Every year in Illinois, hundreds of thousands of people go to court without the help of an attorney. Nearly two-thirds of defendants are unrepresented, and for some types of cases, that number exceeds ninety percent. While some are “DIY litigants” who prefer to go it alone, the vast majority would rather have an attorney they simply can’t find or can’t afford one.
The Chicago Bar Association‘s new Limited Scope Referral Panel aims to fix that problem. Many people can’t afford an attorney for their entire case or don’t need one because they are comfortable completing some steps on their own. They just want an attorney to handle the most important or most confusing parts of the case on a limited basis. Limited scope representation is designed specifically for these situations, allowing attorneys to focus their expertise on discrete issues and actions, while the clients handle the other parts of the case independently. Until now, however, prospective clients have not had a simple way to find attorneys who offer limited scope services.
The CBA referral panel is a list of experienced private attorneys who offer limited scope representation among their services. The panel will include attorneys practicing in the following areas of law: landlord/tenant, consumer/collections, and domestic relations. The referral list will be available for free at various locations within the courthouse and through the CBA website to anyone looking for limited scope legal services.
The CBA is now accepting applications for the Limited Scope Panel from attorneys in the following areas of law: landlord/tenant, consumer/collections, and domestic relations. If you have questions or are interested in applying, contact Juli Vyverberg with the CBA’s Lawyer Referral Service at jvyverberg@chicagobar.org.
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