a d v a n c i n g jus ice - the chicago bar foundation€¦ · school of law hon. ruben castillo...

JUS ICEA D V A N C I N G

A Joint Funding Partnership of

A Joint Letter from the pArtners of AdvAncing Justice

In late 2006, the boards of The Chicago Area Foundation for Legal Services (CAFLS) and The Chicago Bar

Foundation (CBF) decided to explore the possibility of coordinating our grant making process. Because of our

respective organizations’ similar missions and support of many of the same legal aid organizations, we thought

a collaboration was a good fit.

In the summer of 2007, the two boards voted to approve the creation of CAFLS/CBF Advancing Justice grant

making partnership. We believe that this is a groundbreaking collaboration to support projects and initiatives that

provide access to justice to the most vulnerable in our community. The partnership resulted from our joint desire

to work more closely together, while streamlining the grant process for our grantee organizations.

We are pleased that staff from both organizations work well together to bring the unique strength of each entity

to build a more efficient and effective joint grant making process. Legal aid organizations now only have to

submit one application to both organizations. The grant review and decision making process is established so

that CAFLS and CBF could either fund the same projects jointly, or deploy our resources appropriately to

different projects.

We are delighted that by the end of 2007, the first year of our partnership, we have been able to award $400,000

in grants to support 25 projects and initiatives. Together, we launched two new initiatives and also leveraged our

grant funds to provide joint support to nine other projects. We have deep respect for the work of the first CAFLS/

CBF Advancing Justice grantees and salute these organizations’ efforts to ensure access to justice in Chicago.

This partnership marks a significant milestone for our two organizations. We are very pleased with the results of

our grant making collaboration. We want to thank the legal aid and pro bono community which provided input

into the process of creating this successful partnership. Together, we will strive to ensure that more poor and

disadvantaged people in our community are able to access the legal information and assistance they so

desperately need.

3 AdvAncing Justice

Theodore Tetzlaff Chairman

The Chicago Area Foundation for Legal Services

Thomas Z. Hayward, Jr. President

The Chicago Bar Foundation

In 1982, The Chicago Community Trust created the Chicago Area Foundation for Legal Services (CAFLS) as an

endowment fund to provide stable financial support for quality legal services for low-income Chicago area

residents. The endowment fund was made possible through private contributions raised by the legal aid

community and law firms, which were matched by the Trust. Over the years, the endowment fund has generated

income to meet the goal of CAFLS and support the majority of Chicago’s legal aid organizations.

The need to provide legal representation and counsel for low-income individuals and families remains high.

CAFLS works closely with legal aid organizations to ensure that emergent needs are being met without neglecting

the on-going needs for a wide range of legal assistance issues.

About the chicAgo community trustFor 93 years, The Chicago Community Trust has connected the generosity of donors with the needs of the

community by making grants to organizations working to improve metropolitan Chicago. With assets of $1.8 billion,

the Trust made a record-breaking $114 million in grants in 2007. From strengthening community schools to

assisting local art programs, from building health centers to helping lives affected by violence, the Trust works to

enhance our region.

AdvAncing Justice 4

boArd of directors

Chairman Theodore Tetzlaff Ungaretti & Harris LLP

Vice Chair Darryl DePriest

Thomas P. Desmond Vedder Price P.C.

Thomas Hayward, Jr. Bell, Boyd & Lloyd

Honey Jacobs Skinner Sidley Austin

Martin Castro Aetna, Inc.

Christina Tchen Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meager & Flom LLP

Lucia Nale Mayer Brown LLP

the chicAgo community trust stAff

Terry Mazany President and CEO

Ngoan Le Vice President of Programs

FISCAL YEAr 2008 BOArd OF dIrECtOrS And tHE CHICAgO COMMUnItY trUSt StAFF

5 AdvAncing Justice

As the charitable arm of The Chicago Bar Association, The Chicago Bar Foundation (CBF) rallies our legal

community around a cause that is uniquely important to lawyers and legal professionals: ensuring that everyone

in the Chicago area has access to our justice system, particularly the low-income and disadvantaged Chicagoans

who most need the protections of our civil legal system.

