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| PILI/CBF Pro Bono Initiative
Monthly E-newsletter |
October 2007 |
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Greetings!
Next week is the 3rd Annual Pro Bono Week, sponsored by The Chicago Bar Association and The Chicago Bar Foundation. On Tuesday, October 9th, a kick-off reception hosted by Holland & Knight will launch this year's events. There will be a brief program at the reception during which we will hear remarks from Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke. We will also hear from a legal aid client and her pro bono attorney about their experience working together.
The 14th Annual CBA Young Lawyers Section Pro Bono and Community Service Fair will take place on Thursday, October 11th at Jenner & Block. Over 40 legal aid, pro bono and community service organizations will be on hand to provide information about their agency and volunteer opportunities. Though the YLS is the main sponsor of this program, it is open to volunteers of all ages!
It is fitting that the ARDC has begun mailing the annual attorney registration materials and many of Illinois' attorneys will be receiving these materials around Pro Bono Week. As you know, last year two additional questions were added to the registration form regarding pro bono service and qualified monetary contributions. If you or someone you know still has not handled a pro bono matter or made a contribution and would like to, so as to avoid reporting zero, the Pro Bono and Community Service Fair is the perfect place to visit. If you can't make the Fair, check out www.IlliniosProBono.org today. And, check out this month's Pro Bono Spotlight, which features a new pro bono opportunity to help Veterans.
I hope to see you at both the Pro Bono Week Kick-off Reception and the YLS Fair. If you have not already, please be sure to R.S.V.P today for these events. More information about both of these events is in the Upcoming Events & Trainings Section.
Please contact me if you have questions or suggestions, or if you would like to become more involved in our work. I can be reached by phone at 312/832-5129 or by e-mail at mbergmann@pili-law.org.
Sincerely,
Michael G. Bergmann
Pro Bono Initiative Director |
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PBI & Pro Bono News
PBI Releases New Pro Bono Reference Guide: A Resource for Corporate Programs
Pro Bono Reporting In Annual ARDC Attorney Registration Process
All lawyers in Illinois can expect to receive their annual ARDC registration statements this week, which again will include questions about your pro bono work and related financial contributions over the past year pursuant to the pro bono reporting requirement adopted by the Supreme Court in 2006. If you haven't taken a pro bono case or made a financial contribution yet this year, it's not too late. There's still time for you to get involved and contribute before you complete your registration. For a summary of the rule's requirements and the resources available to help you do your part, click here or check out the CBF website at www.chicagobarfoundation.org.
PILI Set to Launch 2008 Intern Application Process
On October 15th, the Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) will begin accepting applications for its summer 2008 Internship Program. The Program is open to first-year and second-year law students from across the country. Each summer, PILI funds dozens of internships at public interest law agencies in the Chicago metropolitan area. Agencies hosting Summer Interns receive $5,000 from PILI to pay an Intern for 10 full-time weeks of public interest law work. Interns will also participate in an extensive education program that includes weekly seminars, events and mentorship opportunities. Interested law students can apply through the on-line application process beginning on October 15th. For more information on the student Intern application process visit the PILI website or contact PILI Executive Director, Susan J. Curry, at 312-832-5128 or scurry@pili-law.org. |
| Upcoming Events & Trainings
CBA/CBF Pro Bono Week 2007 is October 8th to 12th
The CBA and CBF will sponsor the third annual Pro Bono Week in Chicago the week of October 8th to shine a light on pro bono in the Chicago area legal community. This year's Pro Bono Week, "Lawyering for the Soul," will be co-chaired by Julie Tappendorf of Holland & Knight and Rob Acton of Cabrini Green Legal Aid Clinic, and will feature several events for attorneys to highlight pro bono work and to showcase pro bono opportunities, including:
- Pro Bono Week Kickoff Event
Join members of Chicago's legal community to help celebrate pro bono and kick off 2007 CBA/CBF Pro Bono Week. Refreshments will be served. Speakers will include Justice Anne M. Burke, Supreme Court of Illinois. The reception is being hosted by Holland & Knight on October 9, 2007 from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. at the firm's Chicago office (131 South Dearborn Street, 30th floor). Please RSVP to hkevents@hklaw.com.
Meet with representatives from over 40 of Chicago's legal aid, pro bono and community service organizations to network with likeminded professionals and uncover the volunteer opportunity you have been seeking. Refreshments will be served. The Fair is Thursday, October 11, from 5:00-7:00 p.m., and hosted by Jenner & Block LLP, 330 N. Wabash, 40th Floor. The Chicago Bar Foundation, Exelon, Jenner & Block and Public Interest Law Initiative are co-sponsors of the Fair. Please RSVP to Jenni Bertolino at yls@chicagobar.org.
- Complimentary MCLE Programs at The Chicago Bar Association
"Practical Tips for Handling Special Education Issues," Tuesday, October 9 from 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
"Immigration for the Non-Immigration Lawyer: What You Need to Know About Representing Children and How You Can Get Involved in Pro Bono," Wednesday, October 10, 2007 from 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Visit the CBF website for the full schedule for Pro Bono Week, or for more information, contact Dina Merrell at dmerrell@chicagobar.org or 312-554-1206.
