20 years of shining a light for justice
March 8, 2021, marked the launch of ILAO's 20th Anniversary celebration! Thousands of stakeholders, partners and supporters have molded ILAO into what is today - a nationwide model for leveraging innovation to increase access to those most in need of, but least likely to get, justice.
As a connector, ILAO salutes the amazing people, partners, and innovations that make up our history. Throughout 2021, we celebrated our past and all we have accomplished, and looked to our future impact. Our celebration honored a few of the many leaders who have influenced and improved us.
Want to learn more about ILAO's past?
ILAO Ignitors - donors and leaders who have sparked our imagination with their investment
Ignitors are those leaders who have supported ILAO with their time, talent and treasure over the years. Thanks to these steadfast stakeholders, ILAO has had opportunities to grow, building upon its foundational work to serve more people better. We salute these loyal donors, board members, benefit chairs, and supportive partners.
Supporters who light our way
Heather Russell, Transunion Executive Vice President & Chief Legal Officer
"The more I learned, the more I knew that this was the organization to which I was going to devote my time, energy and effort."
Liisa Thomas, Partner and Privacy and Cybersecurity Lead, Sheppard Mullin
"I was moved by the importance of the mission of ILAO, and the opportunity that it provides to so many Illinoisans."
Russell Scott, Officer, Greensfelder
"I remember ILAO was on the cutting edge of legal technology. Their technology has since far outpaced my ability to keep up with it."
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Marcelo Halpern, Partner, Perkins Coie LLP, Co-Chair Technology Transactions & Privacy Group
"The most compelling thing about ILAO’s platform is that the inherent scalability of the technology empowers accessibility, reach, empowerment, and efficiency. Whenever ILAO creates content to address one problem, it instantly helps multitudes."
Michael Lurie, Managing Director of Brand Strategy, Constellation Brands, Inc.
"After the year or more of complete societal tumult in Illinois and throughout the nation, it has become clear to me that legal resource organizations and the selfless professionals who run them need all the support the rest of us may provide."
Alison Larson, Strategic Pricing and Risk Manager, Neal Gerber & Eisenberg LLP
"I got involved with and give to ILAO because it is the most effective way to ensure that all people have access to legal help."
ILAO Illuminators - past and present volunteers and staff
ILAO is a light in the night for thousands of people each week who come to us via a mobile device in the wee hours of the night. ILAO illuminators are people who have helped ILAO shine a light for justice during the last 20 years. Illuminators are past and present staff and volunteers, each individual lending something unique and important to ILAO's mission.
Volunteers who influence and inspire us
Alex Enyart ... what hasn't this guy done?
"Being a Navigator is a great learning experience and a great way to help people. Without that experience, I wouldn’t have gone to law school. It showed me that, as a lawyer, you can help people most at risk in our society."
Kourtney Baltzer, Partner at Kirkland & Ellis ... and so much more!
"I have seen the impact ILAO has had on those who are in need of legal services and have been so proud to be a contributor to ILAO’s mission."
Emma Remy, Jess Ray, João Caldeira; data science volunteers
"I find it really fulfilling to contribute to an organization I believe in and know is working to help others in need." [Jess]
Thea Gonzales, JusticeCorps member and LiveHelp operator
"I find that 'you don’t know anything until you can teach it to someone else' sentiment especially true of volunteering with ILAO."
Mary Bell, Lawyer and volunteer extraordinaire
"Funny thing, the more I volunteer, the more I look forward to the next project. Now I offer my services to several agencies. My only regret is that I didn’t reach out sooner."
Florencia Fontana, Lawyer and Spanish Translator
"I am a lawyer in Argentina and want to do a Masters in Translation. That's how I thought of volunteering at ILAO, I could gain experience as a legal translator while helping others."
Jean Bax, Senior Staff Attorney and Legal Content Editor
I have gained the satisfaction of knowing that pro se litigants can more easily access the court system
Michelle Weinberg, Supervisory Attorney and Legal Content Editor
I was pleased to be able to contribute my knowledge to ILAO to help consumers in the community.
Ashlee Highland , Supervising Attorney and Legal Content Editor
CARPLS refers clients to ILAO on a daily basis. Important valuable resource for SRLs.
Past and present staff who made us who we are
Jane Lombardi, Leader in Chicago's Pro-Immigrant Community
"ILAO’s use of technology opened my mind to think of how whole systems can be improved through innovation. It made me realize it’s not only ok, but also important to challenge the status quo and to continually innovate to be able to make real change."
Gwen Daniels, ILAO's Director of Product Development
"I am fortunate that ILAO has given me so many opportunities to do cutting edge and cool, innovative work and has allowed me to grow as a technology leader within the legal aid community."
Tevin Williams, EEOC Information Specialist
"I believe in paying it forward and ILAO helped me get my start. You are on my list of places to donate - you can hold me to that!"
Stephanie Villinski, Professionalism Leader
"During my time at ILAO, I learned that technology was not as hard as I made it out to be and that it could be designed and used to reach more people than we imagined."
Jack Etchingham, Attorney and PILI Fellow
Helping users navigate that environment provided a sense of purpose during an uncertain time and is an experience I won't soon forget.
Teri Ross, Executive Director
"I love working in the legal aid community; It's full of so many amazing people that I get to collaborate with"
Give us a birthday gift!
ILAO has benefited millions of people over its 20 year history. If you would like to ensure these benefits for the next 20 years, please send us a birthday gift:
- $3500 distills a 10,000-word Illinois statute with a college reading level, like the one on expungement and sealing, into a digestible, set of online tools with a reading level below 8th grade
- $1000 pays for 22 hours of technology expertise to make improvements to ILAO's mobile platform
- $750 covers the costs of updating ILAO's 24/7 voting rights tools in English, Spanish and Polish
- $500 educates 403 Spanish-speakers on their immigration rights
- $250 helps 240 domestic abuse victims with personalized protection orders to keep their families safe
- $100 translates a new emergency food stamps tool into Spanish allowing needy families to supplement their diets at no cost
