The Resurrection Project’s

Illinois Attorney Panel Program

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Join our network of dedicated private immigration attorneys committed to protecting Illinois families facing deportation.

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*Applications due by December 12

Click here to learn more about this powerful opportunity to defend due process, strengthen immigrant communities, and contribute to a more just Illinois + request the Info Session recording.

Illinois Unified System: Attorney Panel Program

Launching in January 2026, the Illinois Attorney Panel Program will create a network of qualified private immigration attorneys to defend Illinois immigrants facing deportation. In response to the growing need for legal representation amid heightened enforcement by the Trump Administration, panel attorneys will provide full-scope representation before the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR).

Guided by an advisory committee, and administered by The Resurrection Project, the program will strengthen Illinois’ immigrant legal services system as nonprofits struggle to meet rising demand.

Advisory Committee Members

  • Bob Glaves, Chicago Bar Foundation

  • Elizabeth Nehrling Sotiriou, The Immigration Project

  • Hena Mansori, Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender

  • Jennifer Babaie, NIJC

  • Julie Reiter Pellerite, Chicago Volunteer Legal Services

  • Samuel Cole, ACLU Illinois

  • Shannon Shepherd, AILA Chicago

For more information, please contact Diana Rashid at drashid@resurrectionproject.org

Join the Program — Apply Today!

Defend Due Process. Empower Communities.

Why Join?

  • Make an impact: Protect due process for vulnerable immigrants.

  • Earn fair compensation: Receive competitive pay for your work.

  • Serve your community: Take cases from trusted local referrals.

  • Join a movement: Build Illinois’ immigrant legal defense network.

Want to learn more before applying? Fill out this form to receive a recording of our November 21 Illinois Attorney Panel Program Info Session.

apply now

*Applications due by December 12

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Panel Attorneys must meet the following requirements:  

    1. Have at least three years of removal defense experience before the Executive Office of Immigration Review (Immigration Court and the Board of Immigration Appeals). 

    2. Have completed at least three detained merits/individual calendar hearings and three bond hearings before the immigration courts in the last three years. 

    3. Be in good standing with a state bar of United States and with the Board of Immigration Appeals. 

      • Any prior discipline, including monetary sanctions, is not automatically disqualifying but must be explained to the satisfaction of the fiscal agent.   

    4. Have and can show proof of malpractice insurance covering at least $200,000 per claim.

  • No, the program is open to private attorneys regardless of where they practice so long as they are currently barred in the US. 

  • The Illinois Attorney Panel Program is not open to nonprofit attorneys. It is solely geared towards attorneys in private practice.

    For nonprofit organizations and staff interested in funding or training on detained removal defense, please reach out to Jane Lombardi at jlombardi@resurrectionproject.org.  

    1. TRP will assign panel attorneys detained cases from a centralized database of referrals.

    2. The attorney will complete an intake with the detained individual to assess and advise for relief in their case.

      • If the detained individual is eligible for relief and wants to pursue the relief (including voluntary departure), the attorney will enter their appearance and represent the detained person.

      • If the detained person is not eligible for relief, the panel attorney will advise the detained individual and will orient them on the removal process.  

  • TRP will compensate attorneys for time spent on any case on an hourly basis. The hourly rate for attorneys is $175.00 per hour, and the hourly rate for paralegals is $87.50 per hour. Attorneys will submit monthly invoices to TRP and will be paid monthly.  

  • We will require participating attorneys to report back monthly case information, including but not limited to: relief eligibility and case outcomes. 

  • Yes, TRP will continue to review attorney applications on a rolling basis. Attorneys may submit their applications and wait to receive a notification from TRP about the status of their applications.