The Chicago Bar Foundation

As the Investing in Justice Campaign nears the finish line, United Airlines hosted a reception for this year’s Campaign law firm and corporate leaders in their headquarters in the Willis Tower earlier this week. Thanks to 2024 Chair Robert S Rivkin, Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at United Airlines, and the whole United team for their leadership and support throughout the Campaign! https://lnkd.in/gUDJ66ZA

The CBF is excited to welcome our summer undergraduate intern, Melissa Aguilar! Melissa is a rising senior at Metropolitan State University of Denver and is a Colorado native. She is joining us through The Chicago Center for Urban Life & Culture, a program that provides experiential learning opportunities in diverse Chicago communities for undergraduate students from around the country. Welcome, Melissa!

The CBF is excited to welcome our summer law student extern, Saraf Farhin Choudhury! Saraf is earning her LLM at the University of Illinois College of Law in Champaign and is admitted to practice law in her home country of Bangladesh. When she's not at the CBF, Saraf enjoys exploring Chicago's food scene. Welcome, Saraf!

Thousands of people who come into the Circuit Court without a lawyer every month now have a new central place within the Daley Center to get guidance on navigating the system. The Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois' Resource Center for People Without Lawyers has a new home on the concourse level of the Daley Center that will enable the center to provide improved and expanded services. Learn more about the Resource Center and its services at the link below! https://lnkd.in/gWi8jBm3

Hot on the heels of a successful advocacy trip to Washington D.C., a dedicated team of volunteers and staff from the CBF and CBA traveled to Springfield to advocate for several important access to justice initiatives. The advocacy team met with legislators and members of the Governor’s staff to highlight the current CBF state advocacy priorities, including funding for key legal aid and court programs and two initiatives to improve fairness and efficiency in the courts. Learn more at the link below! https://lnkd.in/g9VqD2kr

As we hit the home stretch of this series, we want to focus on the integral part the courts play in access to justice because the courts are fundamental to the ultimate success of all other interventions. Courts alone cannot ensure access to justice—we all share in this responsibility and need to do our part—but there is no way we can reach access to justice without the courts fully embracing their leadership responsibility on this front. https://lnkd.in/gPEM8vNK

Can't make it to Passport to Chicago tomorrow but still want to experience the culinary landscape of Chicago and support the CBF? Purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win one of four food-themed raffle prizes. Tickets are $15 each and you do not have to be present to win. Check out the prizes and purchase tickets at the link below! https://lnkd.in/g5YDdMGp

About 600,00 low-income people in Cook County will face a legal problem this year. Some will be fighting for their home. While others will be fighting for their children. Less than half of them will be able to get the legal help they need. Help grow the capacity of our pro bono and legal aid system by donating to the Investing in Justice Campaign, where 100% of individual contributions directly support 30+ legal aid and pro bono organizations and related initiatives. #IIJ2024 https://lnkd.in/giYzAG9B

The CBF's annual Passport to Chicago event is NEXT THURSDAY! Join us for an evening of celebrating the diverse culture and cuisines of Chicago’s many neighborhoods through a range of chef-driven, independently-owned vendors while supporting the CBF’s mission of ensuring access to justice for all. Learn more and purchase tickets at the link below. https://lnkd.in/g5YDdMGp