HR0919 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0919 LRB102 28548 LAW 40425 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate the Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) on the occasion of its 45th anniversary; and

WHEREAS, PILI engages, inspires, and empowers those advancing equal access to justice by connecting members of the legal community with those in need of legal assistance; and

WHEREAS, PILI envisions making equal access to justice a reality through a legal community with a deeply rooted culture of service, where pro bono and public interest law engagement is optimized to best serve people, families, and communities in need; and

WHEREAS, PILI and its Law Student Internship Program were established in 1977 to improve awareness of public interest law and provide access to justice for those without resources, which led to the establishment of its Graduate Fellowship Program in 1983; and

WHEREAS, As the mission and work of the organization continued to evolve and grow, PILI officially took the name it uses today in 1993; and

WHEREAS, In the 1990s and 2000s, PILI's growth continued with the addition of its Pro Bono Program and the formalization of its Alumni Program structure; and

WHEREAS, Over the last decade, PILI has continued as a national leader in supporting law students working in the public interest law sector, funding more interns than ever and placing them throughout Illinois; the organization's pro bono efforts continue to grow and adapt based on the unmet legal needs of communities across the State; additionally, the organization has nearly 5,000 alumni spanning the profession and the globe; and

WHEREAS, Through its programs, PILI has created cross-state, grassroots collaborations to address critical gaps within the legal system; the organization continues working to build 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 it remains committed to addressing the unmet legal needs of low-income and marginalized Illinoisans; and

WHEREAS, For its 45th anniversary, PILI has adopted "Take the Initiative" as its theme to focus on emulating the example of its founders by taking the initiative and helping more people in need of civil legal aid; and

WHEREAS, PILI will celebrate its anniversary at the 45th Anniversary Awards Gala on December 1, 2022; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) on its 45th anniversary, and we commend the organization for its dedication to serving those in need; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to PILI Executive Director Michael G. Bergmann as an expression of our esteem and respect.