June 25, 2018

The mission of the Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) 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. One way PILI fulfills that mission is by running its Graduate Fellowship Program. The program places new associates from Chicago law firms at public interest law agencies in Illinois, where they work hundreds of hours between law school graduation and joining the firm. Fellows are paid by their hiring firm, allowing them to gain working experience serving people suffering from abuse, discrimination, divorce, eviction and other civil legal problems. This exposure often fosters a passion for assisting those in need throughout their legal career.

CAASE joins 60+ other Illinois agencies as a PILI partner. The fellowship program attracts some of the best and brightest law school graduates and this year was no exception. We were delighted to host Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law graduate Xenia Chiu, who was sponsored by Sidley Austin LLP where she’ll begin working this fall. Xenia applied for CAASE’s position because she is passionate about ending sexual harm. She was already involved with us as a member of CAASE’s Young Professional Board but wanted to learn more about our work and spend her fellowship addressing issues she cares deeply about. It was a perfect fit!

During her time with CAASE, Xenia helped the legal team with research and prepared legal documents such as motions, discovery requests, and opening statements. She also spent many hours observing cases in the courtroom. Xenia says, “Hearing the facts of sexual assault cases was challenging but I was rewarded by the experience of being an ally to survivors and gaining a substantive understanding of CAASE’s work. I loved working for an organization that takes a holistic approach to address sexual harm.”

While Xenia learned a lot from CAASE during her fellowship, she also gave us a lot, too! She went above and beyond her duties every step of the way. She served on the Race for CAASE host committee and joined as a team member, pledging a run and raising funds to support sexual harm prevention programs. She also remains on CAASE’s Young Professional Board and plans to continue her involvement. She looks forward to one day joining CAASE’s Pro Bono Project, too.

We wish Xenia all the best as her fellowship comes to a close, she prepares for the bar exam and starts her legal career. In the spirit of PILI, we know she holds dear the lessons she has learned about what it means to stand up for those who need help the most. We look forward to her continued support – she’ll always have ours.