Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI)

Tomorrow, we’ll celebrate five extraordinary volunteers on PILI’s Pro Bono Volunteer Honor Roll whose dedication to pro bono service is helping expand access to justice across Illinois.

From assisting veterans, supporting individuals seeking expungement, answering legal questions on Illinois Free Legal Answers, or serving communities through local pro bono project, these individuals are making a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

Join us tomorrow at PILI’s Annual Pro Bono Reception as we recognize these individuals and celebrate the impact of pro bono service across our state.

PILI is honored to recognize our 2026 Annual Pro Bono Reception Advocate Sponsors for supporting pro bono and public interest law across Illinois.

We are deeply grateful for their support and partnership in helping expand access to justice through pro bono service.

Tickets for the Annual Pro Bono Reception are still available: https://buff.ly/p7cgk5N

PILI’s Managing Attorney Abigail Causer is featured on NPR Illinois Illinois Community Voices with Jeff Williams to discuss Illinois Free Legal Answers, a free online platform that connects Illinoisans who cannot afford a lawyer with answers to civil legal questions from licensed Illinois lawyers.

During the interview, Abby discusses how Illinois Free Legal Answers helps individuals and families navigate issues involving family law, housing, consumer matters, immigration, orders of protection, and more—all at no cost to eligible users.

We are grateful to NPR Illinois for helping raise awareness of this important resource and the role pro bono lawyers play in expanding access to justice across Illinois.

Listen to the interview and learn more about Illinois Free Legal Answers.

🔗 https://buff.ly/93o20eC

Special thanks to our partner, the American Bar Association, which helps make Illinois Free Legal Answers possible. We also appreciate the many organizations working to connect Illinois residents with legal resources and support, including Illinois Legal Aid Online, Prairie State Legal Services, and Land of Lincoln Legal Aid.

Abigail Causer and Public Interest Law Initiative help provide free legal advice to those in Illinois Abigail Causer, with The Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI), are a statewide nonprofit. With different regions; they cover the whole state and offer free legal advice in a safe way and do not rely on unchecked AI answers.

Juneteenth marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing journey toward freedom and equality. Today, we honor the resilience, achievements, and contributions of Black communities, recognize the generations who fought for justice, and reflect on the work that remains.

At PILI, we believe that expanding access to justice begins with action—and that the choices we make today help shape a more just tomorrow.

Illinois State Bar Association Elects Board Treasurer, Secretary for 2026-27 Fiscal Year

Ted M. Niemann, of Quincy, and Michael G. Bergmann, of Chicago, have been elected treasurer and secretary, respectively, of the Illinois State Bar Association. Their terms will last for one year until the Annual Meeting of 2027.

Niemann is a partner at Schmiedeskamp Robertson Neu & Mitchell LLP, where he concentrates on real estate, business and commercial transactions, banking and corporate matters, estate planning and administration, and agricultural law. He is currently serving his first term on the ISBA Board of Governors (Area VI).

Bergmann is the Executive Director of the Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI), where he provides strategic oversight and direction to guide PILI’s mission of engaging, inspiring, and empowering those advancing equal access to justice. He is currently serving his second term on the ISBA Board of Governors (Cook County).

Niemann (’83) and Bergmann (’02) both earned their Juris Doctor degrees from DePaul University College of Law.

The Bar News ➡️ https://ow.ly/1UwB50ZenEu

This week, PILI Executive Director Michael Bergmann had the opportunity to connect with partners and leaders from across Illinois who share a commitment to equal access to justice.

From receiving a grant award from the DuPage Bar Foundation, to celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Pro Bono Network, to participating in a meeting of the Illinois Judicial Conference, these moments reflect the power of collaboration in strengthening legal services and pro bono opportunities throughout Illinois.

PILI is grateful for the support, partnership, and leadership of the many organizations, judges, attorneys, and legal professionals working to ensure equal access to justice.

Photo Details:

📸 Photo 1
L to R: Raleigh Kalbfleisch, incoming DuPage Bar Foundation President; Michael G. Bergmann, PILI Executive Director; and Louisa Nuckolls, outgoing DuPage Bar Foundation President.

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L to R: Raleigh Kalbfleisch, incoming DuPage Bar Foundation President; Judge Terra Costa Howard, Circuit Court of DuPage County; Justice Mary Kay O'Brien, Illinois Supreme Court; Michael G. Bergmann, PILI Executive Director; and Judge Mia McPherson, Circuit Court of DuPage County.

📸 Photo 3
Michael G. Bergmann, PILI Executive Director, with Molly MacCready, Executive Director of the Pro Bono Network, at the organization's 15th Anniversary Annual Meeting.

📸 Photo 4
Michael G. Bergmann, PILI Executive Director, with Justice David Overstreet of the Illinois Supreme Court and Marcia Meis, Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, at a meeting of the Illinois Judicial Conference in Springfield.

Thank you to our 2026 Annual Pro Bono Reception Counselor Sponsors for helping strengthen pro bono engagement and access to justice throughout Illinois.

We are proud to recognize: Baker McKenzie, Crowell & Moring LLP, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, Jenner & Block LLP, Jones Day, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, Latham & Watkins LLP, Perkins Coie LLP, Reed Smith LLP, Saul Ewing LLP, Steptoe LLP, Troutman Pepper Locke LLP, Vedder Price, and Winston Taylor LLP.

Their support helps PILI continue building and supporting a statewide culture of pro bono service.

Join us on June 24 for an evening celebrating the impact of the legal community. Tickets remain available: https://buff.ly/p7cgk5N

PILI is grateful to our 2026 Annual Pro Bono Reception Magistrate Sponsors for their generous support of pro bono and public interest law in Illinois.

Thank you to Chapman and Cutler LLP, Dentons US LLP, King & Spalding, and Simmons Hanly Conroy LLP for standing alongside PILI in advancing access to justice and supporting the legal community’s commitment to service.

Join us on June 24 as we honor this year’s Pro Bono Recognition Roster and Pro Bono Honor Roll recipients. Tickets are still available!

Buy Tickets Here: https://buff.ly/p7cgk5N

Thank you to our 2026 Annual Pro Bono Reception Justice Sponsors for their leadership and commitment to advancing pro bono and public interest law across Illinois!

We are proud to recognize Kirkland & Ellis, McDermott Will & Schulte, Seyfarth Shaw LLP, and The Sidley Austin Foundation for supporting PILI’s mission and helping expand access to justice statewide.

Join us on June 24 at the Ivy Room as we celebrate the individuals and organizations making pro bono possible.

Tickets are still available here: https://buff.ly/p7cgk5N