Welcome Class of 2018!

At Chicago, we believe that members of the legal community have a professional obligation to provide quality legal services to the under-represented.  The Pro Bono Service Initiative puts these beliefs into action by supporting Chicago’s law students to complete at least 50 pro bono hours before they graduate. Participants in the Pro Bono Service Initiative contribute to their legal education by gaining exposure to important legal issues, invaluable experiences, and a hands on opportunity to influence how law affects real people.

We would like to encourage all students to participate in pro bono service during law school.  Legal organizations that offer pro bono opportunities often require volunteers to receive training prior to participating in projects.  As part of Fall Orientation, we are offering you the opportunity to receive training on a variety of different topics and legal issues so you can put your service in action. These trainings will take place at the Law School.

The training opportunities available are as follows:

Center for Disability and Elder Law (CDEL) http://www.cdelaw.org/

CDEL provides legal services to low income residents of Cook County, Illinois who are either elderly or who have permanent disabilities. 

You will be trained in the Senior Center Initiative (SCI).  The rationale for the SCI is that seniors with capacity should prepare durable Powers of Attorney for Health Care and Property as a means of avoiding potential abuse and financial exploitation, as well as the possible requirement of a guardianship proceeding, should they later become incapacitated.

Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO)  http://www.illinoislegalaidonline.org/

ILAO increases access to justice for lower-income and vulnerable Illinois residents through the innovative use of technology to assist and educate the public and to train and support legal aid providers and pro bono attorneys.

You will be trained to provide direct person-to-person online help so that people in need of legal assistance can obtain the information they need to achieve more positive outcomes to their legal problems.

Instituto Del Progreso Latino (IDPL) http://www.idpl.org/

IDPL provides free legal services to the Latino community and supports Latino immigrants and their families through education, training, and employment.

You will be trained to conduct legal screening at one of IDPL’s citizenship workshops.  IDPL holds 1-2 workshops per month at various locations throughout the city, primarily on the south side, and typically processes anywhere between 75-100 citizenship applications at each workshop.  Spanish is not required.

Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law  http://www.povertylaw.org/ 

Sargent Shriver provides national leadership in advancing laws and policies that secure justice to improve the lives and opportunities of people living in poverty.
 
You will be trained to work with individuals trying to obtain a Certificate of Good Conduct.  The project focuses on litigating, organizing, educating, and crafting legislation to ensure that individuals with criminal records are not unjustly denied employment or occupational licenses.

The work will include communicating with clients, participating in motion practice, drafting petitions, and preparing witnesses for testimony at hearings before the presiding judge in the Criminal Circuit Court at 26th and California Ave.