Our Blog
Cy Pres Awards Continue to Make a Big Impact Through the CBF
The Robot Lawyers are Coming?
Amy Manning of McGuireWoods LLP to Chair 2023 Investing in Justice Campaign
Welcome Roya and Congrats Samoane!
Right-sizing “Right to Counsel” for Eviction and Other Civil Cases
March 23, 2023
Cy Pres Awards Continue to Make a Big Impact Through the CBF
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, […]
Tags: read more ...March 23, 2023
The Robot Lawyers are Coming?
With the recent news that the artificial intelligence tool GPT-4 passed the bar exam with flying colors, it is easy to imagine a would-be Paul Revere shouting this at a bar association meeting near you.
The GPT-4 news already is generating a range of reactions, from the head in the sand view that AI can never […]
Tags: Future of the Profession read more ...March 7, 2023
Amy Manning of McGuireWoods LLP to Chair 2023 Investing in Justice Campaign
Amy Manning, 2023 Investing in Justice Campaign Chair
The CBF is excited to announce that Amy Manning, Partner at McGuireWoods LLP and a trailblazer and longtime leader in our legal community, will lead the 17th annual Investing in Justice Campaign.
The Campaign is the CBF’s annual initiative that rallies Chicago’s entire legal community around our common cause of helping […]
Tags: Investing in Justice Campaign read more ...February 23, 2023
Welcome Roya and Congrats Samoane!
The CBF is excited to welcome Roya Samarghandi as our new Associate Director of Advocacy, Innovation, & Training. As Associate Director of Advocacy, Innovation, & Training, Roya will play a key role in the CBF’s mission through her work on legislative and policy advocacy, innovation initiatives, and the CBF Legal Aid Academy.
An alumna of […]
Tags: CBF Staff read more ...February 23, 2023
Right-sizing “Right to Counsel” for Eviction and Other Civil Cases
The concept of “Civil Right to Counsel” is having its moment, particularly in the context of evictions.
There rightly is a lot of support for the idea that, given the stakes involved, no one should get evicted without access to a lawyer to ensure their rights are protected. But what does that mean? What should it […]
Tags: Courts read more ...January 25, 2023
Good News on the Advocacy Front to Close out 2022
2022 ended with good news for several CBF advocacy priorities, with a significant increase in federal funding for legal aid and passage of an important judicial security bill at the federal level as well as the passage of a bill to improve access to the name change process in Illinois.
First, Congress approved a $71 million […]
Tags: Advocacy read more ...January 20, 2023
Thank You and Good Luck, Jess!
After almost ten years at the CBF, Jessica (Jess) Bednarz, the CBF’s Associate Director of Innovation & the JEP, is moving on for an exciting opportunity to work with the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System (IAALS) as their new Director of Legal Services and the Profession. In her new role, Jess […]
Tags: read more ...January 4, 2023
Your Foundation at Work in 2022
Building a Fairer and Better Justice System, Together
You continue to make a tremendous impact through the CBF by coming together with your peers throughout our legal community. You again made it possible for thousands of people in need get to critical legal help while at the same time driving innovative projects that are building a […]
Tags: read more ...December 30, 2022
2023 Resolution for the Legal Profession: Using Our Privilege in a Positive Way to Make the Justice System Fairer and More Equitable for All
This year marks my 7th annual resolution for our legal profession, and while it may not be as catchy as prior ones like my 2022 resolution that the bar exam must go (and it still needs to go!), this one seems particularly appropriate as we look ahead to 2023.
When we hear the word privilege today, […]
Tags: Future of the Profession read more ...December 28, 2022
An Exciting Leadership Opportunity on the CBF Team
The CBF is hiring a new Associate Director of Advocacy, Innovation, & Training. This role is responsible for several key roles in the CBF mission, including legislative and policy advocacy, innovation initiatives, and the CBF Legal Aid Academy. The ideal candidate will have relevant legal and management experience, dedication to innovation in the legal profession […]
Tags: read more ...