News Tag: Courts
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 ...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 ...April 20, 2020
Illinois JusticeCorps Seeking Fellowship Applications
During these uncertain times, access to reliable, neutral information about the court system is more important than ever. Originally pioneered by the CBF, Illinois JusticeCorps is an innovative AmeriCorps program through which college students and recent graduates provide legal information, procedural guidance, and resource referrals to people going to court without lawyers. JusticeCorps is now […]
Tags: Apply or Nominate | Courts | JusticeCorps read more ...March 20, 2020
Through This Together, Stronger on the Other Side
As we all continue to adapt to our worlds being turned upside down in the span of less than two weeks, our legal community’s leadership on access to justice will be more important than ever in this time of heightened need. And the CBF already is stepping up our efforts to bring our community together around this common cause to tackle the many emerging challenges and opportunities this crisis is generating.
Tags: Courts | COVID-19 | Investing in Justice Campaign | Pro Bono read more ...January 23, 2020
Governor Pritzker, Chief Justice Burke and Other Leaders Help Inaugurate CBA/CBF Rock Cullerton Access to Justice Award
All three branches of government came together at the Chicago Bar Association this week as Governor Pritzker, Chief Justice Burke, and new Senate President Don Harmon were among those who helped honor retiring Senate President John Cullerton and inaugurate the new CBA/CBF Rock Cullerton Access to Justice Award.
- Governor Pritzker, Justice Theis, and Senator […]
Tags: Advocacy | Courts | IEJF | Legal Aid Funding read more ...
October 21, 2019
Ambitious New Strategic Plan to Guide Illinois CourtsThe Illinois Supreme Court earlier this month formally released a comprehensive new Strategic Agenda for the Illinois Judicial Branch. The new plan, developed and approved by the Illinois Judicial Conference, sets a forward-looking agenda for the coming years with strong commitments to advancing access to justice and innovation among the centerpiece goals.
“The CBF commends […]
Tags: Courts read more ...
May 23, 2019The Affordability Action PlanOver the course of the past several months, I’ve used this blog to discuss four big issues our legal profession needs to address to carry out my 2019 Resolution: to tackle our affordability problem for everyday people. The common denominator on these issues is that the solutions to making legal services more affordable and accessible to the middle class are almost entirely within our power as a profession and court system.
To paraphrase a famous saying, we have met the enemy, and it is us. The following, interconnected action plan can help us defeat that enemy and strike a major blow for access to justice in the process.
Tags: Billable hour | Courts | Future of the Profession | Pricing | Technology read more ...
April 26, 2019What Do Courts Have to Do with the Affordability of Legal Services?Quite a lot, as a matter of fact. The fundamental mission of the courts is to deliver justice for all by protecting rights and liberties, upholding the rule of law, and serving as fair and neutral arbiters to resolve disputes. Promoting affordable legal representation is a central part of fulfilling that mission, yet some of the key steps to doing so are too often overlooked by courts today.
Tags: Courts | Future of the Profession | Limited Scope | Technology read more ...
April 24, 2019
Illinois JusticeCorps Seeking Fellowship ApplicationsIllinois JusticeCorps is looking for applicants for full-time fellowship positions for the upcoming program year, August 2019 through August 2020.
Illinois JusticeCorps is an innovative AmeriCorps program through which college students and recent graduates provide procedural and other neutral assistance in the courts. Illinois JusticeCorps recruits, trains and provides the necessary support for these guides to make courts across Illinois more welcoming and less intimidating for people without lawyers.
Tags: Apply or Nominate | Courts | Fellowships & Scholarships read more ...
January 17, 2019
Steeped in History But Forward-Looking: Making the Courts Work for EveryoneCourts are, by design, backward-looking institutions. Lawyers and judges rely on case law from bygone decades. Clerks hand out paper forms sprinkled with ancient Latin phrases. The black robes, the gavels, and the rituals are steeped in history and tradition.
By choice, however, courts can also be forward-looking institutions. A foundational role in American society does […]
Tags: CBF 70th Anniversary | Courts | Pro Se read more ...