April 14, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Sixth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee has launched the Pro Bono Pledge to encourage and recognize lawyers providing free legal assistance to low-income individuals and families in the Sixth Judicial Circuit of Illinois.
“Our legal community has had a longstanding tradition of providing pro bono legal assistance, and for that we should be congratulated,” wrote Committee Chair, Mark C. Palmer of Evans, Froehlich, Beth & Chamley, in a letter to attorneys in the Sixth Circuit. “However, the number of unrepresented individuals and families has increased significantly, and more pro bono assistance is needed.”
The Pledge calls on law firms and corporate legal departments to:
- Encourage their attorneys and legal staff to provide pro bono legal services and in doing so, provide an environment which is hospitable to the rendition of such services;
- Designate a primary pro bono point of contact within the firm or corporate law department;
- Consider adopting a written pro bono policy; and
- Recognize attorneys and legal staff who participate in pro bono services, as appropriate.
The pledge was formally launched on March 30, 2015. Interested attorneys and law offices can sign the pledge at www.pili.org/6thcircuit.
The Sixth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee is a group of lawyers and judges working to enlist, educate and recognize attorneys dedicated to pro bono work in the Sixth Judicial Circuit. The ultimate goal is to expand the reach of legal aid to poor and underrepresented communities. It was launched on October 23, 2012 in partnership with Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation and the Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI). Pro Bono Committees in Illinois’ Third, Fifth, Tenth, and Fourteenth Judicial Circuits have also launched similar Pro Bono Pledges. More information about the Pro Bono Pledge is available at: www.pili.org/pro-bono/pro-bono-pledge.
About PILI: PILI’s mission is to cultivate a lifelong commitment to public interest law and pro bono service within the Illinois legal community to expand the availability of legal services for people, families and communities in need. PILI envisions a legal community with a deeply rooted culture of service, where law students, lawyers and legal professionals at all stages of their careers engage in public interest law or pro bono work, and remain committed to addressing the unmet legal needs of the poor and underrepresented.
To learn more about PILI, visit our website at www.pili.org, or contact PILI Executive Director Michael Bergmann at mbergmann@pili.org or 312-832-5129.