a project of the Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI)

Michael G. Bergmann

Pro Bono Initiative Director

Michael attended The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Politics.   He received his Juris Doctor from DePaul University College of Law.  Prior to and during law school, Michael was a consultant with the Financial Planning Solutions Group of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, responsible for project management and business development.

In July 2006, Michael joined the Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) as the full-time director of its pro bono project, the Pro Bono Initiative. Prior to joining PILI, Michael was employed at Chicago Volunteer Legal Services in a newly created full-time staff attorney position to assist in administering its burgeoning guardian ad litem (GAL) program. As GAL Program Director, Michael handled a large caseload of difficult GAL cases and supervised a large number of volunteer GALs.  He was also responsible for recruiting and training new volunteers and developing new relationships with various Chicago law firms. 

A member of the American Bar Association, Michael is a member of the Young Lawyers Division (YLD), where he serves as the YLD's Public Service Coordinator.  Michael was elected to the Executive Committee of the Lawyers Conference in the ABA's Judicial Division and was appointed by the ABA President to serve on the Presidential Advisory Council on Diversity in the Profession, a group focused on pipeline diversity initiatives.  Michael is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, where he serves as Chair of the Child Law Section Council, was elected to the Assembly and serves as Vice Chair of the Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services and is a member of the Young Lawyers Division Council.  As a member of The Chicago Bar Association, he serves on the Legal Aid and Judicial Evaluation Committees and is a Vice Chair of the Young Lawyers Section.  He has also presented a number of seminars, including at the 2007 and 2008 ABA/NLADA Equal Justice Conferences.

In addition to his work with PILI and the bar, Michael is the Immediate Past President of the Board of Directors for Chicago-based Factory Theater, after serving for four years as its President. He is a past president of the Chicago alumni chapter from The Catholic University of America and sits on the Alumni Association’s Board of Governors.  Michael also serves on the Advisory Board of the Branch Family Institute; an agency that provides supervised visitation services in contested and problematic child custody cases.  Michael is also a lawyer coach at a Chicago Public High School for the Chicago Coalition on Law Related Education’s Mock Trial Program.

In July 2005, Michael received the Kimball and Karen Anderson Public Interest Law Fellowship from the Chicago Bar Foundation, given each year to an outstanding recent law school graduate working in the area of public interest law.  Michael was also recognized for his work with the ABA Young Lawyers Division, twice receiving the Star of the Quarter Award and he also received the CBA/YLS Rising Star Award, given to YLS leader who demonstrates exceptional promise.  In 2007, the Illinois State Bar Association named him the Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year for Cook County and he also received the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award from DePaul University College of Law.  Most recently, DePaul University named him one of their 2008 "14 Alumni Under 40."