Our Blog

September 21, 2022

Congrats and Thanks, Judge Dickler!

This month brought the bittersweet news that Judge Grace Dickler, Presiding Judge of the Domestic Relations Division in the Circuit Court of Cook County, is retiring.

Judge Dickler has been a tremendous leader and innovator on access to justice issues throughout her nearly 35 years on the Circuit Court, culminating in her most recent Presiding Judge […]

Tags: read more ...
August 23, 2022

Does It Really Matter?

By Bob Glaves | CBF Executive Director

As we honored seven outstanding lawyers and judges at this year’s CBA/CBF Pro Bono and Public Service Awards Luncheon, we continued a recent tradition by kicking things off with a song to help set the theme for the event.

This year’s choice, America by Simon & Garfunkel, was a late […]

Tags: read more ...
August 23, 2022

Richard T. Cozzola (1952-2022)

The CBF mourns the passing of Rich Cozzola, a longtime friend, leader, and mentor in the Chicago legal aid community. The 2011 recipient of the CBF’s prestigious Thomas H. Morsch Public Service Award, Rich dedicated his career to public service and to bettering the lives of vulnerable children and was a genuinely good guy. In […]

Tags: read more ...
August 22, 2022

Pro Bono and Public Service Heroes Take Center Stage

From left to right: Timothy Tomasik, CBA Board President; Shelisa Thomas, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP; Patrick Yingling, Reed Smith LLP; Dean Jennifer Rosato Perea, DePaul University College of Law; Chantal Kazay, Discover Financial Services; Pat Wrona, CARPLS; Nicole Smith, Cabrini Green Legal Aid; Hon. Catherine Schneider, Circuit Court of Cook County; Gregory […]

Tags: | read more ...
August 22, 2022

The CBF is Hiring a New Administrative & Program Coordinator

The CBF seeks a Administrative and Program Coordinator to join our team.

The Administrative & Program Coordinator of The Chicago Bar Foundation (CBF) plays a key role in supporting the leadership team, assisting in program management, and performing administrative tasks crucial to a well-functioning office. An integral member of the CBF team, this position provides administrative […]

Tags: read more ...
August 22, 2022

Thank you and good luck to our JusticeCorps fellows!

From left to right: IL JusticeCorps Fellows Elizabeth (Liza) Sayasane, Claire Evans, Megan Yerger, and Nadia Castillo.

It is that time of year when another amazing group of Illinois JusticeCorps fellows have completed their terms of service and move on to then next phase of their careers. These four fellows have dedicated the past year to […]

Tags: read more ...
August 4, 2022

jep logoCongratulations to the Newest JEP Graduates!

Last month, the CBF Justice Entrepreneurs Project celebrated the graduation of the January 2021 cohort, the nineteenth cohort of participants to successfully complete the 18-month program. The graduates include Amy Cook, Terra Gross, and India Rios. All three graduates have built socially conscious law firms and innovative businesses that offer valuable, cost-effective legal services to […]

Tags: | read more ...
July 26, 2022

The Chicago Bar Foundation24th Annual Pro Bono & Public Service Awards Luncheon to Honor Seven Unsung Heroes of Chicago’s Legal Community This Friday!

We are humbled to once again honor seven unsung heroes in our legal community for their remarkable pro bono and public service achievements at this year’s CBA/CBF Pro Bono & Public Service Awards Luncheon. The Luncheon will take place Friday, July 29th from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. at the Hilton Chicago (720 S, Michigan Ave.). […]

Tags: read more ...
July 26, 2022

How Did Legal Services Get So Unaffordable, and What Are We Going to Do About It?

By Bob Glaves | CBF Executive Director

Over the past 50 years, we gradually have gone from a time in our country where the average middle-class person or small business generally could find affordable legal services when they needed them to a time today where everyday people struggle to afford legal help and lawyers often joke […]

Tags: read more ...
July 25, 2022

New Study Highlights Challenges and Opportunities for Legal Aid Lawyers and Their Organizations

A comprehensive new study of the legal aid community in Illinois conducted by Mercer for the CBF gives a sobering yet inspiring view of what it is like to be a legal aid lawyer today and what we can do to better support these dedicated lawyers and those interested in pursuing these vital careers in […]

Tags: | read more ...