In these tough economic times, it is becoming increasingly difficult for low-income and disadvantaged Chicagoans to obtain legal help, and many others find themselves unable now to afford legal representation. As a result, courts are seeing growing numbers of unrepresented litigants.

Recognizing the pressing demand for assistance for unrepresented litigants, The Chicago Bar Foundation has partnered with the courts, Illinois Legal Aid Online and a number of local legal aid organizations develop and fund at least ten court-based help centers in Chicago, located in the federal courthouse in Chicago, the circuit courts throughout Cook County and the City of Chicago Office of Administrative Hearings. These court-based help centers provide self-represented litigants with in-person access to attorneys who provide advice and brief legal assistance as well as other self-help resources (e.g., videos, on-line tutorials and on-line forms).

Court-based help desks and self-help resources are critical to ensuring fair and equal treatment for all within the judicial system by providing tangible and available assistance for unrepresented litigants to address their legal needs. By having access to help desk attorneys and self-help resources, self-represented litigants have been found to file more appropriate documents for their cases and are better prepared to present their cases, which improves judicial efficiency and effectiveness. Most fundamentally, court-based help centers enrich access to justice by enhancing public trust in the judicial system through the meaningful assistance they provide for unrepresented litigants in the courthouse.

For more information on The Chicago Bar Foundation’s advocacy work relating to court-based help centers, please contact Danielle Hirsch at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 312-554-4952.

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