The Illinois Equal Justice Foundation (IEJF) is working with legislative supporters to build support for an increase in the Civil Legal Aid appropriation, from $1.4 Million to $2.5 Million.

Here’s some key facts to know:

• This appropriation, which passes through the Attorney General’s budget, addresses the most common and urgent legal problems low-income Illinoisans face, such as family law, access to government benefits, housing, and consumer fraud.  
• The Civil Legal Aid appropriation has been stagnant at $1.4 Million since 2013.
• At the same time, the need for legal aid has increased sharply across the state. Only one out of every 6 Illinoisans can access free legal assistance for a life-changing problem like eviction, child custody or domestic violence.

Stay tuned for advocacy updates over the next few weeks, including key opportunities to contact your local legislators.  You can download our one-pager here.