Skip to content
  • Home
  • Contact
Illinois Equal Justice Foundation Logo
  • Home
  • About
    • Board & Staff
    • Annual Reports
    • Donors
  • Grants
    • Guidelines
    • Applications
    • Reports
    • Grant Recipients
    • Funding Categories
      • Legal Information to the Public
      • Self‑Help Legal Assistance Projects
      • Mediation Services
      • Telephone Advice & Referral Services
      • Civil Legal Assistance
    • Consumer Settlement Fund Grants
      • Grant Guidelines
      • Grants
  • New Leaf Illinois
    • Grant Guidelines
    • Funding Categories
      • Telephone Advice & Referral Services
      • Legal Services
      • Community Outreach
      • Technical Assistance
    • Applications & Reports
    • Grant Recipients
    • FAQs
  • IL AFLAN
    • Illinois Access to Civil Justice Council
    • Grant Guidelines
    • Grant Applications
    • Grant Recipients
  • COVID Housing Grants
    • Eviction Help Illinois
      • FY21 Eviction Help Illinois
        • Grant Guidelines
        • Applications
        • Funding Categories
          • Civil Legal Assistance Grants
          • Mediation Services
        • Reports
        • FAQs
      • FY22 Eviction Help Illinois
        • Grant Guidelines
        • Applications
        • Funding Categories
          • Civil Legal Assistance Grants
          • Mediation Services
        • Reports
        • FAQs
      • FY 23 Eviction Help Illinois
        • Grant Guidelines
        • Applications
        • Funding Categories
          • Mediation Services
          • Civil Legal Assistance Grants
        • FY23 Reports
      • ERA2 Funding
        • Grant Guidelines
        • Applications
        • Funding Categories
          • Civil Legal Assistance Grants
          • Mediation Services
        • Reports
      • Grant Recipients
    • IHDA Foreclosure Grants
      • Grant Guidelines
      • Applications
      • Funding Categories
        • Civil Legal Assistance Grants
        • Mediation Services
  • News & Resources
    • Press Room
      • News Releases
      • Newsletters
      • News You Can Use
    • Resource Center
      • Legal Help Links
      • Fact Sheet
      • FAQs
      • Recent Studies
  • Advocacy
    • About the Campaign
    • Partners
    • Join Now
    • Campaign Videos
    • Take Action
  • 20 Years
  • Home
  • About
    • Board & Staff
    • Annual Reports
    • Donors
    • Job Postings
  • Grants
    • Guidelines
    • Applications
    • Reports
    • Grant Recipients
    • Funding Categories
      • Legal Information to the Public
      • Self‑Help Legal Assistance Projects
      • Mediation Services
      • Telephone Advice & Referral Services
      • Civil Legal Assistance
    • Consumer Settlement Fund Grants
      • Grant Guidelines
      • Grants
  • New Leaf Illinois
    • New Leaf Illinois Network Grant Guidelines
    • Funding Categories
      • Telephone Advice & Referral Services
      • Legal Services
      • Community Outreach
      • Technical Assistance
    • Applications & Reports
    • Grant Recipients
    • FAQs
  • Illinois Armed Forces Legal Aid Network
    • Illinois Access to Civil Justice Council
    • Grant Guidelines
    • Grant Applications
    • Grant Recipients
  • Eviction Help Illinois Grants
    • FY21 Eviction Help Illinois
      • Grant Guidelines
      • Applications
      • Funding Categories
        • Civil Legal Assistance Grants
        • Mediation Services
      • Reports
      • FAQs
    • FY22 Eviction Help Illinois
      • Grant Guidelines
      • Applications
      • Funding Categories
        • Civil Legal Assistance Grants
        • Mediation Services
      • Reports
      • FAQs
      • Grant Recipients
    • FY 23 Eviction Help Illinois
      • Grant Guidelines
      • Applications
      • Funding Categories
        • Civil Legal Assistance Grants
        • Mediation Services
      • Reports
    • IHDA Foreclosure Grants
      • Grant Guidelines
      • Applications
      • Funding Categories
        • Civil Legal Assistance Grants
        • Mediation Services
  • Resource Center
    • Legal Help Links
    • Fact Sheet
    • FAQs
    • Recent Studies
  • Press Room
    • News Releases
    • Newsletters
    • News You Can Use
  • Advocacy
    • About the Campaign
    • Partners
    • Join Now
    • Campaign Videos
    • Take Action
  • 20 Years
  • Contact
Press Room » Newsletters » A Q&A with Regina Hernandez of Legal Aid Chicago
JUSTICE FOR ALL

The Illinois Equal Justice Foundation funds civil legal aid programs across
the state, ensuring that all residents have equal access to the justice system.

These programs build stronger communities and a stronger Illinois.

A Q&A with Regina Hernandez of Legal Aid Chicago

 What has been the number one key learning for you during this first year of the New Leaf Illinois program?

It’s been a fascinating experience to see this major piece of legislation implemented into my team’s daily practice. We’ve been able to see the relief written into the new cannabis law take effect in real time – we have seen its strengths, and we see where there is still more work to be done to continue to make a significant impact on the communities hurt most by the war on cannabis.


We know there are thousands more Illinois residents who may be eligible for cannabis expungement.  How would you encourage them to take the first step?

Every time there is a change in expungement/sealing law, people take another chance on a system they may feel has denied or failed them before. In the last 5 years alone, so much has changed in terms of eligibility requirements. Applicable wait periods have shortened, and there are more types of offenses than ever that qualify for relief. Please keep trying, and do not give up. Connect with legal aid agencies doing relief work and get your records reevaluated. Something you’ve been told is ineligible before may qualify now.


You’ve spent your career in the legal aid field.  What is one piece of advice you have for people looking to get into public interest law?

In my opinion, any good legal aid attorney needs to recognize how interconnected different legal areas are, especially when your primary client population consists of those experiencing poverty. A family law issue, for instance, can easily have housing law or consumer law issues that need to be addressed. In criminal records work, we see a direct connection every day to housing and employment troubles, most commonly.


As we head into winter, are there any shows or books you are enjoying?

Very excited about the newest Star Trek shows – Discovery, Lower Decks, and Picard, specifically. In terms of books, I just started Courtroom 302 by Steve Borgia. The author is a former Chicago Reader reporter who spent a year at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse (26th and California) in the late 90s. A great read for anyone interested in the criminal legal system here in Chicago, racial justice, and civil rights issues.

iejf_user2021-12-15T15:00:58-06:00
Home | Contact | Follow us on Facebook
© 2022 Illinois Equal Justice Foundation