THE CHICAGO BAR FOUNDATION FY 2013 GRANTS

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1 THE CHICAGO BAR FOUNDATION FY 2013 GRANTS In FY 13, the CBF awarded over $4.6 million in grants to more than 40 pro bono and legal aid organizations and related initiatives. These grants, which are discussed more below, are a fundamental part of the CBF s efforts to ensure that all Chicagoans have access to justice. Like the rest of what the CBF does, they are made possible by the generous support of thousands of lawyers and other legal professionals, more than 200 law firms and corporations, and many other dedicated partners from throughout the Chicago area. A significant portion over $1.8 million of the CBF s grants in FY 13 were made possible by the 7 th Annual CBF Investing in Justice Campaign. INVESTING IN OUR COMMUNITY S PRO BONO AND LEGAL AID SYSTEM Cook County s pro bono and legal aid delivery system is designed to help low-income and disadvantaged Chicagoans obtain the protections of our civil legal system. Accordingly, it is an integral component of both our justice system and our community s safety net. Each day, over 40 CBF-funded organizations help thousands of low-income people resolve serious legal issues that threaten their safety and independence, including issues like domestic violence, mortgage foreclosure, and obtaining child support and other benefits wrongfully denied. Through general operating grants and investments in innovative projects and initiatives, the CBF s grants help to meet immediate legal needs in our community and also strengthen our community s pro bono and legal aid system for the longer term. The CBF funds a continuum of legal services to help people in need, ranging from web-based information and resources to legal aid hotlines, advice desks, and clinics, to extended legal representation and larger impact litigation and advocacy. The CBF also supports organizations that provide free mediation services and organizations that engage the bar and broader legal community in improving access to justice through pro bono and other efforts. The complete list of the CBF s FY 13 grants begins on page three of this document. It includes a range of organizations, from those that provide legal advice and representation on a wide range of civil legal issues throughout Cook County, to organizations that support the efforts of pro bono and legal aid organizations and address larger systemic issues, to organizations that provide legal services for a particular legal issue or client population, such as children or disabled people. Page 1

2 In FY 13, the CBF awarded four (4) types of grants: 1) Organizational Support (general operating support) 2) Special Projects (project-based support) 3) Fellowships, Scholarships, and Internships 4) Other Grants THE CBF S GRANTS PROCESS: STRATEGICALLY ALLOCATING FUNDS TO MAXIMIZE IMPACT The CBF s grants are awarded through a comprehensive screening and evaluation process that carefully vets organizations and projects before they receive funding. The CBF s grants process is overseen by a highly regarded board of lawyers and judges who are broadly representative of Chicago s legal community, with the assistance of experienced CBF staff. CBF Board members, along with members of the CBF Young Professionals Board, join staff in making visits to the organizations applying for funding to better inform the Board in making the grant decisions. As is the case with most foundations, the CBF always receives requests exceeding the amount we have available to award. Therefore, the CBF has designed a rigorous process that: ensures accountability and strategically allocates funds to maximize impact; leverages additional support from government and other sources; and promotes best practices on common issues and collective challenges facing pro bono and legal aid organizations. When making grant decisions, the CBF takes into account the impact an organization has, including the number of people served by the organization and the area of law or community it is serving. Other important factors considered include whether the organization has: a sound vision for what it is trying to accomplish and a solid sense of where the organization is headed; strong and responsive staff and board leadership; effective coordination and collaboration with other relevant organizations; and sound financial management. More information about the CBF s grants process is available on the CBF s website, The CBF is committed to striving for excellence and transparency in all of our work, managing our resources effectively, and adhering to the highest ethical standards in our governance and management. We expect the same of the organizations that we fund and hold ourselves to the same standards as the organizations we support. GRANTS PAID IN FY 13 (JUNE 1, MAY 31, 2013) I. ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT GRANTS The CBF s FY 13 Organizational Support grants were funded entirely by the 2013 Investing in Justice Campaign. These grants provide critical and consistent general operating support for pro bono and legal aid organizations in our community. Priority among the CBF s Organizational Support grants is given to organizations that provide legal services to substantial numbers of low-income and disadvantaged people in areas of law where there is significant unmet need and that demonstrate considerable impact in their work. Organizations that received CBF Organizational Support grants engage in the following kinds of work: Page 2

