on January 28th as Proposal 07-01. If the Rule is adopted as proposed, attorneys seeking admission under this Rule would need to do pro bono work with a sponsoring entity as defined in the rule. Click here to read the proposed Rule. Two New PBI Project Teams Launched - Volunteers Needed
In addition to the existing PBI Teams, we are launching two new teams in the coming months. The first team will be the PBI Recognition Team, which examine the various possibilities for PBI to recognize the outstanding pro bono efforts of individual attorneys, law firms, corporations and legal aid agencies throughout Illinois by nominating them for existing awards from other organizations and/or establishing new awards to be conferred by PBI. The second team is the PBI Surveys Project Team, which will assist in reevaluating surveys that were previously conducted by PBI to streamline our process and better collect and utilize the data that we gather. To learn more about these and the other PBI Teams, visit our website. If you are interested in joining a PBI Team, please contact Michael Bergmann at 312-832-5129 or mbergmann@pili-law.org.
PILI Annual Awards Luncheon A Record Success
On December 6th, almost 500 members of the Chicago legal community joined  together at the Fairmont Hotel for the 2007 PILI Annual Awards Luncheon. This event celebrated the work of PILI and honored a former Intern and Fellow, the career of a legal aid attorney and the pro bono contributions of a corporate legal department. Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke was the keynote speaker at this year's Annual Awards Luncheon. The Luncheon was sponsored by over 40 law firms and corporations. To learn more about the Luncheon, the award recipients and the event sponsors, visit PILI's website.
Pictured: PILI Board President, Kimball Anderson of Winston & Strawn, welcomes attendees at the 2007 PILI Annual Awards Luncheon.
PILI Launches Alumni Program for Former Fellows and Interns
At the end of last year, PILI formally launched an Alumni Program for former PILI Interns and Fellows. Next week, the new alumni e-newsletter will be launched and a special program and reception for alumni will be held in late February. Visit the PILI website to learn more about the Alumni Program and to subscribe to the quarterly e-newsletter, the PILI Alumni Connection. You may also e-mail PILI regarding the program at alumni@pili-law.org. |
| Upcoming Events & Trainings
Lawyers in the Classroom Training Constitutional Rights Foundation of Chicago will hold a training this month for its Lawyers in the Classroom program. The training will be held at Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw LLP located at 71 S. Wacker from 8:45 am - noon on Thursday, January 24, 2008. Attorneys who are interested should contact Jessica Chetik at 312-663-9057 or chethik@crfc.org. More information about the program is available on their website.
Representing SSI Applicants Training Session and Reception
On Monday, January 14th, Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP will host a training from 4:00 until 6:15 p.m. with a reception following the training at its offices, located at the Sears Tower in the 78th Floor Chicago Conference Rooms. The training session will be presented by Social Security Administration Chief Administrative Law Judge Frank A. Cristaudo and Tom Yates of the Health & Disability Advocates. The training may qualify for CLE credit, pending approval. A cocktail hour will immediately follow the training from 6:15 until 7:30. The training and reception will be held to benefit the H.E.L.P. program (Homeless Experience Legal Protection), and the participating attorneys will be recognized. H.E.L.P. founder Federal Judge Jay Zainey will be in attendance, which makes this a unique opportunity to learn a great deal about H.E.L.P. and how you and your firm can make a positive difference in the lives of homeless individuals. Please RSVP by January 9 to 312-876-8230 or events@sonnenschein.com.
Annual CBF Fat Tuesday Challenge
The 8th Annual Fat Tuesday Challenge, presented by The Greater Chicago Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators and the CBF Young Professionals Board will be held on Tuesday, February 5, 2008, from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. at North Beach. Proceeds from this event benefit Chicago legal aid organizations. For additional information, please visit the CBF website.
Pro Bono Attorney Training for DCFS Expungement Appeal HearingsFirst Defense Center will hold a training at offices of McDermott, Will & Emery from 12:00 until 1:15 p.m. on February 5th. This training will focus on how to represent parents and child care professionals in appeals of abuse or neglect "indicated" findings in the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services' Administrative Hearings Unit. Training topics will include an overview of the DCFS Administrative Hearings Unit, a review of the appeals process, and answers to common questions, including timing, discovery, witnesses, evidentiary and due process issues, and expectations for attorneys handling referred cases. Please register by Monday, January 28th by contacting Alison McIntire at Alison@FamilyDefenseCenter.net or 312-356-3202.
PBI Launches Corporate Roundtable Series
As a complement to the semi-annual PBI Pro Bono Forum, PBI is launching a semi-annual Corporate Roundtable Series to bring together corporate pro bono leaders from around Illinois. The first Corporate Roundtable Series will be held on Wednesday, February 13th from noon until 1:30 p.m. and will be hosted by Aon Corporation (200 East Randolph in Chicago). Corporate pro bono leaders from around the state are invited to attend in-person or by phone, with lunch being provided for those who attend in-person. Advanced registration is required. Please call or e-mail Michael Bergmann at 312-832-5129 or mbergmann@pili-law.org by February 6th and indicate whether you plan to attend in-person or by phone.
Free CLE Training: "Defending the Rights of Tenants"
One Monday, February 18, 2008 from 9-12:15 at Loyola University Chicago School of Law (25 E. Pearson St., Rubloff Auditorium), there will be a training on defending the rights of tenants. This program is co-sponsored by the Metropolitan Tenants Organization and is pending approval by the Illinois MCLE Board for 3 hours of CLE credit. Participants can register on site or in advance by e-mailing Mary Bird at mbird1@luc.edu with their name, firm, address, phone, and e-mail.
For a complete calendar of upcoming events and trainings sponsored by public interest law organizations throughout Illinois, visit www.IllinoisProBono.org. |
| Pro Bono Opportunities
Want to see your pro bono opportunity listed here? If you are a legal aid agency staff member and you would like to post a pro bono opportunity, please visit www.IllinoisLegalAdvocate.org. |
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Pro Bono Spotlight
JPMorgan Chase & Co. Recognized With PILI Pro Bono Initiative Award
In a single year, JPMorgan Chase has made remarkable progress in its pro bono efforts by developing, launching, and implementing a new corporate-wide pro bono policy. Thoughtful, strategic decisions upfront have yielded immediate results in the scope and quantity of pro bono legal assistance provided to communities having a JPMC corporate presence.
The JPMorgan Chase Pro Bono Policy encourages members of its Law Department to perform pro bono legal services in many locations nationwide. Each major Law Department location has a Pro Bono Coordinator and each coordinator is responsible for making projects available in his or her specific location. Projects are selected with an emphasis on opportunities for non-  lawyers, as well as lawyers, and non-litigators as well as litigators. The policy includes the support of senior management, provides for the use of corporate resources in pro bono legal services delivery, and encourages individual members of the Law Department to pursue their own pro bono interests. JPMC clearly defines what constitutes "pro bono services" for purposes of the policy and therefore, any service that falls within that definition is automatically included and encouraged by the policy. By purchasing professional liability insurance coverage for those instances in which services are provided to an organization that does not itself offer such coverage to its volunteers, JPMC removes a major obstacle to pro bono service by in-house counsel and ensures pro bono services are accessible to a broad range of legal services organizations.
JPMorgan Chase staff has already provided pro bono legal assistance in the areas of family services, immigrant rights, micro entrepreneurship, and homelessness, among others. In Chicago, they have forged working pro bono relationships with Chicago Volunteer Legal Services, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless Law Project, and the National Immigrant Justice Center, to name a few.
Pictured: Members of the Chicago office of the JPMorgan Chase & Co. legal department, recipient of this year's PILI Pro Bono Initiative Award. | |
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