Pro Bono Network

10/09/2026

We are still thinking about what an inspiring day we had at this year’s Pro Bono Network Training Conference!

Last week, more than 100 legal professionals came together at Chapman and Cutler LLP for a full day of learning, conversation, and connection. We loved seeing attorneys, presenters, partners, and colleagues sharing ideas and building connections throughout the day.

Thank you to everyone who brought such thoughtful questions, enthusiasm, and energy to PBNTC. We are so grateful for the community that made the day possible.
Here are a few more moments from a day we won’t soon forget!

Thank you to our law firm sponsors: Chapman and Cutler LLP , Crowell & Moring LLP, Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani (), and Pattishall, McAuliffe, Newbury, Hilliard & Geraldson LLP.

And to our legal aid partner presenters: Ascend Justice, Legal Council for Health Justice, Legal Aid Chicago, Prairie State Legal Services, Chicago Volunteer Legal Services, Center for Disability and Elder Law, The Resurrection Project

10/07/2026

How can pro bono fit into a lawyer’s life at any stage of their career?

In the latest CBA Record (from the The Chicago Bar Association), PBN Pro Bono Engagement Manager Ronak Maisuria shares the stories of two PBN volunteers and the different ways they have made pro bono part of their lives.

The article highlights how flexible opportunities, training, and ongoing support can help attorneys find a way to get involved that works for them while using their skills to serve people in need.

Read the full article here:

Anatomy of “Absolute Equality” and the Constitution’s Broken Promise: Towards a More Perfect Justice SystemBy Judge Sophia H. Hall (ret.)William R. Ming, Jr.: Dedicated to the Promise of Equal JusticeBy Judge Sophia H. Hall (ret.)Building Dreams, Reducing Risk: The Unique Promise of Transactio...

10/06/2026

A heartfelt thank-you to our PBNTC sponsors: Chapman and Cutler LLP, Crowell & Moring (.moring), Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani () , and Pattishall, McAuliffe, Newbury, Hilliard & Geraldson LLP.

Your belief in PBN’s mission and generous financial support help make our programs possible. Together, we’re creating flexible, supported opportunities for attorneys to give back and helping more people receive the legal help they need.

We’re grateful to have you as part of the PBN community and to share this work with firms that believe in the power of pro bono!

Visit pbnetwork.org/sponsors to learn more about our sponsors and sponsorship opportunities.

10/02/2026

What a day!

Thank you to everyone who joined us yesterday for the 2026 Pro Bono Network Training Conference at Chapman and Cutler LLP . We’re so grateful to the attendees who spent the day connecting and exploring new ways to get involved in pro bono service.

A special thank you to our presenters, partner agencies, and sponsors whose expertise and support helped make the day possible. We also truly appreciated the enthusiasm, engagement, and positive energy everyone brought throughout the conference - it made the day especially meaningful.

We loved seeing so many legal professionals come together for a full day of learning and connection, and we’re looking forward to what’s next!

Visit pbnetwork.org to learn more about PBN and find a pro bono opportunity that fits your interests and schedule.

09/30/2026

Signed up for PBNTC this year? We’ll see you tomorrow!

Check-in begins at 8:15 a.m. at Chapman & Cutler LLP, with a full day of learning, connection, and conversation ahead.

We’re looking forward to welcoming attorneys, legal aid partners, and members of the pro bono community for the 2026 Pro Bono Network Training Conference. See you there!

Reach out to [email protected] with any questions or concerns.

09/29/2026

We’re excited to welcome Anna Shilov Sterk as PBN’s new Lawyers in the Classroom Project Manager!

Anna is a longtime PBN volunteer and has spent much of her time with PBN volunteering through Lawyers in the Classroom. She loves introducing middle school students to civics and legal topics, fostering engaging discussions, and learning from the students along the way.

A residential real estate attorney with more than two decades of experience, Anna earned her JD and MSW from Loyola University Chicago and her B.S. from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She has also volunteered with PBN’s elder law clinic and Online Legal Answers.

Outside of her legal work, Anna is a certified yoga instructor and teaches weekly.

We’re thrilled to have Anna take on this new role with Lawyers in the Classroom! Learn more about Anna and her practice at www.shilovlaw.com, and learn more about her time volunteering with PBN at pbnetwork.org/volunteer-spotlight.

09/25/2026

Volunteers, come celebrate Pro Bono Week with PBN next month!

Join us for a casual coffee meetup on Tuesday, October 27 from 8:30–10:30 a.m. at Kribi Coffee in Forest Park. Stop by, grab a cup of coffee, and spend some time getting to know fellow PBN volunteers.

Come for a few minutes or stay awhile - either way, we’d love to see you there!

Please RSVP by October 20 to [email protected], or feel free to just stop by.

Tuesday, October 27th, 8:30 - 10:30am
Kribi Coffee, 7324 Madison St., Forest Park, IL 60130

09/23/2026

Donna Blatchford found Pro Bono Network by chance while on inactive status. She had stepped away from her legal career to raise her four kids and help care for aging parents and in-laws, and when she started thinking about returning to legal work, she wasn’t quite sure where to begin.

“I was looking for opportunities to reconnect, gain new skills, and be part of something meaningful,” she shared. “PBN gave me the training I needed to work in areas of law I hadn’t worked in before.”

Donna figured she’d volunteer for a year or two, just enough to ease back into practice. Seven years later, she’s still here and has donated more than 600 hours to PBN.

Over the years, Donna has jumped into all kinds of projects. She’s helped seniors with wills, worked on Social Security appeals, and taken on several immigration matters, including U Visa cases for survivors of domestic violence, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) cases, and humanitarian travel requests for DACA recipients. Today, she serves as Project Manager for

PBN’s Naturalization Project.

Donna also serves on PBN’s Program Committee and this past spring joined our Justice Talks panel on immigration issues.

“I’ve seen how life-changing this work can be, for clients and for me. One client told me that moving forward with her immigration application gave her peace in uncertain times. I’m so grateful to have been part of that.”

What started as something Donna planned to do for just a year or two has become much more.

“PBN has really become a vocation for me. I don’t see this work as simply volunteering. I see it as something meaningful I must do.”

Donna, thank you for everything you’ve done for PBN over the past seven years. We’re so grateful for all the time, care, and energy you continue to give to our clients and volunteers!

09/21/2026

A huge thank you to the sponsors and funders helping make this year’s Pro Bono Network Training Conference possible!

Your support helps bring together attorneys, legal aid professionals, and partners for a full day of learning, connection, and practical trainings - equipping more attorneys to serve people in need through pro bono work.

We’re grateful to have you as part of our community and PBNTC 2026!

Learn more about PBNTC and what’s in store at pbnetwork.org/pbntc.

Chapman and Cutler LLP , Crowell and Moring (.moring), Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani (), Pattishall McAuliffe Newbury Hilliard & Geraldson LLP, Illinois Bar Foundation, The Chicago Bar Foundation, Lawyers Trust Fund Illinois, Illinois Equal Justice Foundation , Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice

09/15/2026

It's time for "15 on the 15th", a small series in celebration of Pro Bono Network's 15th anniversary year!

For this month’s 15 on the 15th, we’re highlighting 15 PBN projects with the most volunteer engagement so far in 2026.

From immigration and expungement work to senior clinics, estate planning, and Lawyers in the Classroom, these projects show just how many different ways PBN volunteers are putting their legal skills to work.

Thank you to every volunteer who has given their time to these projects - and to so many others this year.

Interested in our full list of legal projects that attorneys can participate in through PBN and PBN's partners? Visit pbnetwork.org/programs