Joseph Dailing (1943-2022)

June 17, 2022

The CBF mourns the passing of Joe Dailing, a longtime leader in legal aid and access to justice efforts and a great friend and colleague to all who were lucky enough to work with him.

Joe was a trailblazing leader, serving as the founding Executive Director of Prairie State Legal Services for almost 30 years and helping to make legal aid an integral part of the justice system in Illinois and throughout the country. Along with his exemplary leadership of Prairie State, Joe played an active role in the broader efforts around access to justice in Illinois and beyond, which he carried forward after his retirement from Prairie State in 2006. Joe went on to serve as Executive Director of the Illinois Coalition for Equal Justice and played a key role in the formation and launch of the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice. He also brought his experience and wisdom to other parts of the country as a consultant for the Legal Services Corporation.

We extend our condolences to Joe’s family, colleagues, and many friends. We encourage those who want to join in honoring a life well lived to make a contribution to Prairie State in Joe’s memory.