Our Blog

November 12, 2018

We Felt Like We Were Drowning in a Sea of Goodwill

As recently as just a few years ago, that was a common refrain heard among Illinois veterans facing legal issues. While our veterans and military personnel generally knew there were a lot of lawyers and others who wanted to help them, there was no easy way to make those connections.

At the same time, there was […]

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November 8, 2018

Looking at the Court System through the Eyes of the People

To the say that the legal system looks daunting to someone who is not trained in the law and is often facing a serious legal issue when they arrive at the courthouse would be a vast understatement. And that is even more true at the Daley Center, perhaps the largest and busiest single courthouse in […]

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November 5, 2018

Pricing for Access to Justice

The billable hour is dead! You’ve likely seen this headline a time or two over the past couple of years, and for good reason. As CBF Executive Director Bob Glaves pointed out in his 2016 blog post on pricing, we’ve largely priced the proverbial regular guy, and even ourselves sometimes, out of the market for […]

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November 2, 2018

Pro Bono Week 2018 Celebrating the Power of Pro Bono

Hundreds of lawyers and other legal professionals in Chicago came together last week through the CBA and CBF’s 14th Annual Pro Bono Week to celebrate the important pro bono work being done in our community. But the Week’s focus goes far beyond just celebrating past deeds of pro bono greatness. It’s also about looking ahead, envisioning a brighter pro bono future, and finding new opportunities to make an impact through pro bono in the year ahead. And whether you were able to participate in one of the events or not, there is a lot you can do to make your own pro bono impact and the CBF is here to help you do that.

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November 2, 2018

Alone We Can Do So Little, Together We Can Do So Much

If we had to identify one thing that has made the CBF a powerful force for good over our first 70 years, that famous quote in the title from Helen Keller sums it up well.

The concept of partnerships is part of the CBF’s DNA. The CBF’s very existence owes to our legal community coming together […]

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November 1, 2018

We’re Hiring!

The CBF seeks a Development & Administrative Coordinator to join our team.

The Development & Administrative Coordinator plays a key role in supporting the development team, assisting in database management, and performing administrative tasks crucial to a well-functioning office. An integral member of the CBF Development Team, this position provides administrative and strategic support to the Development Team and also supports the Associate Director and the Senior Manager of Finance & Operations. The CBF offers a competitive salary, comprehensive benefits package and flexible work environment. Learn more…

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October 31, 2018

A Family-Friendly Tradition for Our Legal Community

This is the time of year when we our minds turn to traditions. From Halloween and Dia de los Muertos to Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas, this is the season for annual traditions with friends and family. In 1997, the CBF started its own tradition in our legal community the annual Fall Benefit. Each November since […]

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October 25, 2018

Pro Bono Connects JEPers to Practice Experience and Their Community

The CBF Justice Entrepreneurs Project is in an open-plan, loft office space just west of the Loop. This is where program participants (JEPers) start their innovative, socially conscious law practices serving low and middle income Chicagoans. This is where they learn skills and techniques for doing law differently setting predictable prices, offering unbundled services, making […]

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October 19, 2018

Fun and Frolic for a Great Cause

In 2001, several members of the Greater Chicago Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators teamed up with the CBF Young Professionals Board to create an event unlike any other the legal community had seen before or since the Fat Tuesday Challenge. Kyle Woodward was the main driving force, co-chairing the event for the first […]

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October 18, 2018

Partner-Powered Training Helps JEP Lawyers Innovate

At the CBF Justice Entrepreneurs Project (JEP), we prepare talented and entrepreneurial lawyers in the Chicago area to launch and manage innovative, socially conscious, and successful law practices. One way we do this is through our comprehensive training program that focuses on building a new kind of practice one that is more accessible and affordable […]

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