Fall PBI Semi-Annual Pro Bono Forum to be Held on November 5th
On Monday, November 5, 2007 from 3:00 until 6:00 p.m., PBI will hold its second semi-annual PBI Pro Bono Forum at The Chicago Bar Association's Headquarters. The Forum is intended for pro bono leaders from law firms, corporations, legal aid and public interest law organizations and law schools. The topic for the November 5th Forum will be "Bridging the Experience Gap: Moving Your Volunteers Beyond Their Zones of Comfort and Experience." View the agenda and find out more on the PBI website.
Save the Date for the 11th Annual CBF Fall Benefit
The Annual Fall Benefit is The Chicago Bar Foundation's biggest fundraiser of the year. This high-profile fundraiser caters to families while bringing together over 1,800 people from throughout Chicago's legal and corporate communities in a unique and fun-filled setting. A huge silent auction, food, drinks, a band, and entertainment for children are all part of the experience. The event includes access to the Museum's renowned exhibits, free and convenient garage parking, live band entertainment, a light buffet dinner, a full open bar, an outstanding silent auction, and special children's activities. This year's event will be held on Saturday, November 10, 2007 from 6:30 until 10:00 at the Museum of Science & Industry. For more information about this event, please contact Meredith Lovell, CBF Development Coordinator, at 312.554.1207 or mlovell@chicagobar.org.
Honorees Named and Justice Anne Burke to Deliver Keynote for the PILI Annual Awards Luncheon
Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke will address more than 450 members of the legal community who will gather on Thursday, December 6, 2007, to celebrate the best aspects of the profession at the Public Interest Law Initiative's Annual Awards Luncheon. It is a forum to recognize those performing remarkable public interest and pro bono work. The Luncheon features several awards to acknowledge those whose work epitomizes the ideal of access to justice for all. The awards and the recipients are as follows:
- The Distinguished Public Service Award, honoring an individual whose commitment to public interest work has shaped a career dedicated to service, will be presented to Ed Grossman of Chicago Legal Clinic;
- The Distinguished Alumni Awards recognize former PILI Intern, Joe Margulies, and former PILI Fellow, LaShonda Hunt, for their outstanding contributions to public interest and pro bono work; and
- The Pro Bono Initiative Award, acknowledging a single individual or organization (law firm or corporation) for unprecedented pro bono work in the community, will be presented to JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s Legal Department.
This year's Luncheon will be held on Thursday, December 6, 2007 in the International Ballroom at the Fairmont Hotel. Visit the PILI website to learn more about the Luncheon and sponsorship opportunities. You may also contact Susan Curry for additional details at scurry@pili-law.org or 312-832-5128.
PBI to Host Agency Series on Pitching and Training for Your Pro Bono Program
The PBI Agency Series is a two-part program intended for CBF-funded and PILI-affiliated agencies that will focus on best practices in marketing of your agency and its pro bono opportunities. The first program in the series was held on October 1st and over 50 representatives from legal aid agencies attended the program. The second program, which will be held on Monday, December 10th from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., will focus on micro level strategies for delivering personal pitches for your program, opportunities and trainings to firms and corporations. An agenda for that program will be included in next month's Pro Bono Advocate. Please call or e-mail PBI Director, Michael Bergmann, at 312-832-5129 or mbergmann@pili-law.org for additional information. |
| 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
Legal Assistance Foundation Providing Pro Bono Legal Services to Military Veterans
In July 2007, with seed funding from The Chicago Bar Foundation, the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago (LAF) launched its Veterans' Rights Project - the first project in Cook County specifically designed to assist the county's military personnel, veterans, and their families with a wide range of legal problems. The Veterans' Rights Project provides a number of opportunities for pro bono attorney involvement. Attorneys can assist veterans in matters involving claims for benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which include, among others, service-connected disability compensation, educational benefits, and needs-based pension programs. The impact attorneys can have is tangible. Studies from the Government Accountability Office and VA Office of Inspector General show that veterans receiving assistance with their claims obtain an average of $6,000 more per year than unrepresented veterans. Additionally, attorneys can also represent veterans facing civil issues ranging from reemployment rights to housing accommodations for disabled veterans, as well as represent service members and their families in enforcing numerous consumer protections provided by the Service Members Civil Relief Act and similar state statutes.
There will be a number of training opportunities for attorneys interested in assisting veterans. The first training seminar is scheduled for October 10-11, 2007, and is co-sponsored by the John Marshall Law School and LAF. This 2-day event will cover the VA benefits claim process (day 1) and related civil and criminal representation issues facing veterans (day 2). Click here for more information on the seminar and registration materials. Additionally, in partnership with the Chicago Bar Association and the Chicago Bar Foundation, the Veterans' Rights Project also will be providing individualized trainings to groups of interested attorneys. All of these trainings will enable attorneys to receive continuing legal education credits.
For more information on how to become involved with the Veterans' Rights Project or how to register for the October 10-11, 2007 training seminar, contact John F. Costello, Jr. at (312) 347-8340 or jcostello@lafchicago.org. | |
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