|
|
| PILI/CBF Pro Bono Initiative
Monthly E-newsletter |
May 2008 |
|
|
|
|
Greetings!
As we emerge from a long dark winter, this is the perfect time of year for celebrations and events. There are two wonderful upcoming opportunities to enjoy the nice weather, and more importantly, to celebrate pro bono and to honor those who have made significant pro bono contributions. I encourage you and your colleagues to attend both of these great events.
The first is the annual PILI "Celebrating Pro Bono" reception. At this year's reception, Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride will deliver keynote remarks. To be held at the Harold Washington Library Center Winter Garden Room on June 10th, this reception is PILI's opportunity to spotlight our community's pro bono relationships and successes and the work of the Pro Bono Initiative. Please join your colleagues from law firms, corporations, legal aid agencies and law schools to celebrate pro bono relationships and successes.
The next event is the 10th Annual CBA/CBF Pro Bono and Public Service Awards Luncheon, which will be held on July 14th. Annually drawing almost 700 attendees, this year's Luncheon will be held at the Fairmont Hotel and will celebrate the work of seven unsung heroes from a broad cross-section of the legal community whose dedication to public interest inspires those around them to join in their efforts.
More information about both of these events is provided in this newsletter. I look forward to seeing you at both of these events. In the meantime, if you have any questions or if we can be of any assistance to you, please contact me at 312-832-5129 or mbergmann@pili-law.org.
Sincerely,
Michael G. Bergmann
Pro Bono Initiative Director |
|
PBI & Pro Bono News
Spring 2008 PBI Pro Bono Forum Provides Opportunity to Discuss Pro Bono Challenges and Successes
The PBI Spring 2008 Pro Bono Forum was held on Thursday, April 24, 2008, and  was entitled "What If? Why Not?: Exploring Pro Bono Possibilities in an Imperfect World." The program explored a variety of hypothetical questions and scenarios through facilitated roundtable discussions to generate ideas for improving and increasing our pro bono capacity. Over 70 representatives from law firms, law schools, corporations and legal aid organizations attended the program, and enjoyed a cocktail reception after the program. Click here for more infomation about the Pro Bono Forum and other PBI programming.Ninth Annual Awards for Excellence in Pro Bono and Public Interest Service
The Ninth Annual Awards for Excellence in Pro Bono and
Public Interest Service is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 13,
2008, in the James Benton Parsons Memorial Courtroom (2525) of the Everett
McKinley Dirksen United States Courthouse at 219 South Dearborn Street in Chicago, Illinois.
William H. Neukom, President of the American Bar Association, will be the keynote
speaker at the awards ceremony. The event, which is sponsored by the United States District
Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the Chicago chapter of the Federal Bar Association,
recognizes pro bono and public interest service before the court. The program is free of charge and open to all attorneys and
those interested in pro bono and public interest law.
Catherine
Caporusso and Margot Klein from the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan
Chicago who staff the U.S. District Court's Self-Help Assistance Desk are being
honored for their work. LAF Help Desk lawyers do not
represent litigants in court, but can assist with court documents,
provide information about federal court procedures, and assist in accessing
free and low cost sources of legal information.
This Desk was developed as a partnership between the U.S. District
Court, The Chicago Bar Foundation, the Legal Assistance Foundation of
Metropolitan Chicago and Illinois Legal Aid Online. Additional Award winners include: Sara C. Arroyo and Rosa M.
Tumialan, of Dykema; Anthony J. Masciopinto, of Kulwin, Masciopinto &
Kulwin, LLP; Myron Mackoff, of Richardson & Mackoff; Joshua D. Lee and Amy
M. Rubenstein, of Schiff Hardin LLP;; David A. Gordon, Michael B. Nadler, and
Kristen R. Seeger, of Sidley Austin LLP; Lisa R. Kane, of Lisa Kane &
Associates, and Richard J. Gonzales, Clinical Professor of Law, Chicago-Kent
College of Law. The Honorable Abner Mikva to Speak at PILI's Kick-off Luncheon Seminar for Class of 2008 Interns and Fellows
This year, with over 120 Interns and Fellows, PILI is excited to launch the 2008 Luncheon Seminars on June 4th at The Chicago Bar Association. Abner Mikva, a former judge, White House Counsel, Congressman, and now a Schwartz Lecturer and Senior Director of the Mandel Legal Aid Clinic at the University of Chicago Law School, will welcome this year's class, who will be starting their summer service at PILI's 50+ affiliated agencies across the Chicago region. This summer will also feature a record number of educational programs, social events, and networking opportunities. The summer calendar is currently being finalized and will be available on the PILI website in the near future. |
Upcoming Events & Trainings
PILI to Host May 2008 Alumni Program and Reception on Strategies for Rainmaking in the Legal IndustryPILI hosts three programs each year designed specifically for former PILI Interns and Fellows, planned and organized by the PILI Alumni Programming Committee. The next program will be held on Wednesday, May 14th from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the offices of Mayer Brown, located at 71 S. Wacker Drive. Renowned business development consultant, Gary Pines of Harding & Company, will speak from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on strategies for rainmaking in the legal industry. The program will be followed by a reception from 7:30-8:30 p.m. to provide an PILI Alumni with an opportunity for networking. All former Interns and Fellows are welcome to attend this complimentary program and reception. Please register by May 9th by e-mailing us at alumni@pili-law.org. Click here to visit the PILI website to learn more. CBA/CBF Annual Pro Bono and Public Service Luncheon - Save the DateThe 10th Annual CBA/CBF Pro Bono and Public Service Luncheon will be held on July 14, 2008, from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. at the Fairmont Hotel. More information is available on the CBF website, or by contacting Meredith Lovell at 312-554-1207 or mlovell@chicagobar.org.
Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride to Deliver Remarks at 2008 PILI "Celebrating Pro Bono" Annual Reception
This year's annual PILI reception, "Celebrating Pro Bono," will be held from 5:30 until 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 10, 2008, at the Harold Washington Library Center's Winter Garden Room. Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride, an advocate for pro bono legal services and a former legal aid attorney, will deliver remarks at this year's reception. Please join your colleagues from law firms, corporations, legal aid agencies and law schools to celebrate pro bono relationships and successes. Invitations for this event are being mailed out next week. Click here to visit the PILI website to learn more.
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. |
|
Pro Bono Spotlight
DLA Piper Attorneys and Staff Honored for Their Pro Bono Contributions On April 8th, DLA Piper Chicago held its annual pro bono awards dinner, an event which recognized the pro bono achievements of attorneys and staff of that office during 2007. The event was attended by firm attorneys, local service providers, and firm clients. In addition to recognizing firmwide pro bono award winners Stan Adelman and Ridgely Jackson, local pro bono awards were presented to: - Ken Schmetterer and Lawrence Wojcik, Partners of the Year: Ken and Larry were recognized for their work in researching and drafting From Juvenile Court to the Classroom: The Need for Effective Child Advocacy, a comprehensive study of the issues children face when they transition from the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center back into the school system.
- Albert Hartmann, Senior Associate of the Year: Albert worked on several juvenile delinquency cases, including a post-conviction petition and appeal on behalf of a juvenile who had been convicted of murder. He also assisted the research team that produced From Juvenile Court to the Classroom.
- Raja Gaddipati, Junior Associate of the Year: Raja has been working on a
 large-scale litigation matter involving Tamms Correctional Center, located in southern Illinois. Tamms is a Supermax prison facility, at which inmates spend 23 hours per day alone in a cell. Working in collaboration with the Uptown People's Law Center, the firm filed suit against the Illinois Department of Corrections, arguing that the inmates have a due process right to a hearing before they are sent to Tamms.
- Julie Pabarja, Staff Member of the Year: Julie coordinated and prepared the bibliography for From Juvenile Court to the Classroom and volunteered at Barry Elementary School, with whom the Chicago Office has formed a partnership.
In addition, DLA Piper Docketing Specialist, Tony Cerda, was presented with the Liberty Bell Award by the Young Lawyers' Section of The Chicago Bar Association. The Liberty Bell Award is given annually to a non-lawyer who makes exemplary contributions to the Chicago legal  community through pro bono work. The award was presented at a Meet the Judges Reception by Justice Joy V. Cunningham of the Illinois Appellate Court. Tony coordinates DLA Piper's volunteer work at the Greater Chicago Food Depository, acts as one of the Clinic Co-Chairs of the Asian American Legal Services Clinic, serves on the Chicago Pro Bono Committee, volunteers at Barry Elementary School, provides docketing assistance on juvenile justice cases, and translates for DLA Piper's Spanish-speaking pro bono clients. Photo, top left: Ridgely Jackson, Firmwide Pro Bono Honoree, speaks about her pro bono efforts during 2007.
Photo, middle right: DLA Piper Partner Paul Shadle, Shanin Farmer of Accenture LLP, DLA Piper Partner Robin Goldman Koyner, and DLA Piper Associate Tracy Jacobson (from left to right).
Photo, bottom left: Illinois Appellate Court Justice Joy V. Cunninghman and Liberty Bell Award Recipient Tony Cerda.
| |
|
|
|