3 Direct Legal Services: The organization provides direct legal services, which is defined to include advice, brief services, and/or extended legal representation. Advocacy: The organization works to increase access to justice through impact litigation and/or policy reform efforts. Legal Information and Resources: The organization provides interactive online and print information and resources to people without lawyers to help them navigate the legal system and better understand their legal rights and responsibilities. Court-Based Mediation: The organization provides court-based mediation services in partnership with the court. In FY 2013, the CBF made the following Organizational Support grants: Organizations Providing General Legal Aid Services throughout the Chicago Area (Grants Ranging from $90,000 - $100,000) CARPLS $100,000 (Coordinated Advice & Referral Program for Legal Services) CARPLS is the legal aid hotline for Cook County that provides advice, information, and referral services over the telephone and through courtbased assistance desks to low-income residents of Cook County. Staff and volunteer attorneys provide over 53,000 legal consultations annually on civil law matters ranging from adoption to public benefits to nearly 30,000 lowincome people. Chicago Legal Clinic (CLC) $90,000 CLC provides low cost and free legal services to over 40,000 low-income Chicagoans each year through its four neighborhood offices and through court-based advice desks. The Clinic offers representation in various areas of law, including family law, domestic violence, guardianships of minors and adults, Social Security disability claims, mortgage foreclosure, landlord/tenant disputes, and immigration law. Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Foundation (CVLS) $90,000 CVLS volunteers and staff attorneys represent low-income Chicagoans in a wide variety of civil matters. Some of the many types of cases CVLS handles include divorce, adult and minor guardianships, adoption, tort defense, collection defense, bankruptcy, mortgage foreclosure, and landlord/tenant matters. Last year, over 2,000 volunteers and staff represented nearly 19,000 clients. LAF (f/k/a Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago) $90,000 LAF is the largest organization in Chicago and suburban Cook County providing free civil legal services to individuals and families unable to afford legal counsel. LAF helps over 40,000 people a year by providing Page 3

4 comprehensive legal services on a wide range of civil legal problems including family law, evictions, mortgage foreclosure, bankruptcy, public benefits, and immigration. Organizations with System-wide Impact that also Support the Efforts of Other Pro Bono and Legal Aid Organizations (Grants Ranging from $45,000 - $75,000) Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO) $75,000 ILAO is a web-based technology project that improves access to justice for lower-income and vulnerable Illinois residents by providing online services and resources to the lower-income public, as well as to legal aid and pro bono attorneys. ILAO developed and maintains four statewide websites: (public), (public site for Spanish speakers), (legal aid staff), and (pro bono attorneys). Last year, ILAO s websites were visited over 2 million times. In addition, ILAO currently supports self-help desks at courthouses and public libraries across Illinois. Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law (Shriver Center) $55,000 The Shriver Center is a multi-issue legal advocacy organization dedicated to lifting people out of poverty. The Shriver Center helps shape state law and federal policies into affordable mechanisms to eliminate poverty. The Center s work includes broad legal assistance, policy advocacy, public education, training of advocates, and technology. The Shriver Center is a unique and invaluable resource for frontline legal aid attorneys in the Chicago metropolitan area. Center for Conflict Resolution (CCR) $45,000 CCR works with individuals, communities, courts, and other institutions to manage and resolve conflicts. Every year CCR provides free mediation services in over 2,000 cases, trains new mediators, and works with dozens of businesses, government agencies, the courts, and organizations to create custom designed dispute resolution systems and training programs. Broader Impact Legal Aid Services and/or Advocacy (Grants Ranging from $40,000 - $60,000) National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) $60,000 NIJC annually serves over 9,000 low- and moderate-income immigrants in the Midwest without regard to legal status. Through a network of staff and volunteer attorneys, NIJC provides comprehensive immigration legal services to individuals, families, and children, including immigrant visas, deportation defense, and political asylum representation. It also engages in policy reform and public education on behalf of immigrants. Page 4

5 Equip for Equality $55,000 Equip for Equality strives to advance the human and civil rights of people with disabilities in Illinois. It is the only comprehensive statewide advocacy organization providing self-advocacy assistance, legal services, and education, while also engaging in public policy initiatives. Cabrini Green Legal Aid (CGLA) $50,000 CGLA provides free legal and social services to low-income people throughout Chicago who are impacted by the collateral consequences of contact with the criminal justice system. The organization s areas of focus include criminal defense, criminal records, housing (one-strike evictions and voucher termination hearings), and family law (parentage cases with a focus on non-custodial fathers). CGLA annually provides legal services to over 5,000 individuals applying for expungement, sealing of criminal records, and clemency. Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law $47,500 The Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law s mission is to promote and protect the civil rights of poor, minority, and disadvantaged people in order to facilitate their participation in the social, economic, and political systems of our community and nation. The organization engages in both litigation and community advocacy through several projects, including, among others, the Educational Equity Project, the Voting Rights Project, the Fair Housing Project, and The Law Project. The CBF earmarked $27,500 of the total grant award for The Law Project, which provides non-litigation, transactional legal representation to Chicago s community-based organizations, neighborhood development projects, and social service agencies. A panel of private attorneys from law firms and corporate legal departments offers pro bono tax, corporate, real estate, and employment related legal services. The Law Project also provides legal counsel to emerging small businesses and to low-income, first-time home buyers. Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services (LAS) $45,000 Founded in 1886, LAS is the second oldest legal aid program in the nation and continues to provide legal assistance to families who cannot afford a private attorney. Thousands of clients each year receive critical legal assistance in family law and other civil matters, with services ranging from brief service and advice to full litigation. LAS reaches and serves its clients through a downtown office and offices in various Chicago neighborhoods and some suburban communities. Life Span Center for Legal Services & Advocacy $45,000 Life Span provides comprehensive services to low-income victims of domestic and sexual violence. The core of Life Span s legal services includes legal advice, information, and representation in all family law matters, such as divorce, custody, child support, visitation, removal, and orders of protection. It also provides immigration legal services to victims of domestic violence. Life Span pairs its legal services with inhouse counseling for clients and their children. Page 5

