News Tag: Legal Aid Organizations
February 15, 2021
2020 Selected Legal Aid Highlights
In January, the Chicago Bar Association Legal Aid Committee celebrated the impressive achievements of 25+ legal aid organizations here in the Chicagoland area in 2020. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, these dedicated institutions have demonstrated tremendous innovation and have continued to serve the legal needs of underrepresented communities.
Tags: Legal Aid Committee | Legal Aid Organizations | Success! read more ...January 21, 2021
New Chatbot Offers 24/7 Information and Referrals for Pandemic Related Legal Issues
COVID Housing and Economic Loss Prevention (COVID HELP) is a new online navigation tool designed to guide Illinois residents to up-to-date information and referrals for common COVID-related legal issues including housing, debt, unemployment, bankruptcy, and guardianship issues. Through the website, users can connect 24/7 with a team of chatbots designed and created by legal aid experts to provide answers to common questions and automated referrals for more complex legal issues.
Tags: Legal Aid Organizations | Legal Innovation | Self-Help Resources read more ...November 24, 2020
CBF Joins Cook County, Circuit Court, and Other Partners to Launch Groundbreaking Program for Eviction and Consumer Debt Cases
A new Early Resolution Program (ERP) that will provide legal help for thousands of people in Cook County facing eviction and consumer debt issues was officially launched yesterday at a press conference hosted by the County.
The program is part of a broader new initiative for housing and debt issues, Cook County Legal Aid for Housing […]
Tags: CBF in the News | Courts | Legal Aid Organizations | Remote Access read more ...January 17, 2020
Legal Aid Committee—Selected Highlights 2019
Each year, the CBA’s Legal Aid Committee compiles their program, litigation, and policy highlights from the year before and this year’s booklet is as inspiring as ever! 2019 was a big year for legal aid organizations and the clients they serve—from individual cases where a legal aid attorney saved someone’s home, family, and livelihood, to […]
Tags: Legal Aid Committee | Legal Aid Organizations | Success! read more ...November 22, 2019
Build It and They Might Not Come
By Bob Glaves | CBF Executive Director
Since the days of yore, our courts and larger legal system
have centered around a “build it and they will come” model that requires people
to come to us on our terms. If you have a dispute, come downtown to the courthouse
and they’ll take care of it. And if […]
February 7, 2019
Gaining Hope and Healing Thanks to Legal Aid
Each year, Domestic Violence Legal Clinic (DVLC) helps hundreds of domestic violence survivors break the cycle of domestic violence, helping survivors escape the isolation of abuse and regain control of their lives. Edith is one of the many survivors who show up at DVLC’s office every day seeking to keep themselves and their children safe.
Tags: Investing in Justice Campaign | Legal Aid Organizations read more ...December 20, 2018
Helping to Incubate Pro Bono and Legal Aid
As we celebrate the CBF’s 70th Anniversary, we have been looking back on many of the long-standing partnerships we have with pro bono and legal aid organizations in the Chicago area. Throughout our history, the CBF has played a critical role in many new organizations getting off the ground by providing inaugural grant funding, which […]
Tags: CBF 70th Anniversary | Legal Aid Funding | Legal Aid Organizations read more ...November 29, 2018
Getting a Second Chance
Each year, Cabrini Green Legal Aid (CGLA) helps thousands of people who seek a second chance. A single arrest can result in a cascade of barriers for an individual the loss of employment, the loss of housing and the break-up of families. CGLA works to prevent these consequences from happening, while also working to remove the collateral damage of arrest and conviction. Michael is one person who received a second chance with CGLA’s assistance.
Tags: Investing in Justice Campaign | Legal Aid Organizations read more ...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 […]
Tags: CBF 70th Anniversary | JEP | Legal Aid Organizations | Pro Bono | Training read more ...October 12, 2018
Clearing Voting Barriers for Chicagoans with Disabilities
Imagine you are excited about casting your ballot on Election Day and are turned away simply because you have a disability. Or imagine having to cast your ballot where other voters can see exactly how you vote.
Cynthia, a voter with a disability, was unable to use the accessible electronic voting machine at her polling place because the election judges did not know how to operate it. She was forced to cast her ballot sitting at a table in plain view of other voters with absolutely no privacy. Her only other option was to not vote at all. Cynthia’s experience illustrates the type of barriers people with disabilities routinely face when they seek to vote but are denied access to the election process.
Tags: Above and Beyond Volunteers | Colleague Corner | Investing in Justice Campaign | Legal Aid Academy | Legal Aid Organizations | Pro Bono Week | Training read more ...