We thank our many partner law firms who continue to help direct cy pres awards to the CBF. We want to give special thanks to two firms who have made an especially big impact in recent years: McGuire Law, P.C. and Keogh Law, Ltd.
Cy pres awards come from residual funds in class action cases that, for any number of reasons, are unclaimed or cannot be distributed to the class members or beneficiaries who were the intended recipients. Under the cy pres doctrine and Illinois law, courts can distribute these residual funds to appropriate charitable causes, and the CBF and the legal aid organizations and related initiatives the CBF supports are appropriate beneficiaries.
These awards continue to make possible a number of important programs serving people without lawyers in the state and federal courts as well as innovative programs like the nationally recognized Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt program.
A full list of firms who have helped advance access to justice by suggesting the CBF as recipient for cy pres awards can be found on the CBF website, along with more information on cy pres awards generally and how you can help advance.