6 Health & Disability Advocates (HDA) $40,000 HDA provides advice and legal representation to low-income Chicagoans on matters ranging from the loss of disability benefits to the coverage of emergency medical care. Through its policy, advocacy, and legal work, HDA identifies systemic barriers to eligibility and enrollment of various benefit programs and uses this knowledge to develop policy solutions to eliminate those barriers. Lawyers Committee for Better Housing (LCBH) $40,000 LCBH provides free legal services to low-income tenants with a goal of impacting the affordable housing crisis to the greatest extent possible. Each year, LCBH serves nearly 3,000 tenants from all over Chicago on various legal issues relating to their rental housing, and it impacts countless more through its efforts. Specialized Advocacy and/or Legal Aid Services (Grants Ranging from $7,500 - $32,500) AIDS Legal Council of Chicago $32,500 The AIDS Legal Council of Chicago exists to preserve, promote, and protect the legal rights of men, women, and children in the metropolitan Chicago area living with HIV/AIDS. The Council provides legal services to low-income persons affected by HIV/AIDS, educates the public about HIV-related legal issues, and advocates for policies that ensure fair treatment for all people with HIV/AIDS. Center for Disability & Elder Law (CDEL) $22,500 CDEL was created to protect and advance the legal rights of low-income persons with disabilities and persons of advanced age in Cook County. CDEL assists clients through the combined efforts of a small staff and a network of about 400 pro bono attorneys. Currently, CDEL offers legal representation on various civil legal issues, including consumer, adult guardianship, and estate planning and wills. Chicago Coalition for the Homeless Law Project $22,500 The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless Law Project provides civil legal services in select cases that advance the legal rights and remedies of persons who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, including ensuring that public school systems do not wrongly bar homeless children from enrolling in and attending public schools. The James Moran Center for Youth Advocacy $20,000 The Moran Center is a public/private partnership providing legal and social work advocacy to low-income youth in the Evanston area. The organization s legal practice involves juvenile and adult criminal court matters as well as administrative advocacy in special education and school discipline matters. The Moran Center also runs an Expungement and Sealing Help Desk at the Skokie Courthouse. Page 6

7 Uptown People s Law Center (UPLC) $20,000 UPLC, located in the heart of this north side neighborhood s business district, was founded in 1978 as a community organization that just happens to practice law. For over 30 years, UPLC has combined grassroots advocacy with legal representation of poor and working people in Uptown and the surrounding communities. UPLC focuses its work in the areas of Social Security and public benefits, housing and tenant rights, domestic violence, and prisoner civil rights. Access Living Legal Services Department $17,500 Access Living uses the legal system to further its mission of independent living for people with disabilities. Through its Legal Services Department, the organization provides free legal representation to people who have been discriminated against based on disability in housing, public accommodations, government programs, health care, and other services and programs. Domestic Violence Legal Clinic (DVLC) $17,500 Domestic Violence Legal Clinic, which is located in the Cook County Domestic Violence Courthouse, utilizes staff and pro bono attorneys to provide free legal services and referrals to low-income Cook County residents who have been subjected to domestic violence to help them achieve safety from abusive relationships. Center for Economic Progress Tax Clinic $15,000 The Center for Economic Progress increases economic opportunities for low-income families, children, and individuals by improving access to public, private, and nonprofit programs and services. The CBF grant supports the Center s Tax Clinic, which provides free representation for low-income taxpayers involved in income tax controversies with the IRS. The Family Defense Center $15,000 The Family Defense Center is a unique organization with a mission to advocate for justice for families involved in the state s child welfare system. The organization conducts its work through individual and class action litigation, client empowerment programs, public and community education and training, and legislative policy advocacy. Latinos Progresando Immigrant Legal Services Program $15,000 Through its Immigrant Legal Services Program, Latinos Progresando, a Board of Immigration Appeals-recognized organization, serves immigrants in Little Village and other Chicago-area communities by providing low-cost legal immigration services. Lawyers for the Creative Arts (LCA) $15,000 LCA provides pro bono legal services to individuals and organizations in the arts. Last year, with the help of over 700 volunteer attorneys, LCA advised artists and arts organizations on the full array of legal issues they encounter, such as general business, registering and protecting their Page 7

8 intellectual property via copyright, trademark, contracts, and resolving other disputes. In addition to legal services, LCA offers a number of educational programs on a wide range of legal topics to artists and nonprofit arts organizations in the Chicago area. The Roger Baldwin Foundation of the ACLU Children s Initiative $12,500 The CBF s funding supports the Children s Initiative, which serves as a legal advocate for the thousands of abused, neglected, and troubled children being held in state and county custody in Illinois. World Relief Chicago Immigration Legal Services $12,500 Located in Chicago s Albany Park neighborhood, World Relief Chicago provides legal services to low-income immigrant families on a variety of immigration issues, including family reunification and work authorization. Since 1991, World Relief Chicago has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice s Board of Immigration Appeals as an agency authorized to provide legal services to immigrants. Centro Romero Latin American Legal Assistance Services $10,000 Centro Romero is a community-based organization on Chicago s north side that serves primarily Spanish-speaking immigrants and refugees. Through its Latin American Legal Assistance Services, which is recognized by the Board of Immigration Appeals, it offers legal representation, education, and advocacy services in the areas of citizenship and naturalization. Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE) $10,000 CAASE works to eliminate sexual exploitation and assault through litigation and advocacy, organizing and policy reform, and prevention and resource development. Through its Sexual Assault Justice Project, CAASE provides free legal services to survivors of rape and prostitution. It advocates with police and prosecutors, litigates against rapists using the Illinois Civil No Contact Order Act, and represents clients with landlords, employers, and schools. Chicago Legal Advocacy for Incarcerated Mothers (CLAIM) $10,000 CLAIM provides legal and educational services to help imprisoned mothers preserve their families. Through public advocacy, CLAIM also promotes policies and programs that benefit families of imprisoned mothers. First Defense Legal Aid (FDLA) $10,000 Since 1995, FDLA has provided free, 24-hour legal representation to individuals in Chicago Police Department custody. Approximately 60 private attorneys volunteer their time, usually one shift a month, to protect the rights of people in police custody prior to the appointment of the public defender. Through its Street Law program, FDLA staff and volunteers present trainings to community members and youth about their rights if they are arrested or detained by the police. Page 8

9 Lawndale Christian Legal Center (LCLC) $10,000 LCLC provides holistic legal services to low-income youth and young adults from North Lawndale who are involved in the juvenile or adult criminal courts. The organization represents youth from the time of their arrest through their sentences of supervision, probation, or parole, while also providing social services and mentoring that remove the obstacles youth may encounter in successfully complying with their sentencing orders. Midwest Center on Law & the Deaf (MCLD) $10,000 MCLD helps deaf and hard-of-hearing people find attorneys willing to provide accessible legal services, advocates for the rights of deaf persons in the justice system, and provides the public with general information on the rights of deaf and hard-of-hearing people. Working Hands Legal Clinic (WHLC) $10,000 WHLC provides free legal services to low-income workers (earning 150% of the poverty level or below) throughout Chicago in the area of employment law with a focus on wage theft cases. WHLC accomplishes its work through strategic partnerships with community-based organizations, government enforcement agencies, and pro bono attorneys. Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago $7,500 Legal Assistance Catholic Charities Legal Assistance (CCLA) operates primarily through a hotline over which staff and volunteer attorneys advise clients on a broad range of legal issues, provide brief legal services, or make referrals for representation to CCLA s network of pro bono attorneys or other legal aid providers. CCLA also provides community legal education and staffs advice desks at Catholic Charities facilities in Chicago and its suburbs. Indo-American Center Citizenship and Immigration Services $7,500 Through its Citizenship and Immigration Services Program, Indo- American Center operates a Board of Immigration Appeals-recognized program that offers assistance with U.S. citizenship and limited familybased immigration services to South Asian residents in Chicago s West Rogers Park area and other communities in the Chicago area. TOTAL: $1,250,000 Page 9

