Legal organizations around Illinois and the nation will celebrate Pro Bono Week October 20-26. During and after Pro Bono Week, legal and civic organizations will hold events raising awareness of pro bono opportunities and the contributions of lawyers. Attorneys will also have the opportunity to volunteer their time.
Model Rule 6.1 states that lawyers have a “professional responsibility to provide legal services to those unable to pay.” Last year, 32,866 Illinois lawyers performed over 2 million hours of pro bono service, according to the Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission’s 2018 Annual Report. The report also states that 19,871 Illinois lawyers donated over $18 million to pro bono legal service organizations.
2019 Pro Bono Week Opportunities
Saturday, October 19
Sangamon County Expungement & Record Sealing Summit– Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI), Goodwill Career Center, Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation, Sangamon County Bar Association and Sangamon County Circuit Clerk Paul Palazzolo
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Memorial Center for Learning and Innovation | 228 W. Miller St. | Springfield, IL
Monday, October 21
Inaugural DuPage County Spirit of Pro Bono Breakfast – PILI, Eighteenth Judicial Circuit and DuPage County Bar Association
8:30 – 10:30 a.m.
DuPage Judicial Center – Attorney Resource Center | 505 N. County Farm Rd. | Wheaton, IL
Walk a Mile in Their Shoes: Youth-Centered Simulation – Chicago Bar Association (CBA) / Chicago Bar Foundation (CBF)
2:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Baker McKenzie | 300 E. Randolph St. | Chicago, IL
Tenth Judicial Circuit Celebrate Pro Bono Reception – PILI and Tenth Judicial Circuit
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Caterpillar Visitors Center | 110 SW Washington St. | Peoria, IL
Tuesday, October 22
Seminar: A Professional Lawyer is a Health Lawyer – Chicago Volunteer Legal Services (CVLS)
12:15 – 1:15 p.m.
CVLS | 33 N. Dearborn | Chicago, IL
Eleventh Judicial Circuit Celebrate Pro Bono Reception – PILI and Eleventh Judicial Circuit
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Bell Tower Room at Epiphany Farms Restaurant | 220 E. Front St. | Bloomington, IL
Justice: An Evening of Stories and Community – CBA / CBF
6 – 8 p.m.
Revolution Brewpub | 2323 N. Milwaukee Ave. | Chicago, IL
Wednesday, October 23
CCLA Child Support Clinic – Catholic Charities Legal Assistance, DLA Piper and Blue Cross Blue Shield
1:30 – 5 p.m.
Catholic Charities Legal Assistance | 721 N. LaSalle St. | Chicago, IL
26th Annual Pro Bono and Community Service Fair – CBA / CBF
5 – 7 p.m.
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP | 155 N. Wacker | Chicago, IL
Fifth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Celebration Dinner – PILI and Fifth Judicial Circuit
5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Mattoon County Club | 6700 N. Country Club Rd. | Mattoon, IL
Thursday, October 24
Community Lawyering & Pro Bono Service – CBA / CBF
8:30 – 10 a.m.
The Chicago Bar Association | 321 S. Plymouth Ct. | Chicago, IL
Sixth Judicial Circuit CLE & Awards Presentation – PILI and Sixth Judicial Circuit
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Regent Ballroom | 1406 Regency Dr. West | Savoy, IL
Third Judicial Circuit Celebrate Pro Bono Luncheon – PILI and Third Judicial Circuit
11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Leclaire Room, Lewis and Clark Community College | 600 Troy Rd. | Edwardsville, IL
PILI Alumni & YPB Legal Answers Clinic – PILI & CVLS
4 – 6 p.m.
CVLS | 33 N. Dearborn St. | Chicago, IL
Friday, October 25
Immigration 101: What’s Going On/How Can I Help? – CBA / CBF
12 – 2 p.m.
Sidley Austin | 1 S. Dearborn St. | Chicago, IL
Saturday, October 26
Eleventh Judicial Circuit Legal Advice Fair – PILI, Prairie State Legal Services, State Farm Bank, the Central Illinois Paralegal Association, the Immigration Project, Mid Central Community Action, Inc and the McLean County Bar Association
8:45 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Mid Central Community Action | 1301 W. Washington St. | Bloomington, IL
Explore the Possibilities: Public Interest Law Programs for Law Students – PILI and the Chicago Area Law School Consortium
10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Chicago-Kent College of Law | 565 W. Adams, 5th Floor | Chicago, IL
Tuesday, November 12th
Celebrate Pro Bono Reception: Southern Illinois – PILI, Barrett, Twomey, Broom, Hughes & Hoke, LLP, Dispute Resolution Institute, Jackson County Bar Association, Land of Lincoln Legal Aid, Reed, Heller & Roberts, Attorneys at Law, Southern Illinois University School of Law and the Williamson County Bar Association
5:30 – 7:00 p.m.
Southern Illinois University School of Law | 1150 Douglas Dr. | Carbondale, IL
Tuesday, November 19
Fourteenth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Reception – PILI and Fourteenth Judicial Circuit
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Deere & Company World Headquarters | 1 Deere Place | Moline, IL
Year-round Opportunities
Can’t make it to an event? The online Pro Bono Opportunity Guide from Paladin and the CBF makes it easy to find pro bono projects year-round that fit your experience, interest and availability. Additionally, Illinois legal aid organizations like Prairie State Legal Services, Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation, CVLS, Legal Aid Chicago, ILAO and Free Legal Answers are always in need of lawyers willing and able to volunteer.
One of the best ways for lawyers to give back is to become a mentor. Participants in the Commission’s Lawyer-to-Lawyer Mentoring Program help shape the future of the legal profession (and earn 6 hours of free CLE) by providing professional guidance for new attorneys.
Now is a great time to become a mentor as hundreds of new attorneys will join the Illinois Bar in November.
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