Attorney General Madigan surrounded by legal aid well wishers Michael Bergmann, Lisa Colpoys, Leslie Corbett and Bob Glaves at the 2016 IL Bar Foundation Gala.

On September 15, Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced she would not run for a fifth term.  Taking office in 2003, Madigan is the longest serving Attorney General in Illinois and the first woman to hold the office. She will serve out her current term, which ends in January 2019.

Attorney General Madigan’s accomplishments in office are many.  As the State’s chief legal officer, she and her staff of 750 represent the State in all litigation in both the trial and appellate courts, handling a government defense caseload of nearly 31,000 cases, and providing legal opinions to government officials.  She has made headlines for her bold moves to protect consumers impacted by foreclosure, student loan debt and identity theft as well as to protect victims of crime.

As is exemplified in the selfie taken above, Attorney General Madigan is a friend of civil legal aid. She continually champions state funding for civil legal aid and stepped in when the State did not honor its commitment outlined in the IL Equal Justice Act.  She awarded $7.2 million in settlement funds to support the IEJF’s grant programs and operations in 2015 during the state budget impasse.  In 2012, she awarded $20 million in national foreclosure settlement funds to Illinois civil legal aid providers as well as an additional $5 million to support foreclosure mediation pilots across the state. The IEJF serves as the grant monitor for the foreclosure awards.

The IEJF, the legal aid community and the clients it serves salute Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s commitment to access to justice for all.  She has made a profound impact on our work and we wish her the best in her new endeavor.