Our Blog
Welcome, August!
Robert Deignan (1938-2021)
Congratulations to the Newest JEP Graduates!
We’re Hiring!
New CBF Associate Director for Advocacy & Programs Opportunity
June 15, 2021
A Roadmap to a More Efficient and Accessible New Normal for the Courts
The CBF/Circuit Court Pro Se Advisory Committee recently submitted detailed recommendations to facilitate the permanent use of remote court appearances to improve efficiency and access in the Circuit Court of Cook County. Remote access has proven to be a game changer for improving access to justice during the pandemic, a point underscored by Illinois Supreme Court […]
Tags: Courts | Legal Innovation | Pro Se Advisory Committee read more ...June 8, 2021
Much to Celebrate at the JEP
It has been an exciting month over at the CBF Justice Entrepreneurs Project as we celebrated the graduation of its 14th cohort of participants and welcomed our 17th cohort of participants. We are excited to welcome four enthusiastic attorneys into the JEP family, and we are proud of our newly minted alumni […]
Tags: JEP | Legal Innovation read more ...May 19, 2021
The Intersection of Access to Justice and Racial Justice
By Bob Glaves | CBF Executive Director
Over the past few months, I have been fleshing out my 2021 Resolution for the Legal Profession with lessons from the wild year that was 2020 and how that experience can make for a fairer and better future for our profession and justice system well into the future. For […]
Tags: Future of the Profession read more ...May 18, 2021
CBF Featured in Global Legal Post
The Global Legal Post highlighted the international relevance of the CBF’s work this month, interviewing CBF Executive Director Bob Glaves and discussing how the CBF’s mission is more important than ever today.
“We have an opportunity to make law better and we have no time to waste.”
Read the article…
Tags: Future of the Profession read more ...May 15, 2021
Congrats Samira!
Congratulations to Samira Nazem, CBF Associate Director of Advocacy & Programs, on being selected as the Award Recipient for the “Excellence in Community and Public Services Award” by the Clerk’s Office Asian/Pacific American Heritage Committee as part of the Clerk’s Office’s 2021 Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month Celebration.
Samira works closely with the Circuit Court and the Clerk’s […]
Tags: Courts | Staff read more ...May 14, 2021
CBF Takes a Virtual Trip to Washington to Advocate for Access to Justice
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 […]
Tags: Advocacy read more ...May 8, 2021
Unbundling Legal Services: A Win-Win-Win for Lawyers, Courts, and the Public
The CBF was one of the lead partners in the national Unbundled Legal Services in the New Normal conference last month, a virtual gathering that attracted hundreds of attendees and yielded some great resources for lawyers and other stakeholders.
The other lead partners in the conference were the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal […]
Tags: Future of the Profession read more ...May 4, 2021
New CBF Director of Development Opportunity
Do you know someone looking for an opportunity to help take the CBF and access to justice to the next level? The CBF is in the market for a new Director of Development to join our team. The Director will own responsibility for significant portions of our fundraising program working collaboratively with the Executive Director, […]
Tags: CBF Staff read more ...April 28, 2021
Lawyering After the Pandemic—A Jolt to a Better Future If We Take the Cue
As a profession that puts a premium on precedent and still regularly uses terminology from hundreds of years ago that few understand, change does not come easy to us as lawyers. But like everything else in our lives, the practice of law got an epic jolt when the pandemic hit.
As was true with the courts, the way lawyers quickly adapted to the new reality was impressive and inspiring, and now the million-dollar question is what we will do with that newfound knowledge and experience as we start the transition to a new normal. That is the backdrop for the following three-step process towards a better, more inclusive, and more accessible profession going forward, and the next stop on the journey to fulfilling my 2021 Resolution for the profession.
Tags: Future of the Profession | Legal Innovation read more ...April 23, 2021
Illinois JusticeCorps Seeking Fellowship Applications
With a significant increase in court filings expected in the aftermath of the pandemic, access to reliable, accurate information about the court system for people in need will be more important than ever. Fortunately, the Illinois JusticeCorps program continues to be an important point of access to court information for people without lawyers. The CBF […]
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