10 II. SPECIAL PROJECT GRANTS The CBF makes Special Project grants to support innovative projects that make the justice system more user-friendly and accessible for those in need. The CBF s Special Project grants enable tens of thousands of low-income and disadvantaged Chicagoans to get critical legal advice and assistance. Using our system-wide perspective, the CBF helped launch many of these projects in response to gaps in the pro bono and legal aid system. Because these projects have a broad impact on the courts and justice system and align with the CBF s overall priorities, including pro bono and making the courts more user friendly and accessible to people without lawyers, the CBF is committed to funding these projects for the long term. The CBF s Special Projects primarily are made possible by contributions to the 2013 Investing in Justice Campaign. These contributions help leverage significantly more funding for the CBF s Special Projects from others sources, including cy pres awards the CBF periodically receives, a special grant the CBF receives from The Chicago Community Trust s Chicago Area Fund for Legal Assistance, as well as funds from Cook County to support court-based advice desks. The projects below are organized according to the CBF s three major categories of Special Project Grants: (1) court-based projects/help desks, (2) pro bono projects, and (3) other systemic initiatives. Please note that many of these projects could fall into more than one of the CBF s grant categories (e.g., a court-based project that also uses significant numbers of volunteer lawyers), but we have put them in the category we think best describes them. The CBF made the following Special Project grants in FY 2013: Court-based Projects/Help Desks These court-based advice or help desks assist people without lawyers with a wide variety of legal problems, including mortgage foreclosures; bankruptcy, debt collection and other consumer matters; landlord/tenant cases; guardianships; custody and child support; and expungement and sealing of criminal records. Lawyers who staff these desks triage each person s situation and provide the following services: help them better understand their legal problem; refer them to pro bono and legal aid lawyers when appropriate; give them brief advice and self-help resources for their legal problems; and assist them with completing court documents and forms. Collectively these desks served about 60,000 people last year and helped the courts run more smoothly. CARPLS Municipal Advice Desk $212,127 (A joint project with the Circuit Court of Cook County, the CBF, and Chicago Legal Clinic, which provides free legal assistance to low-income individuals with cases in the Municipal Division, including landlord/tenant and consumer cases) LAF The Judge William J. Hibbler Memorial Pro Se Help Desk $115,000 (The Project provides people without lawyers in Federal Court with legal information, advice, and limited legal assistance) Page 10

11 LAF U.S. Bankruptcy Court Self-Help Assistance Desk $100,000 (The Project provides legal information, advice, and brief legal assistance to people without lawyers in Bankruptcy Court) Chicago Legal Clinic Municipal Advice Desk $77,935 (A joint project with the Circuit Court of Cook County, the CBF, and CARPLS, which provides free legal assistance to low-income individuals with cases in the Municipal Division, including landlord/tenant and consumer cases) CVLS Minor Guardianship Assistance Desk $59,740 (A joint project with the Circuit Court of Cook County, the CBF, and CVLS, this Desk offers assistance to persons representing themselves in seeking guardianship of a minor) Chicago Legal Clinic Chancery Division Advice Desk $50,000 (The Project assists homeowners facing mortgage foreclosure as well as other cases they may have in the Chancery Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County) LAF Markham Eviction Defense Project $35,000 (The Project assists low-income tenants who reside in the Sixth Municipal District and are facing eviction) National Immigrant Justice Center Immigrant Detainee Help Desk $30,000 (The Project provides information, legal advice, and referrals to detained immigrants prior to their hearings at the Chicago Immigration Court) Cabrini Green Legal Aid Expungement Assistance Desk $25,000 (The Project provides advice and guidance to self-represented people filing expungement or sealing of criminal records at the Daley Center) Cabrini Green Legal Aid Expungement Live Call Assistance Project $25,000 (A joint Project with Chicago Legal Clinic, which provides free legal services to self-represented petitioners at expungement court calls at the Cook County Criminal Court) CARPLS Collection Self-Help Desk $25,000 (This Project in the First Municipal Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County provides legal advice and brief services to self-represented defendants in proceedings to collect on judgments as well as selfrepresented plaintiffs seeking to collect judgments they have obtained) CARPLS Domestic Relations Self-Help Desk $25,000 (This Project in the Domestic Relations Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County offers free legal consultations to low-income people who Page 11

12 cannot afford an attorney and is designed to help them represent themselves in court on simple family law matters and to resolve issues after the entry of a divorce order) CARPLS City of Chicago Administrative Hearings Desk $25,000 (A joint project with the City of Chicago and the CBF that provides free legal assistance to low-income people with cases pending before the City s Department of Administrative Hearings involving building code violation cases, vehicle impound cases, and other municipal matters) Chicago Legal Clinic Expungement Live Call Assistance Project $25,000 (A joint Project with Cabrini Green Legal Aid, which provides free legal services to self-represented petitioners at expungement court calls at the Cook County Criminal Court) Chicago Legal Clinic Parentage and Child Support Pro Se Advice Desk $25,000 (The Project assists self-represented litigants in child support and paternity cases) Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services Poverty Law Project $25,000 (The Project serves the agency s clients on the south and southwest sides of Chicago who have consumer, housing, and family law legal problems, and includes a legal advice desk and self-help web center at the Markham Courthouse) Pro Bono Projects These projects engage a significant number of pro bono or volunteer attorneys in providing services to clients and, for some projects, the courts. The organizations administering these projects recruit, train, and support the pro bono attorneys involved. CVLS Chancery Division Access to Justice Pro Bono Project $50,000 (The Project recruits, trains, and supports pro bono attorneys to represent homeowners in administrative review and mortgage foreclosure cases, as well as other cases pending in the Chancery Division) CVLS Disabled Adults GAL Probate Court Pro Bono Project $50,000 (The Project recruits, trains, and supports pro bono attorneys to act as a guardian ad litem (GAL) for disabled people in guardianship proceedings) The Law Project Nonprofit Legal Assessment Project $50,000 (The Project is designed to improve the organizational effectiveness and strengthen the governance capacity of nonprofit organizations by matching them up with teams of pro bono attorneys) Page 12

