News Tag: JusticeCorps

February 14, 2020

JusticeCorps Fellows an Impressive Group

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 do this by providing navigational assistance, referrals to legal aid and other available services, connections to online resources and court forms, and legal information […]

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November 18, 2019

Kudos to Amanda Insalaco!

The CBF extends a hearty congratulations to Amanda Insalaco, our 2016 Marovitz Public Interest Law Scholar! Amanda, who graduated from DePaul College of Law last May, received a prestigious Borchard Fellowship in Law & Aging for 2019-2020 hosted by the Center for Disability & Elder Law (CDEL), a CBF grantee.

The Borchard Fellowship will give Amanda […]

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September 20, 2018

JusticeCorps Expands to the Criminal Court

Every year in Cook County, over one million criminal cases are filed. They range from low-level misdemeanors to serious felony charges, and everything in between. Most of these cases are heard at the George N. Leighton Criminal Courthouse located at 2650 S. California in Chicago. Victims, family members, probationers, and the criminal defendants themselves churn […]

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July 31, 2018

A Friendly Guide in the Courthouse Maze

Through the CBF’s work to make the courts more user-friendly and accessible for the growing number of people without lawyers, it became clear that court patrons often have a more immediate challenge than the legal issue that brought them there. People coming to court on their own often have a difficult time navigating a building […]

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November 19, 2015

A Network of Help for Considerable South Suburban Need

Ford Heights, located in southern Cook County, was once pegged as America’s poorest suburb. Three of its neighboring towns now claim the highest suburban poverty rates in Illinois: Harvey, Robbins, and Chicago Heights, all of which fall within the jurisdiction of the Circuit Court’s Sixth Municipal District in Markham.

Markham is a busy courthouse with a large unmet need, and its compact space enhances that challenge. In fact, it is also the only district in Cook County that has additional court call locations in 12 village halls and police departments. For people without a lawyer to guide them through the process, it can be easy to get lost in the shuffle.

Your support of the CBF Investing in Justice Campaign has helped build a network of court-based services in Markham that provide legal assistance to thousands in need for evictions, collections, and other matters.

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January 20, 2015

A Year of Impact That You Made Possible

CBF Report January 2015

A Year of Impact That You Made Possible

Thanks to your generous support of the CBF, 2014 saw impressive progress in the fight to make the justice system more fair and accessible for everyone in our community. You can be proud of the impact you are making through your Foundation. Below are just a few highlights, and you can learn more about this important work and how you can get more involved by visiting chicagobarfoundation.org. Thank you again for coming together with your colleagues from throughout the legal community to make a difference.

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October 3, 2014

What Can We Help You With Today?

CBF Report September 2014

What Can We Help You With Today?

This is the phrase heard over and over in the concourse level of the Daley Center, as court patrons visit the new Circuit Court of Cook County Resource Center for People Without Lawyers. The Center is a major milestone in the longer-term effort to make the court system more user-friendly and accessible for people without lawyers, a key goal of both the CBF and the Circuit Court.

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