PILI Law Student Internships (for 1st and 2nd year law students)

PILI's Law Student Internship Program provides Internships for first and second-year law students from across the country to work at one of 23 public interest law agencies in the Chicago area and one in Peoria, IL for 400 hours over the summer. PILI also offers a limited number of 200-hour school year Internships for Chicago area law students.  Many PILI Interns provide low-income clients with critically needed direct legal assistance. Other PILI Interns conduct advocacy, policy-based work or impact litigation that enhances the health, safety and welfare of the disenfranchised. All PILI Interns gain valuable work experience that distinguishes their education and ultimately their careers.  PILI raises the funds necessary for each agency to pay its PILI Interns, ensures quality supervision by experienced agency lawyers, provides an educational luncheon seminar series, hosts social events and offers networking opportunities, and an advising program connecting Interns with PILI Board Members and Alumni.  Through PILI Internships, law students work at and learn about public interest law, and begin what PILI hopes is a lifelong commitment to public interest law and pro bono work.  For more information about PILI's Law Student Internship Program, please view the Frequently Asked Questions.

*Note: under NALP rules, 1st year students should not apply before December 1.

PILI School-Year Spring Semester Internships (for 2nd and 3rd year law students)

The Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) offers a School-Year Spring Semester Internship Program that is limited to Chicago area 2L and 3L law students. PILI recruits law students from area law schools for internships with one of seven public interest law agencies in the Chicago metropolitan area. In the 2012-13 academic year, agencies hosting selected interns will receive $2,500 to support 200 hours of intern work. These Internships are limited to second and third year law students from Chicago area law schools. Click here for more information about the School-Year PILI Law Student Internship Program.

PILI Graduate Fellowship Program (for law school graduates)

Through the PILI Graduate Fellowship Program, new associates at Chicago law firms spend 300 hours during the summer or fall after graduation working at one of 57 public interest law agencies in Illinois while studying for or after taking the bar. Fellows are sponsored by their firms and over one dozen Chicago law firms sponsor PILI Fellows, paying stipends to their new associates to work at public interest law agencies. PILI Fellowships provide the scheduling flexibility to allow Fellows to participate in a formal bar review course and take the bar exam. As with PILI Law Student Interns, PILI's Graduate Fellows also benefit from quality supervision by agency lawyers, an educational luncheon seminar series, social and networking events, and an advising program connecting Fellows with PILI Board Members and Alumni. Through PILI Fellowships, new law school graduates develop important practical skills, forge a professional network within the Illinois legal community and provide critically needed legal assistance to public interest law agencies and their clients. For more information about PILI's Graduate Fellowship Program, please view the Frequently Asked Questions.

To apply, please log in or register.
There is an approval process that can take up to 24 hours (longer on weekends and holidays).

For more information, please view the FAQ's