April 27, 2026
This month, volunteers and staff from the CBA and CBF and the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation traveled to Springfield to meet with members of the General Assembly on several key issues aimed at improving access to justice and efficiency and transparency in the court system.
A top priority for the CBA and CBF is securing adequate funding for legal aid, rental assistance, and court-based diversion programs. Funding for programs like the nationally recognized Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt program and the legal aid and mediation services it provides for Cook County residents is essential to prevent avoidable evictions and to advance the state’s larger homelessness prevention efforts.
Another key priority is support for SB447, which implements the recommendations from the 2023 Illinois Supreme Court Statutory Court Fee Task Force. Building on the General Assembly’s groundbreaking 2018 reforms under the Access to Justice Act, this legislation would further streamline court fees and fines, increase transparency for those assessed fees, and help reduce barriers to access to justice.
Lastly, the group was on hand as HB4217 passed the Illinois House with bipartisan support. This bill would allow Public Defender Offices to elect to represent clients in Statutory Summary Suspension hearings related to traffic cases in which they are already appointed, leveling the playing field for people who can’t afford to hire a private attorney for these proceedings. The bill has now moved to the Senate, and the CBA and CBF team met with Senators to underscore its importance and ask for their support as the bill advances.
During breaks from meetings, the group visited the Illinois Supreme Court and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, both of which served as meaningful reminders of Illinois’ longstanding commitment to fairness and justice for all.
You can learn more about these issues and the broader CBF advocacy agenda on the CBF website or by contacting Roya Samarghandi, CBF Chief Advocacy & Innovation Officer, at rsamarghandi@chicagobarfoundation.org.