CBF Takes a Virtual Trip to Washington to Advocate for Access to Justice

May 14, 2021

Each spring, the CBF works with leaders from the CBA, Illinois State Bar Association, and American Bar Association to meet with our Illinois congressional delegation and their hardworking staff to discuss important access to justice issues that require federal solutions.

Until last year, these meetings have always been held in person in Washington, but pandemic restrictions again made this a virtual affair this year. That did not stop our distinguished team from having consistently productive, substantive, and inspiring meetings with our elected officials.

Thank you to our dedicated volunteers who joined us to advocate for comprehensive student debt reform, increased funding for the Legal Services Corporation, passage of a clean DREAM Act, and improved security for our federal judiciary.

We placed particular priority this year on advocating for an equitable, fiscally responsible, and sustainable solution to the student debt crisis. This has been a major priority in the CBF’s advocacy efforts, and thanks to some great work by a team of pro bono lawyers over the past year, the CBF was able to propose a balanced legislative solution that was well received by our Illinois delegation.  

A big thank you to Senators Durbin and Duckworth and our Illinois Representatives for their continued leadership and support on each of these issues. We will continue to engage with them and their staff throughout the year to advocate for the changes necessary to improve and increase access to the justice system. We also look forward to taking our advocacy back to Washington D.C. in person next spring!