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2021 Resolution: Don’t Let the Hard-Earned Lessons of 2020 Go to Waste
Upcoming CBF Student Debt Briefing
CBF Joins Cook County, Circuit Court, and Other Partners to Launch Groundbreaking Program for Eviction and Consumer Debt Cases
Fall Benefit Wows Kids and Adults Alike
A Self-Inflicted Access to Justice Scourge
May 21, 2020
Just Because We Can Doesn’t Mean We Should, and Just Because We Should Can Never Again Mean We Can’t
That deliberately challenging title could apply to most things in our lives as we (hopefully) start returning to a semblance of normal in the coming weeks. My focus here is specifically on our courts and legal profession as the conversations about how to reopen the system get started. As much as the pandemic exposed the flaws and limitations of the system when it hit, there have been some impressive adaptations since then, and we have a unique moment in time to shape a much better future for the courts, our profession, and access to justice.
Tags: Courts | COVID-19 | Remote Access read more ...May 18, 2020
Virtual Passport to Chicago Turns Up the Heat
On Friday, May 15, the CBF hosted a virtual Passport to Chicago event in partnership with The Chopping Block. Chef Sara led our guests through a cooking demonstration of Roasted Vegetable and Black Bean Enchiladas with Ranchero Sauce and Refried Beans, teaching a variety of useful knife and other culinary skills in the process. If […]
Tags: COVID-19 | Events | Passport to Chicago | Success! read more ...May 17, 2020
Legal Aid Needs Law Firm Support Now More Than Ever
This op-ed appeared in Law360 on May 17, 2020.
By Jeffrey Stone | McDermott Will & Emery LLP
As the coronavirus pandemic has turned our entire world upside down over these past few weeks, it has been heartwarming to see the way so many have stepped up to help the people who are most impacted. Bringing groceries to an elderly neighbor, supporting food pantries that are suddenly seeing a surge in demand, and doing a little extra to support our favorite local restaurants and their employees are just a few of many examples.
Tags: CBF in the News | Law Firms | Leadership Circles | Legal Aid Funding read more ...May 15, 2020
JEP Welcomes New Cohort of Socially-Conscious Attorneys
On May 4, the CBF Justice Entrepreneurs Project welcomed its fifteenth cohort into the program. These six attorneys—Veronica Canton, Sergio Juwa, Seth McCormick, Ashley Rodriguez, Kimber Russell and Salam Zaidan—are eager to take on the immense challenges and need created by COVID-19 by starting innovative and socially conscious practices helping low- and middle-income people and […]
Tags: JEP | Pro Bono read more ...May 13, 2020
Illinois Legal Aid Online
Illinois Legal Aid Online has seen an 1000% increase in the use of their resources during the pandemic. You can use your skills and experience to ensure that the content being provided is up to date and accurate. All work can be done remotely and on your own schedule. Contact Andrew Sharp to get started.
Tags: Pro Bono | Volunteer read more ...May 6, 2020
Help an Outstanding Attorney Get Some Well-Deserved Recognition
The CBA and CBF are accepting nominations through May 8, 2017 for the Chicago legal community’s prestigious pro bono and public service awards. These awards celebrate exemplary members of the legal profession who have used their talents and resources to improve access to justice for the less fortunate in our community. The recipients will be honored at the CBA and CBF’s Pro Bono and Public Service Awards Luncheon on July 17.
Tags: Apply or Nominate | Awards | Events | Pro Bono | Pro Bono & Public Service Awards Luncheon read more ...April 30, 2020
CBF Goes to Washington (Virtually)
It’s that time of year again when the CBF would normally be joining advocacy forces with leaders from the CBA, ISBA, and ABA for the annual ABA Day in Washington. This year, we brought the advocacy home through a number of productive virtual meetings with our Illinois delegation (Congresswoman Schakowsky pictured here!).
Tags: ABA | Advocacy | COVID-19 | Immigration | Legal Aid Funding | Loan Forgiveness | LSC read more ...April 22, 2020
A time for Chicago’s legal community to lead
This letter appeared in Crain’s Chicago Business on April 22, 2020.
More than ever, we need to step up for our community’s dedicated pro bono and legal aid organizations and the people who depend on them.
Tags: CBF in the News | COVID-19 | Investing in Justice Campaign read more ...April 22, 2020
Take Action: Support LSC Funding in Face of Critical Need
The COVID-19 pandemic has already increased the need for help with the everyday legal issues that the organizations funded by the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) assist with, including evictions, unemployment, access to healthcare, scams aimed at the elderly, and domestic violence. With other major funding sources under severe stress at state and local levels at […]
Tags: Advocacy | Legal Aid Funding | LSC read more ...April 21, 2020
Your Foundation at Work in the Pandemic—April 2020
As we hit the six-week mark since the Coronavirus upended our lives, the CBF has been hard at work helping to move the court system to remote access and adapt the way we deliver legal services, support that work, and help others during this crisis. The way our legal community has quickly stepped up to this challenge has inspired us, and following are just a few highlights of the important work you have been making possible during this time.
Tags: Courts | COVID-19 | Investing in Justice Campaign | Legal Aid Academy | Pro Bono | Remote Access | Task Force read more ...