The Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) offers a limited number of School-Year Internships during the fall and spring semesters of the 2010-11 academic year. Those agencies chosen to host selected school-year interns will receive $2,500 to support 200 hours of intern work.

Who may apply:

To apply for a School-Year semester internship, you must attend a Chicago-area law school. These internships are limited to second and third year law students. 

Application Period:

The application period for fall semester 2010 will open on August 1st, 2010. Because the number of fall semster school-year internships is very limited, PILI does not operate an online application system for these positions.

The application period for spring semester 2011 will open on November 1, 2010. You will be able to apply online for these positions after that date.

Which agencies will host school-year PILI Interns:

Agencies eligible to host PILI-funded school-year Interns in Fall 2010 are: Chicago Volunteer Legal Services (CVLS) and Coordinated Advice Referral Program for Legal Services (CARPLS).  More about each of these agencies can be found on our Participating Agencies page.  Interested applicants should send your cover letter and resume directly to the contact listed for these two agencies.

For the Spring 2011 semester, eligible host agencies have not yet been selected. Check back on this page in October for a list of eligible host agencies.

General application tips:

The cover letter:  Please individualize your cover letters.  Since PILI and the agencies seek a diverse group of interns, you may include information about minority status and foreign language fluency.

Getting the job: PILI does not hire Interns; the agencies do. PILI recruits applicants and hosts, funds stipends, and acts as a clearinghouse.  However, here are some tips.  Public interest agencies want students who are dedicated to public interest issues.  Therefore, mention experiences that demonstrate your commitment, including volunteer or community work, and note any special skills, e.g., language proficiency, computer experience, etc.

Agency responses: Don't be discouraged if you have applied for an Internship but have not yet had a response.  Each agency has its own hiring practices.  Agencies may not always acknowledge every application because many agencies have neither the staff nor the funds to do so.  Some agencies will directly contact selected applicants for interviews.  If you have not yet heard from you agency, you may follow up to check on the status of your application, but do so in a professional manner.

How the payment works:  PILI pays a $2,500 grant to the agency; the agency withholds taxes and pays the Intern for 200 hours of work.  Check the agency's pay arrangements so you will know what to expect.