On December 9, 2020, the Board of Directors unanimously approved 23 grants to 22 non-profit organizations totaling $1,330,166.
These grants were made possible by a state appropriation for civil legal aid housed in the Office of the Attorney General.
Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation (Alton, Champaign, East St. Louis, Carbondale and Springfield) ($263,133)
To provide low-income people in 65 counties with representation on family, housing and consumer law cases ($213,133).
To serve thousands of low-income people in central and southern Illinois by providing legal advice, self-help materials, guidance on how to use the court system and referrals through a telephone hotline ($50,000).
Prairie State Legal Services (Bloomington, Galesburg, Joliet, Kankakee, McHenry, Ottawa, Peoria, Rockford, Rock Island, St. Charles, Waukegan and Wheaton) ($235,000)
To serve thousands of low-income people in 36 counties in northern and central Illinois by providing legal advice, self-help materials, guidance on how to use the court system and referrals through a telephone counseling service.
Coordinated Advice & Referral Program for Legal Services (Cook County) ($150,000)
To help tens of thousands of low-income people in Cook County by providing legal advice, self-help materials, guidance on how to use the court system and referrals through a telephone hotline.
Legal Aid Chicago (Cook County) ($125,000)
To support attorney positions in the consumer practice group who provide civil legal assistance on consumer and foreclosure matters to senior citizens and low-income families in Cook County.
Illinois Legal Aid Online (Statewide) ($90,000)
To support the development and provision of critical, reliable and user-friendly web-based legal information to Illinoisans facing legal problems.
Equip for Equality (Chicago, Rock Island, Carbondale and Springfield) ($75,000)
To provide legal advice, information and referrals on special education issues through a statewide telephone helpline.
Center for Conflict Resolution (Cook County) ($65,000)
To assist thousands of residents resolve a wide array of disputes through mediation services.
Chicago Volunteer Legal Services (Cook County) ($45,000)
To protect children by serving as Guardian Ad Litem in probate guardianship cases and as a Child Representative in domestic relations cases.
Cabrini Green Legal Aid (Cook County) ($40,000)
To assist individuals wishing to expunge arrest records and/or seal non-violent, misdemeanor convictions in order to obtain employment and attain economic self-sufficiency via outposts at the Richard J. Daley Center, the Markham Courthouse and the Juvenile Temporary Center.
Chicago Legal Clinic (Suburban Cook County) ($40,000)
To provide direct representation to working class people with family law issues.
Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing (Cook County) ($30,000)
To provide civil legal assistance on housing matters impacting low-income private market renters.
Ascend Justice (Cook County) ($20,000)
To provide civil legal assistance to parents and caregivers wrongly accused of abuse and neglect.
Beyond Legal Aid (Cook County) ($20,000)
To provide family and housing law assistance to low-income people at six community-embedded sites.
Dispute Resolution Institute (Carbondale) ($20,000)
To help low-income families resolve custody and visitation issues by providing mediation services in the First Judicial Circuit.
Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services (Chicago) ($20,000)
To provide legal advice and representation to tenants in jeopardy of losing their housing vouchers.
Legal Council for Health Justice (Chicago) ($20,000)
To provide legal advice and representation to lower-income families, seniors, immigrants, veterans and homeless people facing complex legal issues due to disabilities and special health needs.
Life Span (Cook County) ($20,000)
To provide culturally-sensitive legal representation to Arab-American domestic violence survivors.
Public Interest Law Initiative (Statewide) ($15,000)
To support self-represented litigant help desks in four counties in the Sixth and Tenth Judicial Circuits, Free Legal Answers and the Legal Help Within Reach Project, which brings lawyers from urban areas to rural areas to provide pro bono assistance.
Farmworker and Landscaper Advocacy Project (Cook County and northern collar counties) ($10,000)
To support community legal education workshops in partnership with the Mexican Consulate in Chicago and via their mobile unit.
James B Moran Center for Youth Advocacy (Evanston) ($10,000)
To support civil legal assistance to low-income families in three elementary schools.
Metropolitan Tenants Organization (Cook County) ($10,000)
To support legal education efforts for private market tenants in Cook County.
University YMCA (Champaign) ($7,330)
To translate legal information materials into multiple languages for users of the YMCA’s New American Welcome Center.
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