The CBF plays a distinct and vital role in the community by taking a system-wide approach to tackling this issue.

Through grants, advocacy and other programs, the CBF: > Advances the work of our community’s pro bono and legal aid organizations; > Enables dedicated lawyers to pursue careers in legal aid and helps pro bono attorneys most effectively

supplement their efforts; and > Makes the courts and legal system more user-friendly and accessible for all.

The CBF’s work is made possible by the generous support of more than 150 law firms and corporations and

thousands of individual donors.

AdvAncing Justice 6

officers

President Thomas Z. Hayward, Jr. Bell, Boyd & Lloyd LLC

1st Vice President Christina M. Tchen Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

2nd Vice President Sally J. McDonald dLA Piper

Treasurer Kaarina Salovaara U.S. department of Justice

Secretary Celia G. Gamrath Schiller, duCanto and Fleck LLP

directors

Aurora Abella-Austriaco Peck, Bloom, Austriaco & Mitchell, LLC

Kimball R. Anderson Winston & Strawn LLP

David A. Baker Mcdermott Will & Emery

James P. Carey Loyola University Chicago School of Law

Hon. Ruben Castillo Judge, U.S. district Court

Ruben Chapa U.S. department of Labor

Daniel A. Cotter Argonaut group, Inc.

Paulette Dodson Sara Lee Corporation

Thomas A. Doyle Saunders & doyle

Kevin P. Durkin Clifford Law Offices

Joan Fencik Exelon Corporation

Allen Gilbert Mayer Brown LLP

Victor P. Henderson Holland & Knight LLP

Carrie J. Hightman niSource Inc.

Scott Hodes Bryan Cave

Hon. Michael B. Hyman Judge, Circuit Court of Cook County

Theresa A. Jaffe Jenner & Block LLP

Marc Kadish Mayer Brown LLP

James Kelly Credit Suisse

Megan McClung Attorney at Law

Hon. Patrick McGann Judge, Circuit Court of Cook County

James Montana Vedder Price P.C.

Stephen R. Patton Kirkland & Ellis LLP

Kathleen L. Roach Sidley Austin LLP

Charis A. Runnels Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

Mary Smith Attorney at Law

Natalie J. Spears Sonnenschein nath & rosenthal LLP

Ann M. Spillane Office of the Illinois Attorney general

Stephanie Stewart-Page the gloor Law group LLC

James D. Wascher Friedman & Holtz, P.C.

Hon. E. Kenneth Wright, Jr. Judge, Circuit Court of Cook County

Matthew A. C. Zapf goldberg Kohn

generAL counseL

Janice E. Rodgers Quarles & Brady LLP

the chicAgo bAr foundAtion stAff

Bob Glaves Executive director

Dina R. Merrell Associate director

FISCAL YEAr 2008 BOArd OF dIrECtOrS And tHE CHICAgO BAr FOUndAtIOn StAFF

7 AdvAncing Justice

ADVANCING JustICe

In fall 2007, The Chicago Area Foundation for Legal Services, a supporting organization of The Chicago

Community Trust, and The Chicago Bar Foundation (Sponsors) made a decision to collaborate on grant making

efforts through the Advancing Justice program. This new initiative provides financial support for projects and

initiatives that: > Address systemic barriers to access to justice, by improving the overall system of justice or enhancing the

overall legal aid delivery structure; and/or > Tackle emerging issues in the realm of access to justice (e.g., addressing gaps in the legal aid delivery

system, fostering innovative approaches to increasing access to justice).

the bAckgroundBased on an analysis of the grant making programs of the two organizations, it was determined that CAFLS’

grant making guidelines are closely aligned with CBF’s Projects and Emerging Issues grants and that the grant

recipients would benefit from a coordinated approach to grant making. Therefore, the Advancing Justice cycle is

a combination of CAFLS’ biannual grant making cycles and the CBF’s Project/Emerging Issue grant cycle into

one cycle.

Through this new cycle, CAFLS and the CBF will each make grants as part of this joint grant making process. For

some project proposals, the CAFLS and CBF boards may decide to each award a grant, while other proposals

may receive a grant from only one of the Sponsors. The Sponsors generally receive substantially more requests

than can be funded, and thus there is no guarantee that any particular project or organization will receive funding

from either CAFLS or the CBF through the Advancing Justice cycle.