13 Uptown People s Law Center Prisoner Civil Rights Correspondence Project $30,000 (The Project recruits and trains pro bono attorneys to represent prisoners in their civil rights claims) Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Federal Court Settlement Assistance Project $25,000 (Through this Project, pro bono attorneys represent self-represented litigants in settlement conferences in federal cases) Domestic Violence Legal Clinic Domestic Violence Pro Bono Project $25,000 (This Project, which was launched by the Circuit Court of Cook County and is housed in the Domestic Violence Courthouse, provides representation to domestic violence victims seeking an Emergency Order of Protection through the use of a network of pro bono attorneys, which DVLC s Pro Bono Director assists with training and supervising) Equip for Equality Special Education Clinic $25,000 (The Clinic assists low-income children and their families facing critical special education issues by providing help-line advice and referral services, training materials, and legal representation by Equip for Equality staff and pro bono attorneys) Health & Disability Advocates SSI/SSDI Overpayment Pro Bono Project $25,000 (The Project, which is a collaboration between four legal aid organizations and Kirkland & Ellis LLP, assists low-income disabled individuals who have been notified that they have received an overpayment of benefits from the Social Security Administration and need help appealing or adjusting the wrongful overpayment charges) National Immigrant Justice Center Immigrant Children s Protection Project $20,000 (The Project provides legal representation to unaccompanied immigrant children in Immigration Court and cultivates and supports a network of pro bono attorneys to assist children with their cases) AIDS Legal Council of Chicago SSI/SSDI Overpayment Pro Bono Project $5,000 (The Project, which is a collaboration between four legal aid organizations and Kirkland & Ellis LLP, assists low-income disabled individuals who have been notified that they have received an overpayment of benefits from the Social Security Administration and need help appealing or adjusting the wrongful overpayment charges) Page 13

14 Systemic Initiatives Many of these projects target a particularly vulnerable population or a specific legal problem. In addition, some of these projects include broader advocacy or capacity building efforts that are consistent with the CBF s mission and priorities. LAF Veterans Rights Project $30,000 (The Project provides legal assistance to veterans through staff and pro bono attorneys) DePaul College of Law Legal Resource Project for $25,000 Immigration Services (The Project provides legal and technical assistance to community-based immigrant service organizations (CBOs), thus building and enhancing the CBOs capacity to serve immigrants legal needs) Health & Disability Advocates Chicago Medical-Legal Partnership for Children $25,000 (This Project is an expanded medical-legal collaboration that provides legal assistance related to health and public benefits issues onsite at hospitals in low-income neighborhoods) Chicago Coalition for the Homeless Youth Futures $20,000 (The Project is an innovative mobile legal clinic run through Chicago Coalition for the Homeless Law Project, which reaches out to homeless youth, a group that is known to have extensive legal needs and that is underserved) TOTAL: $1,284,802 Special Project Grants Circuit Court of Cook County Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Program Launched in 2010, the Circuit Court of Cook County Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Program provides free housing counseling, mediation, and legal services to Cook County homeowners and families in foreclosure. The Program is aimed at helping homeowners resolve their mortgage foreclosure cases in the most timely and respectful manner possible. Under a contract with Cook County, the CBF is managing legal assistance and mediation services in conjunction with this Program, including coordinating and administering services provided to tens of thousands of homeowners in foreclosure by the organizations described below. Chicago Volunteer Legal Services $692,468 (to support the provision of legal advice, assistance, and representation to homeowners in mediation by CVLS staff attorneys and pro bono attorneys through the Circuit Court of Cook County s Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Program) Page 14

