News Tag: Take Action


July 25, 2017

Take Action: Support LSC Funding

As the FY18 federal budget process continues, the relevant Senate Subcommittee has approved level funding for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) at $385 million. We encourage you to thank Senators Durbin and Duckworth for their strong support and to advocate with your Representative in the House to continue to support full funding for LSC.

Take Action

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March 20, 2017

Bills Up in Springfield on Wednesday

Take Action for Equal Justice Today!

Hearings are set this Wednesday, March 22nd in the Illinois House of Representatives for two of the CBF’s priority legislative initiatives this year:

  • In the House State Government Committee at 2pm in support of HB2591, a bill to reform the civil and criminal court fees and fines system in Illinois
  • In the House Civil Judiciary Committee at 8am in support of HB3359, a bill to simplify the law governing evictions in Illinois

Please take three minutes to fill out a virtual witness slip in support of each of these two bills.

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September 27, 2016

Advocacy Workshop

On November 17th, from 8 to 9:30 am (location TBD), after all the election results are in and the dust has settled, the CBF will hold its 3rd annual Advocacy Workshop. Larry Suffredin, CBA Legislative Counsel and Cook County Board Commissioner, will discuss what the results mean for access to justice on the local, state, and federal level. 1 hour of CLE credit is expected. To register, or for more information, email Angela Inzano.

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May 16, 2016

Support the Employer Participation in Student Loan Assistance Act

As we all know, some of us all too well, the amount of student loan debt in the United States is at an all-time high. At the CBF, we are exploring ways to work with members of Congress to address the student loan crisis and save the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.

TAKE ACTION! In the meantime, we ask you to contact your elected officials in support of H.R. 3861, the Employer Participation in Student Loan Assistance Act, which would create a tax break for employers who assist their employees with student loan repayment (similar to the way health insurance works now).

Find Your Legislator

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September 11, 2015

Signed into Law! Civics Education Gets a Boost in Illinois

All Illinois students will get a real lesson in civics thanks to HB 4025, which Governor Rauner recently signed into law. The bill promotes greater civic learning in Illinois by requiring one semester of civics education for all Illinois high school students.

HB 4025 was based on the recommendations of the Illinois Task Force on Civic Education, which […]

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August 11, 2015

Signed into Law! Groundbreaking Veterans Legal Program Will Move Forward

Veterans and military families in Illinois will have much greater access to necessary legal help after key amendments to the Access to Justice Act were signed into law by Governor Rauner last week.

The Access to Justice Act, originally passed in 2013, created a pilot program to develop and support a much-needed hotline and network of […]

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April 23, 2015

Take Action: Support a More Efficient and Advanced Judiciary

Funding for the Judiciary is one of the CBF’s advocacy priorities as properly funding the courts is fundamental to ensuring that the justice system is fair, accessible, and efficient. The Judiciary’s proposed budget for the coming year is $7 billion, a very modest increase from last year’s appropriation and just a tiny fraction of the overall federal budget for the entire third branch of government.

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March 26, 2015

Access to Justice Goes to Springfield

Would you like to learn more about Illinois’ legislative process and gain some hands-on lobbying experience? On April 28 and 29, the CBF will head down to Springfield to talk with legislators about our priority state issues. Contact Jessica Bednarz, CBF Program Manager, at jbednarz@chicagobar.org or (312) 554-4952 if you are interested in joining us.

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March 20, 2015

Take Action: Strengthen Civics Education in Illinois

On February 27, Rep. Deborah Conroy introduced House Bill 4025 to strengthen civics education in Illinois and to promote greater civic learning through a required civics course for all Illinois high school students. This bill was based on the recommendations of the Illinois Task Force on Civic Education, which was established by the legislature to study the status of civic education in Illinois and make recommendations on how to improve it.

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