Through this joint effort, The Chicago Community Trust/CAFLS manages the Letter of Inquiry and proposal

submission process and in consultation with the Grants Committee whose membership includes representatives

of both CAFLS and CBF boards, The Chicago Bar Foundation will manage the selection process for the Letters

of Inquiry and project proposals.

AdvAncing Justice 8

NATIONAL IMMIGRANT JUSTICE CENTER

ACCess LIVING

Access Living is a cross-disability organization established in 1980, governed and staffed by a majority of persons

with disabilities. Access Living’s mission is to foster the dignity, pride and self-esteem of people with disabilities

and to enhance the options available so people with disabilities may choose and maintain individualized and

satisfying lifestyles. Access Living programs include peer-oriented independent living services pursuant to the

federal Rehabilitation Act; public education, awareness and development; and individual and systemic advocacy

and enforcement of civil rights on behalf of persons with disabilities. Access Living serves people with all types

of disabilities throughout the Chicago area, with a special emphasis on Chicago residents. About 99% of Access

Living’s clients are low-income.

PrOJECt SUPPOrtEd BY AdVAnCIng JUStICE

the civiL rights AdvocAteFunding from Advancing Justice will allow Access Living to retain the position of Civil Rights Advocate. This

position is part of the organization’s six-person Civil Rights team. This team, which includes two attorneys, works

to promote the enforcement of civil rights laws on behalf of persons with disabilities. The Civil Rights Advocate

will monitor compliance on a consent decree in a class action case involving nursing home residents; provide

information, brief service and referrals; and participate in community forums to educate the public about

disability rights.

O R G A N I Z A t I O N A L P R O F I L e s

AdvAncing Justice 10

AIDs LeGAL COuNCIL OF CHICAGO

Since 1987, the Aids Legal Council of Chicago (ALCC) has pursued its mission of protecting the rights of people

with HIV/AIDS through no-cost legal services, education outreach and public policy advocacy. The ALCC was

established by founder James Smith and a group of volunteers from the legal and medical fields. ALCC first

started seeing clients in Mr. Smith’s living room. With the rising rates of HIV infection among minorities and low-

income communities, ALCC opened a satellite office in 1991 on the campus of Cook County Hospital (now

Stroger Hospital). Since that time, the organization has grown into the only legal aid organization in Illinois

devoted exclusively to addressing the legal need of persons with HIV and AIDS. In 2006, ALCC helped nearly 900

clients with 1,392 separate legal matters.


the hiv-positive immigrAnts’ rights proJectALCC’s HIV-Positive Immigrants’ Rights Project provides legal assistance to HIV-positive immigrants concerning

residency, citizenship, requests for asylum and petitions for HIV waivers. Funding from Advancing Justice will

support the continued efforts of this project.


11 AdvAncing Justice

CAbRINI GReeN LeGAL AID CLINIC

Founded in 1973, Cabrini Green Legal Aid Clinic (CGLA) was created to “answer God’s call to seek justice and

mercy by providing legal services to the poorest of the poor.” As the neighborhood of Cabrini Green has changed,

CGLA has expanded its reach to serve impoverished residents from all of Chicago’s neighborhoods. CGLA offers

quality legal representation, at no cost, in areas deemed most critical to the lives of the poor: housing law,

family law, criminal law, and expungement, sealing and clemency. CGLA also engages in community education

and outreach, hoping to prevent problems that might otherwise end up in court. Each year, hundreds of

volunteers assist CGLA staff in meeting the needs of over 4,000 vulnerable individuals and families.

PrOJECtS SUPPOrtEd BY AdVAnCIng JUStICE

the st. sAbinA church sAteLLite intAke expAnsion piLot As part of its strategic planning process, CGLA identified partnerships with churches and community organizations

as a goal, to further its objective of providing more holistic services to its clients. Through a study of zip codes

of its clients, CGLA identified the south and west sides of Chicago as communities of great need and in which

large numbers of its clients reside. Funding from Advancing Justice will allow CGLA to launch a pilot project with

St. Sabina Church through which pro bono attorneys conduct intake with clients on site at the church.

the expungement heLp desk Funding from Advancing Justice will assist CGLA in supporting the Expungement Help Desk at the Daley Center.