15 Chicago Legal Clinic $427,200 (to support the expansion of the Chancery Court Advice Desk and to provide legal advice and assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure through the Circuit Court of Cook County s Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Program) Center for Conflict Resolution $369,434 (to support the provision of mediation services through the Circuit Court of Cook County s Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Program) TOTAL: $1,489,101 III. FELLOWSHIP, SCHOLARSHIP, AND INTERNSHIP GRANTS One of the CBF s top priorities is to make it possible for dedicated lawyers to pursue careers in legal aid and public interest law in the face of often overwhelming financial challenges. The CBF provides significant funding for a number of fellowships, scholarships, and internships that have made it possible for a growing group of committed attorneys to pursue their chosen line of work. This year s grants for this purpose include: The CBF Sun-Times Public Interest Law Fellowship $206,000 (to support 21 five-year fellowships for Catherine Alin, staff attorney at LAF year one Hilda Bahena, senior attorney at LAF year five Sarah Baum, staff attorney at LAF year one Colleen Boraca, supervising attorney at AIDS Legal Council of Chicago year two Adela Carlin, Director of LAF s Community Engagement Unit year one Daniel Contreras, staff attorney at Equip for Equality year two Kevin Patrick Curran, staff attorney at Life Span year four Kathleen Finn, staff attorney at Prairie State Legal Services year two Beth Johnson, Program Director at Cabrini Green Legal Aid year four Keri McGuire, senior staff attorney at Life Span year two Ryann Katherine Moran, staff attorney at Cabrini Green Legal Aid year three Mariangelo Monteiro, Traumatic Brain Injury Project Manager at Equip for Equality year three Sarah O Connor, senior attorney at Health & Disability Advocates year two Jill Roberts, staff attorney at Cabrini Green Legal Aid year one Amy Sample, development associate at Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation year one Rachel Shapiro, staff attorney at Equip for Equality year five Melissa Staas, staff attorney at Family Defense Center year three Monica Torres-Linares, staff attorney at LAF year three Stacey Tutt, Assistant Clinical Professor and Director of Community Preservation Clinic at University of Illinois College of Law year five Page 15

16 Claudia Valenzuela, Associate Director of Litigation at National Immigrant Justice Center year four Debra Wysong, senior attorney at Equip for Equality year five Each Fellowship totals $50,000 payable over five years and helps the Fellows pay back law school and other educational debt) The CBF Abraham Lincoln Marovitz Public Interest $40,000 Law Scholarship (to support 4 public interest law scholarships for Jarrett Adams (Loyola University Chicago College of Law) first year Amanda Walsh (Loyola University Chicago College of Law) second year Joseph Gietl (Loyola University Chicago College of Law) third year Elliot Slosar (DePaul University College of Law) fourth year Each Scholarship totals $40,000 payable over three or four years) The CBF Kimball R. Anderson and Karen G. Anderson $50,000 Public Interest Law Fellowship (to support 5 five-year fellowships for Susan LePeau DeCostanza, staff attorney at Chicago Volunteer Legal Services year one Todd Belcore, staff attorney at Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law year two Elizabeth Cunningham, Youth Futures Attorney at Chicago Coalition for the Homeless Law Project year three Teri Ross, Program Director at Illinois Legal Aid Online year four Dennericka Brooks, senior attorney at LAF year five Each Fellowship totals $50,000 payable over five years) Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) $22,000 (to support three summer internships and two school year internships for law students working at CBF funded pro bono and legal aid organizations in the Chicago area) Equal Justice Works $45,000 (to support year one of a two-year grant to support a fellow at Center for Disability & Elder Law) The CBF Moses Scholarship $15,000 (to DePaul University College of Law for the first year of a three-year public interest law scholarship totaling $50,000 to Marie Silver) TOTAL: $378,000 Page 16

17 IV. OTHER GRANTS The CBF made a number of other grants in FY 13 to support a variety of access to justice and related philanthropic initiatives, including the CBF s Pro Bono and Public Service Award grants, the CBF s Young Professionals Board grants, and discretionary grants. Pro Bono and Public Service Award Grants Each year, the CBF co-sponsors with The Chicago Bar Association the Pro Bono & Public Service Awards Luncheon. The awards honor the work of seven unsung heroes (including the Anderson Fellowship described above) from a broad cross-section of the greater Chicago legal community whose dedication to ensuring access to justice inspires those around them to join in their efforts. Some of these awards provide the recipient with the opportunity to designate a special grant to a CBF-funded organization. The Thomas H. Morsch Public Service Award $10,000 (to Marta C. Bukata of Chicago Legal Clinic) The Edward J. Lewis II Pro Bono Service Award $3,000 (to Access Living ($1,000) in honor of Stephen D. Libowsky; to Equip for Equality ($1,000) in honor of John Grossbart; and to the Roger Baldwin Foundation of the ACLU ($1,000) in honor of Donna M. Welch) The Exelon Outstanding Corporate Counsel Award $2,500 (to Cabrini Green Legal Aid in honor of Steven S. Fus) The Leonard Jay Schrager Award of Excellence $2,500 (to Northwestern University School of Law s Bluhm Legal Clinic in honor of Clinical Associate Professor Cynthia A. Wilson) The Maurice Weigle Exceptional Young Lawyer Award $2,500 (to Equip for Equality ($1,250) and Family Defense Center ($1,250) in honor of Elizabeth P. Lewis) The Richard J. Phelan Public Service Award $2,500 (to Access Living in honor of Laurel Spahn) AIDS Legal Council of Chicago $1,000 (designated by the winner of a special Pro Bono and Public Service Awards Luncheon drawing) TOTAL: $24,000 Page 17

18 CBF Young Professionals Board Grants The CBF Young Professionals Board (YPB) is an active and diverse group of young attorneys and other professionals with ties to the legal community. Through partnerships with The Chicago Bar Association s Young Lawyers Section and other groups and organizations, the YPB funds and helps to create new projects that are designed to address specific gaps and needs within the pro bono and legal aid system. Most of the YPB grants fund projects that educate vulnerable youth about their legal rights and responsibilities or otherwise provide or promote legal or civic-related education, including diversity initiatives. Center for Disability & Elder Law $5,000 (to support the Serving Our Seniors Project) Constitutional Rights Foundation of Chicago $5,000 (to support the Edward J. Lewis II Chicago Lawyers in the Classroom Program at the Goudy School and other schools in the Chicago area) Illinois Legal Aid Online $5,000 (to support the development of a series of brief multimedia videos on topics relating to how to find a lawyer, made in partnership with the CBA Young Lawyers Section and the CBF) Legal Prep Charter Academies $4,000 (to support the Mentoring Program at Chicago s new legal-themed, college preparatory charter school in West Garfield Park) Mikva Challenge $4,000 (to support the Democracy in Action course, Issues to Action project, and Project Soapbox) Street Law $4,000 (to support the Youth in Transition Program) Just the Beginning Foundation $2,500 (to support the organization s school year diversity pipeline programming) The Chicago Bar Association $500 (to support the reprinting of the guide Your Rights if Arrested, made in partnership with the CBA Young Lawyers Section and the CBF) TOTAL: $30,000 Page 18

19 Other Special Grants The CBF made a number of other grants in FY 13 to support a variety of access to justice and related philanthropic initiatives. The Chicago Bar Association $53,025 (to support CBA membership and complimentary Continuing Legal Education (CLE) for attorneys working at legal aid organizations receiving CBF Organizational Support grants; these memberships, which the CBA provides at a reduced rate, are offered in partnership with the CBA) Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Funders Collaborative $45,000 (to support the IL Funders DACA Relief Initiative, a collaborative of local foundations, including the CBF, designed to respond to the need for immediate action by and capacity-building for non-profits to adequately assist youth eligible under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) to apply for a temporary shield from deportation, enabling them to live and work legally in the U.S; the CBF s grant leveraged grants from local and national foundations and also made possible the involvement of hundreds of pro bono attorneys in assisting these youth) JusticeCorps $34,000 (to match the AmeriCorps grant from Serve Illinois Commission that the CBF received to expand the program) Donors Forum of Chicago $10,000 (to support efforts to strengthen the philanthropic and nonprofit community in the Chicago area) NITA Foundation $8,000 (to partner with the CBA Legal Aid Academy on trainings for attorneys working at CBF grantee organizations) The Chicago Bar Association $6,000 (staff discretionary grant to the CBA to support the Municipal Court Pro Bono Program) Cabrini Green Legal Aid $5,000 (to support the development and launch of the Chicago IMPACT (Involving More Pro Bono Attorneys in Our Communities Together) Project, through which several legal aid organizations and law firms will partner to assist people with criminal records in the Chicago area to move forward with their lives) Illinois Equal Justice Foundation $5,000 (to support the Equal Justice Illinois Campaign and Foundation operations, which works to increase state funds to support Page 19

20 organizations providing civil legal aid to low-income families and seniors throughout Illinois) LAF $5,000 (to support the development and launch of the Chicago IMPACT (Involving More Pro Bono Attorneys in Our Communities Together) Project, through which several legal aid organizations and law firms will partner to assist people with criminal records in the Chicago area to move forward with their lives) Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services (LAS) $5,000 (to support the work of LAS, from the CBF Robertson Fund) National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) $5,000 (to support NIJC s work with pro bono clinics that assist youth eligible under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) to apply for a temporary shield from deportation; this grant was made in conjunction with the IL Funders DACA Relief Initiative) American Bar Association $3,000 Judicial Intern Opportunity Program (to support two internships through the Judicial Intern Opportunity Program) Cook County Justice for Children $2,500 (staff discretionary grant to support the newly established Cook County Justice for Children) Lambda Legal Midwest Regional Office $2,500 (staff discretionary grant to support the Midwest Regional Office) Loyola University Chicago School of Law $2,500 The Center for Human Rights of Children (staff discretionary grant to support the research project titled Legal Services Assessment for Child Trafficking Survivors in Cook County ) West Cook Pro Bono Network $2,500 (staff discretionary grant to support the work of West Cook Pro Bono Network) TOTAL: $194,025 GRAND TOTAL: $4,649,929 Page 20