News Tag: Legal Aid

July 25, 2022

New Study Highlights Challenges and Opportunities for Legal Aid Lawyers and Their Organizations

A comprehensive new study of the legal aid community in Illinois conducted by Mercer for the CBF gives a sobering yet inspiring view of what it is like to be a legal aid lawyer today and what we can do to better support these dedicated lawyers and those interested in pursuing these vital careers in […]

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July 22, 2022

2022 Legal Aid Recruitment and Retention Study

The CBF worked with Mercer Consulting on a comprehensive new study of recruitment and retention of lawyers and advocates in our legal aid community that was released in July, 2022. This study builds off a groundbreaking study the CBF did back in 2006 and identifies both significant challenges and real opportunities for our community to […]

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August 2, 2021

Help Available for Both Landlords and Tenants as Eviction Moratoriums Expire

From left to right: Cook County Commissioner Scott Britton, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, CBF Executive Director Bob Glaves, and Carina Segalini from the office of Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans.

As state and federal moratoriums on evictions are expiring, the free services offered through the Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt (CCLAHD) […]

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July 16, 2020

court buildingGroundbreaking New Research Report Shows that Legal Assistance Has a Broad Range of Impacts on Case Outcomes and Court Efficiency

A new research report based on a comprehensive study in California shows that access to civil legal aid has a broad range of significant positive impacts. Specifically, the report underscores that access to legal assistance improved case outcomes, significantly increased perceptions of fairness, and…

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April 19, 2020

Legal Help Resources in the Pandemic—April 2020

All pro bono and legal aid organizations will see a spike in the need for their services in the coming weeks and months, particularly when the courts are back to fully functioning. These are free resources for the public on some of the most immediate legal needs in the early days of the crisis.

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November 15, 2018

Access to Justice: How We Will Know When We Get There

When I recently took a stab at defining what we mean when we say access to justice, I looked to the great Yogi Berra for inspiration: If you don’t know where you’re going, you might not get there.

Now that we have established a working definition of where we are going (at least I have!), the question becomes how do we measure our progress to that promised land.

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September 20, 2018

Legal Aid Yields a Strong Return on Investment

A well-funded legal aid system helps to ensure that our justice system is fair and efficient for all, regardless of income. Like us, you’re probably thinking that’s all the reason anyone would need. But then there’s the icing on the cake. Studies from more than 25 states, including Illinois, have repeatedly shown that it is […]

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August 16, 2018

finding legal help sheetPointing the Way to the Right Legal Help

We are fortunate in Chicago to have a robust and committed pro bono and legal aid community, with more than thirty organizations offering free or affordable legal help to people who would otherwise have nowhere to turn. While there is not nearly enough help to go around for everyone who needs it, people looking for help still struggle to figure out how and where to start their search. Upon seeing a list of the many excellent pro bono and legal aid organizations serving the Chicago area, people often describe it as alphabet soup and can find it overwhelming.

The CBF saw a need for a better way to connect people with the valuable free and low-cost legal resources in our community. Almost two decades ago, the CBF worked with the CBA Young Lawyers Section, CARPLS and other partners to create the original version of Where to Go for Legal Assistance in or Around Chicago.

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June 23, 2017

New LSC Study on the Justice Gap

The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) released a comprehensive new study last week that shows the number of low-income Americans in need of legal help far exceeds the legal aid services available to help them. We encourage you to continue reaching out to Senators Durbin and Duckworth and your member of Congress to thank them for their continued support of strong funding for LSC.

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