Records of arrests and convictions that occurred long ago or have no relevance to one’s job responsibilities bar

thousands of Illinois residents from getting and keeping jobs and/or housing, often preventing this population

from becoming productive citizens. The Resource Desk, which is staffed by CGLA staff and pro bono attorneys,

offers advice and guidance to thousands of pro se clients filing expungement or sealing of criminal records

actions each year. Once these records are clear, these individuals’ ability to find employment and to secure

housing is greatly improved.



CARPLs

In 1989, the Lawyers Trust Fund of Illinois, The Chicago Bar Association, and the Illinois State Bar Association

conducted the Illinois Legal Needs Study, which concluded that low-income people did not have equal access to

the legal system due in part to a network of services that was difficult to negotiate. The Study called for a

streamlined delivery mechanism to negotiate this maze of services and provide low-income people with quality

legal advice, information and referrals to an appropriate agency. The result was the founding in 1993, of

CARPLS, the Coordinated Advice and Referral Program for Legal Services. Today, CARPLS is the only legal

advice and referral hotline serving low-income residents of Cook County. CARPLS strives to help low-income

clients address their legal needs in a timely and cost-effective manner and also serves a critical role in identifying

trends and pinpointing gaps in the legal aid delivery system.


the coLLection seLf-heLp deskAdvancing Justice will support CARPLS’ Collection Self-Help Desk. Located at the Daley Center, this program

provides legal advice and brief services to pro se defendants in proceedings to collect on judgments as well as to

pro se plaintiffs seeking to collect judgments they have obtained. Last year, the Desk served over 2,300 clients.

domestic reLAtions seLf-heLp deskLocated at the Daley Center, CARPLS’ Domestic Relations Self-Help Desk provides advice and guidance to pro

se clients with pre- and post-decree divorce issues. The Desk serves about 15-20 pro se clients a day or more

than 4,200 clients annually. Advancing Justice will support this project’s ongoing efforts.



CHICAGO COALItION FOR tHe HOmeLess

Founded in 1980, the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (CCH) organizes and advocates preventing and ending

homelessness based on its belief that housing is a basic human right in a just society. CCH focuses its efforts on

ending homelessness by addressing its root causes, including the lack of affordable housing, the lack of living-

wage jobs, the lack of health care, discrimination and violence. CCH mobilizes over 12,000 individual and

organizational supporters through a newsletter, quarterly policy papers, a Web site and advocacy efforts. CCH is

supported and guided by homeless, housed, low, middle and high-income individuals of all ages, representing

diverse racial, ethnic and political backgrounds. The organization states it will continue to fight until every person

has a place to call home.


youth futuresAdvocates and service providers have long known that homeless youths have extensive needs that usually are

underserved. To assess collective need, CCH helped implement the first state-run census of unaccompanied

youth in 20 years. Wanting to boost its services to homeless teens, in August 2004 CCH’s Law Project started a

mobile legal aid clinic for homeless youth called Youth Futures. Youth Futures is the only project in Chicago that

focuses on the legal needs of homeless youth, with a focus on helping homeless youth gain admission back into

school. Funding from Advancing Justice will continue to promote the work of Youth Futures.



CHICAGO LAWYeRs’ COmmIttee FOR CIVIL RIGHts uNDeR LAW, INC.

The Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Inc. (Committee) was founded in 1969 as a

cooperative effort of some of Chicago’s law firms to provide pro bono legal assistance to the poor and minorities.

The mission of the Committee is to promote and protect civil rights, particularly the civil rights of poor, minority

and disadvantaged people. The Committee’s approach is community driven in that the agenda and priorities are

determined in consultation with Chicago’s myriad community-based organizations that have been addressing

the results of virulent poverty, entrenched segregation, insufficient public services and other barriers to opportunity

faced by communities of color in Chicago. Annually, over 15,000 hours of professional legal services, with an

estimated value of almost $3 million, are donated by volunteers of the Committee.


the empLoyment pro se AssistAnce progrAmAdvancing Justice funds will support the work of the Committee’s Employment Pro Se Assistance Program

(PRAP). The PRAP program encompasses the Committee’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

Mediation Program and the Federal Settlement Conference Pro Bono Project. PRAP provides pro bono attorneys

to represent pro se workers at EEOC mediations and to represent pro se clients in settlement conferences.



CHICAGO LeGAL ADVOCACY FOR INCARCeRAteD mOtHeRs

Chicago Legal Advocacy for Incarcerated Mothers (CLAIM) was founded in 1985 to fill the gap in legal services

to imprisoned mothers in Illinois and to address the long-term intergenerational consequences of the increasing

incarceration of women and girls. CLAIM provides legal and educational services to maintain the bond between

imprisoned mothers and their children, and advocates for policies and programs that benefit families of

imprisoned mothers and reduce incarceration of women and girls. CLAIM is the only civil legal aid provider in

Chicago and Illinois that provides regularly scheduled services inside correctional centers. About 73% of women

prisoners in the Illinois prison system are women of color, the vast majority of whom are serving sentences for

nonviolent offenses. More than 85% of incarcerated women in Illinois are mothers. Its focus on the family law

needs of imprisoned mothers and their families makes CLAIM unique.


the fAmiLy LAw cLinic Funding from Advancing Justice will allow CLAIM to develop a Family Law Clinic at the Cook County Jail. Through

this Clinic, volunteer attorneys will provide legal advice to mothers in pre-trial detention concerning the care of

their children, short-term guardianship appointment forms and information about the foster care system. Grant

funds also will be used to develop of a series of handbooks for the mothers and their children’s caregivers.



CHICAGO LeGAL CLINIC, INC.

The South Chicago Legal Clinic, Inc., now the Chicago Legal Clinic, Inc. (Clinic), was founded in 1981 to address the

legal needs of area workers who lost their jobs due to the reduction of steel mill operations in South Chicago. Over

the past 25 years, the Clinic has grown from a small storefront office with a single attorney into a legal services provider

for the entire Chicago area. The mission of the Clinic is to identify legal needs and provide community-based, quality

legal services and education to the underserved and disadvantaged in the Chicago area, thereby promoting justice

through greater access to the legal system. Since its founding, the Clinic has served more than 130,000 clients. In

addition to its South Chicago office, the Clinic currently maintains offices in Pilsen, Austin and the Loop.


the expedited chiLd support And pAternity division Advice deskOver 20,000 children per year go through the Cook County Expedited Child Support and Paternity Division,

many of whose parents are proceeding without a lawyer. The grant from Advancing Justice will support the

Clinic’s Advice Desk at the Cook County Expedited Child Support and Paternity Division. This Desk provides free

legal consultations, self-help materials designed to guide pro se litigants through the child support process and,

when appropriate, referrals to other legal, government and social services resources to hundreds of pro se

litigants in child support and paternity cases.

the chAncery division Advice deskThe Chancery Court Advice is a cooperative effort between the Clinic, the Chancery Division of the Circuit Court

of Cook County, The Chicago Bar Foundation, the Clerk’s Office, and other legal aid providers. The Advice Desk

serves lower-income pro se litigants with cases involving foreclosure, injunctions, name changes and specific

performance of a contract. Clinic attorneys who staff the Desk move each client to the next step in the legal

process, which they accomplish through providing advice, assisting clients with completing forms or pleadings

and in some cases, making a referral to another legal aid or pro bono program. Advancing Justice grant funds

will be used to support ongoing Desk operations.



CHICAGO VOLuNteeR LeGAL seRVICes

Chicago Volunteer Legal Services (CVLS) was founded in 1964 by a few young law firm associates, who, with no

funding, set up free “advice clinics” in three inner city churches. Within a few years, they began providing full

legal services to their clients. In the early 1970’s, CVLS hired an executive director and obtained tax-exempt

status. By the mid-1980’s, a panel referral program brought CVLS hundreds more volunteer attorneys and

complemented its Neighborhood Legal Clinic program. In recent years, CVLS has added specialty panels

including: contested family law, guardian ad litem for minors and disabled adults and the Chancery Court’s

Access to Justice. CVLS’ mission is to coordinate, promote and support the involvement of the legal community

in the voluntary pro bono representation of individual clients from the ranks of the Chicago area’s poor and

working poor. Last year, 1,800 volunteers helped more than 16,000 low-income clients with their legal problems.


the chAncery court Access to Justice progrAmCVLS’ Chancery Court Access to Justice Program is a collaboration between CVLS, The Chicago Bar Association,

The Chicago Bar Foundation and the Chancery Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County. This program

matches pro bono attorneys with pro se litigants facing mortgage foreclosures and mortgage fraud. Advancing

Justice funding will allow CVLS to recruit, train, and support pro bono attorneys to represent clients in these

complex cases.



COmmuNItY eCONOmIC DeVeLOPmeNt LAW PROJeCt

The Community Economic Development Law Project (CEDLP) is a project of the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for

Civil Rights Under Law, Inc. Founded in 1985, CEDLP provides pro bono transactional, non-litigation services to

Chicago area community organizations, neighborhood development projects and social service agencies. CEDLP

has expanded its work to provide legal counsel to emerging businesses, including offering small business training

programs and legal counsel and representation to people who are using their Housing Choice Vouchers to buy

their first homes. CEDLP focuses its work in the Chicago area.


the nonprofit LegAL Assessment proJectCEDLP’s Nonprofit Legal Assessment Project (NLAP) matches teams of pro bono attorneys with not-for-profit

organizations to promote good governance through a comprehensive assessment of an organization’s documents,

policies and procedures. Funding from Advancing Justice will support NLAP’s work in strengthening not-for-

profit organizations across Chicago.

choose to own progrAmAdvancing Justice funding will support CEDLP’s Choose to Own Program. Choose to Own enables low-income

people who have Housing Choice Vouchers to apply them to conventional mortgages. Choose to Own pro bono

attorneys represent low-income, first-time home buyers in their real estate closings and handle post-purchase

issues, including the drafting of wills and related documents.



DePAuL uNIVeRsItY COLLeGe OF LAW AsYLum AND ImmIGRAtION LAW CLINIC

DePaul University is a major private university that pursues the mission of education, research and public service.

The DePaul College of Law Legal Clinic provides a setting for law students to sharpen skills and knowledge while

engaging in legal practice outside a formal classroom. Through the Clinic, law faculty and students contribute to

the community beyond the university by fulfilling fundamental societal needs. The Asylum and Immigration

Clinic, founded in 1996, serves Chicago and surrounding communities while training future attorneys and

sharing university resources and expertise with community-based organizations serving immigrant communities

and their clients.


the LegAL resource proJect for immigrAnt service providersAdvancing Justice will provide support for the Clinic’s Legal Resource Project for Immigrant Service Providers.

This program provides technical assistance and case support to 22 community-based organizations (CBOs) that

aid the large immigrant population in the Chicagoland area with the myriad of legal issues faced by immigrants.

The vast majority of CBOs that regularly serve immigrants do not have the capacity or resources to provide

much-needed legal services to this underserved client community. By leveraging the resources of DePaul’s

Asylum and Immigration Law Clinic, the project is able to help the CBOs build and enhance their capacity to

better serve immigrants’ legal needs.



equIP FOR equALItY

Equip for Equality (EFE) is dedicated to advancing the human and civil rights of people with disabilities in Illinois.

Established in 1985 as a private, not-for-profit organization, EFE is the Protection & Advocacy agency for the state.

This is part of the national network of state Protection & Advocacy agencies mandated by Congress, endowed

with broad federal and state statutory powers to protect the rights of people with disabilities. Equip for Equality

serves the Illinois disability community through legal and advocacy services, education, policy initiatives and

investigations. Over 50% of EFE’s clients are Latino or African American and the vast majority are low-income.


the speciAL educAtion cLinicEquip for Equality’s Special Education Clinic provides help-line advice and referral services, training programs

and materials and legal representation on special education issues. The grant from Advancing Justice will allow

the Clinic’s staff to refine and expand the services to children with special education needs throughout the state,

further incorporate the special education needs of Latino children and children involved with Cook County’s

Juvenile Justice system into the Clinic and increase the involvement of pro bono attorneys in the work.



HeALtH AND DIsAbILItY ADVOCAtes

Founded in 1992 as the SSI Coalition, Health and Disability Advocates (HDA) has grown from an education and

outreach effort to a national policy group regularly consulted by the Social Security Administration, the U.S.

Department of Labor and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on a range of disability, employment

and health care programs. HDA is a policy and direct service organization protecting the rights of children,

people with disabilities and low-income older adults. HDA strives to protect and strengthen the federal and state

safety net programs including Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI),

Medicare and Medicaid.


the chicAgo medicAL-LegAL pArtnership for chiLdrenAdvancing Justice will support HDA’s Chicago Medical-Legal Partnership for Children project. This project, a

collaboration with Legal Assistance Foundation, is an expanded medical-legal collaboration that provides onsite

legal assistance related to health, public benefits and other legal issues to low-income families whose children

are being cared for at hospitals and health clinics in low-income neighborhoods.



LAtINOs PROGResANDO

Located in the heart of Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, Latinos Progresando began in 1998 with the personal

financial investment of its current executive director. Latinos Progresando recognizes immigration as a cornerstone

of a healthy community whose members can engage in positive activities on both a personal and a social level.

Latinos Progresando has three major program areas — the Legal Services program, the Community Education

program, and the theatrical group Teatro Americano. Latinos Progresando serves Latino immigrants from all over

Chicago with the vast majority of the clients coming from the Pilsen and Little Village neighborhoods.


the LegAL services progrAmThrough its Legal Services program, Latinos Progresando

serves immigrants by providing low-cost, legal immigration

services, community education and engagement and

advocacy/organizing policy work impacting immigrants.

By helping immigrants move toward lawful status, civic

engagement and reunited families, Latinos Progresando

helps build strong communities. Funding from Advancing

Justice will allow Latinos Progresando to expand its Legal

Services program.



LeGAL AID buReAu OF metROPOLItAN FAmILY seRVICes

As the oldest provider of legal aid to the poor in Chicago and the second oldest in the nation, the Legal Aid

Bureau of Metropolitan Family Services traces its origin to the Protective Agency for Women & Children in 1886.

In 1905, the agency merged with the Bureau of Justice to form the Legal Aid Society and merged again in 1919

with the Bureau of Charities to form United Charities, which is now Metropolitan Family Services. Today, as a core

program of Metropolitan Family Services, Legal Aid Bureau (LAB) practices primarily in the area of family and

elder law. Through the recent creation of its Poverty Law Project, LAB also serves the agency’s clients on the south

and southwest sides of Chicago who have consumer and housing legal problems. LAB serves families in Cook

County with income levels at or below 125% of the federal poverty guidelines.


the poverty LAw proJectLAB launched the Poverty Law Project in April 2007 to provide housing and consumer law advice, advocacy,

representation and education to low-income residents of Chicago’s south and southwest sides (an area of

Chicago with few legal aid offices). In the Project’s first months of operation, LAB has served hundreds of clients.

Advancing Justice funding will support the Project’s ongoing operations.




LeGAL AssIstANCe FOuNDAtION OF metROPOLItAN CHICAGO

The Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago (LAF) was founded over 30 years ago to ensure that

all people, regardless of income, have equal access to justice. Serving approximately 30,000 people a year, LAF

is the largest and most comprehensive agency in Cook County providing free legal aid to low-income residents

in non-criminal matters. LAF’s work is instrumental in supporting families, preserving homes, maintaining

economic stability, promoting safety, security, and health, serving populations with special vulnerabilities, and

protecting human and civil rights. LAF serves residents of Cook County whose incomes are 150% of the federal

poverty guidelines or less, as well as all senior citizens.


the re-entry initiAtiveFunding from Advancing Justice will allow LAF to expand the reach of its Re-Entry Initiative. The Re-Entry Initiative

assists eligible individuals to clear their criminal records through expungement and sealing. LAF will expand its

work to include juvenile expungement, allowing the agency to reach out to a client population for which no other

legal aid organization is conducting outreach.

the veterAns’ right proJect Prior to the establishment of LAF’s Veterans’ Rights Project, no legal aid organization in Chicago had an attorney

on staff who specialized in veterans’ rights. With a seed grant from the CBF, in 2007, LAF created the Veterans’

Rights Project to provide legal assistance to veterans through staff attorneys and pro bono attorneys. Funding

from Advancing Justice will provide more resources to address this gap in Chicago’s legal aid delivery system.



Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago – continued

the medicAL debt reLief proJect The Medical Debt Relief Project provides assistance to low-income residents of Chicago’s south and west sides

who, as a result of large medical bills, face collection harassment, lawsuits, property liens on their dwellings, and

garnishment. When possible, LAF helps these clients eliminate their debt by targeting hospitals that are not

fulfilling their legal duties to provide free hospital services to the indigent, or are charging uninsured patients

double, triple and in some cases quadruple what they charge their insured patients. This Project is a model for

other legal aid organizations around the country. It has been replicated in southern Illinois and LAF has received

interest from other legal aid organizations outside of Illinois. Advancing Justice funding will support the continuing

efforts of the Medical Debt Relief Project.



NAtIONAL ImmIGRANt JustICe CeNteR

The National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC), a partner of Heartland Human Care Services, is dedicated to

ensuring human rights protections and access to justice for all immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers. NIJC

provides direct legal services to and advocates for these populations through policy reform, impact litigation,

and public education. NIJC provides comprehensive legal services on a variety of immigration issues, including

citizenship and naturalization, lawful permanent residency, family visa petitions, employment authorization,

asylum, deportation defense, relief under the Violence against Women Act and relief under the Trafficking Victims

Protection Act. NIJC monitors and responds to human rights conditions and abuses at the local, regional,

national, and international levels, while leveraging its expertise to influence public policy and effect legislative

and regulatory change.


the immigrAnt chiLdren’s protection proJectRecently, the number of unaccompanied immigrant children in Chicago has nearly quadrupled. Advancing Justice

will fund NIJC’s Immigrant Children’s Protection Project that provides legal representation to unaccompanied

immigrant children in Immigration Court. In addition, the Project cultivates and supports a network of pro bono

attorneys to assist children with their legal cases.

the immigrAnt community proJect: defenders initiAtiveAdvancing Justice funds will support the second year of NIJC’s Defenders Initiative, which is designed to help

attorneys who practice criminal law understand the consequences of criminal convictions on non-citizens in the

immigration context. Project attorneys continue to develop and distribute educational materials targeted to

public and federal defenders, child welfare officials and social workers, train public defenders and criminal

defense attorneys on key areas of immigration law so they can more effectively serve their clients, and provide

technical assistance to defenders and child welfare workers through an e-mail helpline.



uPtOWN PeOPLe’s LAW CeNteR

Incorporated in 1979, Uptown People’s Law Center (UPLC) is a community-based storefront legal clinic that

combines grassroots advocacy and creative legal representation of poor and working people in Uptown and

other communities throughout Chicago. UPLC sees its role in the Uptown community as “a community

organization which just happens to practice law.” All of UPLC’s staff are long-time Uptown residents and view

their work as a calling. UPLC’s mission is to provide legal education and defense to poor and working people in

Uptown and other similar neighborhoods in Chicago, including members of those communities who are

incarcerated in Illinois’ prisons.


the prisoner pro bono civiL rights proJectFunding from Advancing Justice will be used to launch UPLC’s Prisoner Pro Bono Civil Rights Project. Through

this unique project, UPLC will act as a clearinghouse for prisoner correspondence received by law firms, legal aid

and pro bono programs and bar associations. UPLC will review the correspondence; track the letters to address

duplication of efforts; recruit, train and support pro bono attorneys; and place meritorious civil rights cases with

pro bono attorneys.


c/o The Chicago Community Trust111 East Wacker Drive, Suite 1400

Chicago, IL 60601www.cafls.org

321 South Plymouth Court, Suite 3BChicago, IL 60604

www.chicagobarfoundation.org

Photography © Eileen Ryan Photography

a d v a n c i n g jus ice - the chicago bar foundation€¦ · school of law hon. ruben castillo...

Documents