Our Blog

October 20, 2021

Robert Deignan (1938-2021)

The CBF mourns the passing of Bob Deignan, a tremendous lawyer and exemplary leader on pro bono and access to justice efforts throughout his 53-year career as a lawyer.

A longtime partner at Baker & McKenzie, Bob had a storied legal career and an active life outside of the law. He received many accolades over the […]

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October 20, 2021

jep logoCongratulations to the Newest JEP Graduates!

The CBF Justice Entrepreneurs Project celebrated the graduation of the May 2020 cohort, the 15th cohort of participants to successfully complete the 18-month program. The graduates include Ashley Rodriguez, Seth McCormick, and Kimber Russell. All three have built socially conscious law firms and innovative businesses that strive to offer valuable, cost-effective legal services and products […]

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October 14, 2021

We’re Hiring!

The CBF seeks a Director of Finance & Operations to join our team.

The Director of Finance & Operations of The Chicago Bar Foundation (CBF) is responsible for the day-to-day management of the CBF’s finance, database and record keeping systems, other administrative duties, ensuring that the CBF runs smoothly and assisting with the CBF’s fundraising and […]

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October 8, 2021

New CBF Associate Director for Advocacy & Programs 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 Associate Director for Advocacy & Programs. The Associate Director plays a leadership role in the CBF’s efforts to develop and manage court based programs, promote […]

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October 8, 2021

A Pro Bono Magical Musical Mystery Tour

By Bob Glaves | CBF Executive Director

If you have been to the CBA and CBF Pro Bono and Public Service Awards Luncheon in recent years, you know that we start with a song to help set a theme for that year’s event. To my knowledge, none were written with our legal profession in mind, but […]

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September 27, 2021

Banned Words for Access to Justice 2.0

By Bob Glaves | CBF Executive Director

Those of us who care about access to justice use a lot of terms that do our cause no favors. These are words and phrases that either don’t mean anything to our target audience, don’t necessarily mean what we think, or inadvertently just turn people off.

A few years ago, […]

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September 24, 2021

Welcome to the CBF’s New Board Members, and Thanks to Our Outgoing Officers and Directors

The CBF’s work would not be possible without the leadership and support of our dedicated Board Members. As the 2021/2022 Board year begins, we are excited to welcome the following new members to our Board of Directors:

  • Jason Bradford, Jenner & Block LLP
  • Dave Gordon, Sidley Austin LLP
  • Elizabeth Lopez, United Airlines, Inc.
  • Jeff Moskowitz, J. Moskowitz Law
  • Kevin Robinson, […]
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    September 24, 2021

    A Message from New CBF Board President Cynthia Photos Abbott

    The CBF is excited to welcome Cynthia Photos Abbott as our 40th President of the Board of Directors for the 2021/2022 term. See below for a message from Cindy as she gets started in her new role:

    Hello everyone,

    My name is Cynthia Photos Abbott and I am the incoming President of the Chicago Bar Foundation Board. […]

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    September 13, 2021

    Welcome to the Newest Illinois JusticeCorps Fellows Cohort

    Over ten years ago, the CBF pioneered Illinois JusticeCorps, an innovative program through which courthouse volunteers create a more welcoming and less intimidating environment for people without lawyers. Illinois JusticeCorps volunteers are college students and recent graduates who do this by effectively serving as docents for the court. They provide navigational assistance, referrals to legal […]

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    August 25, 2021

    Redeeming Justice: An Interview with Jarrett Adams about His New Book and An Inspiring Message for Our Legal Community

    I first met Jarrett Jarrett Adams in 2012, when he applied for and received the CBF Abraham Lincoln Marovitz Public Interest Law Scholarship. But the traumatic and unsettling experience that drove him to pursue a legal career and do the amazing work he is doing today started much earlier.

    Now a successful lawyer focused on helping others who have been wrongfully convicted, he has written a book coming out on September 14 about his experience. Redeeming Justice is a stirring memoir that appropriately features this teaser on the cover: “From Defendant to Defender, My Fight for Equity on Both Sides of a Broken System.”

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