Summer 2027 PILI Graduate Fellowships

Roger Baldwin Foundation of ACLU • Chicago, IL

5d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Legal Department of the ACLU of Illinois seeks graduating 3L law students for full-time Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) graduate fellowships. The program is hybrid, with remote and in-office work each week. Fellows must be located in Illinois and able to work from the ACLU of Illinois’s Chicago office during the fellowship. Applicants must be current 3Ls who will be starting as associates at Chicago law firms that participate in the PILI program; undergraduate positions are not available.

The ACLU of Illinois is an affiliate office of the American Civil Liberties Union, a national nonprofit devoted to protecting civil rights and civil liberties through litigation, legislation, and public education. The organization works on issues including mass incarceration and racism in criminal and juvenile legal systems; equality for LGBTQ people; immigration detention conditions; policing; gender justice and reproductive rights; children in foster care; disability rights; and government abuse and overreach.

The Legal Department advances civil rights and civil liberties through cases in federal and state courts and administrative entities, as well as advocacy and public education in partnership with colleagues across the organization. PILI fellows are exposed to and participate in developing and pursuing impact cases and non-litigation advocacy. Supervising attorneys provide mentorship and thorough, timely feedback on work products.

Requirements

• Be a current 3L law student who will be starting as an associate at a Chicago law firm that participates in the PILI program.
• Be located in Illinois and able to come into the ACLU of Illinois’s Chicago office during the fellowship.
• Be self-motivated and able to take initiative, manage varied tasks, and complete projects in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
• Be receptive to feedback, enthusiastic about learning and self-improvement, and able to incorporate feedback into future work.
• Have an excellent foundation in legal research, including sound judgment in identifying relevant cases and thoroughness in addressing research questions.
• Be developing thoughtful legal analysis skills, including building logical and persuasive arguments, understanding legal decisions and statutes, and applying legal authorities to new facts.
• Be developing excellent legal writing skills, including presenting ideas clearly and in an organized manner and writing research memoranda that teach the reader what was learned.
• Work collaboratively and respectfully to resolve obstacles and conflicts.
• Be committed to recognizing and valuing individuals and respecting differences in race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, ability, socioeconomic circumstances, and other factors.
• Have the empathy and interpersonal skills to connect with, listen to, learn from, and ask questions of clients and community members.
• Be committed to civil rights, civil liberties, social justice, and the mission of the ACLU of Illinois.

Responsibilities

• Conduct legal, policy, and factual research for current and potential cases and non-litigation advocacy projects.
• Draft memoranda, affidavits, and sections of briefs.
• Cite-check legal documents.
• Interview potential clients and class members.
• Investigate facts of specific cases.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed