Every day, people who cannot afford lawyers wrongly lose their homes, life-sustaining benefits and other essentials because they did not have legal help. No one should have to go unassisted into court when family integrity is at stake, when parents and their children may be thrown out of their home, or when individuals may suffer other grevious harm at the hands of a system that is difficult to navigate or even understand. That is why The Chicago Bar Foundation supports pilot programs that would supplement other legal aid and access to justice resources by providing a targeted right to counsel in civil matters where basic human needs are at stake.
The Chicago Bar Foundation is a member of the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel, an association of individuals and organizations committed to ensuring meaningful access to the courts for all. Its mission is to encourage, support and coordinate advocacy efforts to expand the recognition and implementation of a right to counsel in civil cases.
Click here to download a CBF position paper on this issue.
For more information on The Chicago Bar Foundation's advocacy work relating to the right to civil counsel, and to get involved, 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.
