Immigrants and refugees, disabled people who have been denied social security benefits, abused women, tenants facing unlawful eviction and those at significant health risk because of contamination in their environment can all find much needed relief at the Chicago Legal Clinic. Every program we implement and action we take is geared toward making our system of justice accessible to all citizens, regardless of ability to pay. We continue to build and strengthen our programs, providing the following services:
Direct Legal Services. The Clinic provides free and low cost legal services to those who might otherwise be unable to find or afford legal representation. The Clinic provides accessible services. It is the Clinic's philosophy that services should be provided primarily through neighborhood offices and in cooperation with existing community organizations. Additionally, by maintaining neighborhood offices, the Clinic seeks to participate in the establishment of essential human services in struggling communities. Clinic services are affordable. Clients are rarely turned away because they earn too little or too much; rather, clients are charged on a sliding scale based on their ability to pay. Whenever possible, a client will be charged a fee, however nominal, to decrease dependence on almsgiving and to increase the client's sense of dignity and investment in his or her case.
Department of Children and Family Services Adoptions. Pursuant to the Clinic’s contract with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services which was started in 1997, over 750 foster children have been adopted by their foster parents, bringing a stability to their lives that they would not otherwise have been able to enjoy. Today, the Clinic still helps foster parents receive pro bono legal assistance to build a family, thus saving abused and neglected children from the trauma of returning to an abusive situation or bouncing around the justice system indefinitely.
Immigration Program. In late 1998, the Clinic experienced a surge in the demand for immigration services, primarily within the Hispanic community. In February of 1999, the Clinic formally began its Immigration Program by adding to its Pilsen Office staff a bilingual attorney and a bilingual paralegal. The Immigration Program provides a variety of legal services to immigrants, some on a pro bono basis and some on a sliding scale, depending on the client's ability to pay. The Program also utilizes private attorneys for pro bono assistance in particularly complex and compelling cases. The Clinic's Immigration Program was recognized by the American Bar Association in September, 2000 when it received the ABA Award for Excellence in the Provision of Pro Bono Immigration Services.
The bilingual (English and Spanish) staff concentrate on Immigration and Domestic Violence cases, some of which are brought under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). In addition to VAWA cases, the other cases handled have also made a fundamental difference in the lives of the clients represented and have covered the whole gamut of immigration problems.
Aid To Victims of Domestic Violence. The Clinic offers free legal services to the victims of domestic violence, including consultations, preparation of Petitions for Orders of Protection under the Illinois Domestic Violence Act, and court representation. The Program's philosophy is to adopt both a "holistic" and "proactive" approach to effectively combat the scourge of domestic violence. Services are provided in coordination with area shelters and agencies serving victims of domestic violence. This program was created in 1986 with a grant from the Illinois Attorney General's Violent Crime Victims Assistance Program, which is still a principal funder of the program.
Pro Bono Program. The Clinic refers indigent clients to volunteers from its panel of 225 attorneys for free legal services. Since the inception of the Pro Bono Program in 1984, more than 8,000 clients have received quality representation in a variety of civil matters. This program serves as the vital link connecting the most vulnerable in our society to our nation's justice system.
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Community Education. The Clinic provides free legal seminars on topics of community interest in churches, schools and civic organizations. Seminars have been presented on the rights and responsibilities of aliens to achieve citizenship under the federal amnesty programs, legal assistance to families caring for disabled adults, rights of victims of domestic violence, opportunities for every Chicago resident to participate in the environmental decision-making process and other topics of law. During FY 05, more than 2,790 people attended 97 seminar presentations.
Environmental Services. The Clinic provides advocacy, publications and seminars on environmental legal matters to low-income individuals and community groups confronting urban environmental problems. The Clinic has published environmental law manuals, initiated an environmental newsletter, and conducted environmental seminars in conjunction with community organizations. The program has provided direct legal service to hundreds of clients since its inception, including representation in several landmark cases involving environmental racism as a civil rights issue, the siting of incinerators in poor communities, remediating lead in public housing and toxic releases in residential areas. More recently, the Program has collaborated with Chicago-Kent College of Law and Northwestern University to provide students with practical experience while they receive course credit. Each student provides substantive work on an actual case under the supervision of a Program attorney.
Circuit Rider Project . The Circuit Rider Project was a new initiative in FY 02-03. The Clinic’s circuit rider attorney travels to and provides free legal consultations in impoverished communities whose needs are otherwise unmet by existing legal service providers. The Circuit Rider Project partners with St. Agatha’s Parish in the Lawndale community, St. Margaret of Scotland’s Parish in the Washington Heights community, and Apna Ghar in the Uptown community. The collaborations inure to the benefit of community residents and help to develop those communities as a whole. Although the thrust of the Project is to provide direct legal services to constituents of these community sites, we are also leveraging our relationships with these partners into an opportunity to provide legal education as well.
Chancery Advice Desk. The Clinic has implemented an Advice Desk for the Chancery Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County. The Chancery Division generally handles cases of foreclosure, injunctions, name changes and those where specific performance of a contract is sought. The vast majority of defendants who are facing foreclosure of their homes are appearing pro se, that is, they are not represented by counsel. The judges are not in a position to educate them about their rights or assist them in the defense of their cases. Thus, these pro se litigants do not know how to utilize the procedural and substantive safeguards the law affords them prior to losing their homes. The Advice Desk advises these “clients” on the process, potential defenses, or alternative courses of action, such as refinancing or sale of their homes. Additionally, clients are referred to attorneys for more substantive representation as appropriate for their circumstances. The Advice Desk is staffed by two Clinic attorneys, pro bono attorneys and one Clinic administrative assistant. The Desk is open every morning in room 1303 of the Daley Center. Clients are referred to the desk by the judges and the clerk’s office when appropriate.
Legal Advocates for Seniors and People with Disabilities. This program helps senior citizens and disabled people on fixed incomes with significant debt issues and little to no assets. For many clients in that situation, bankruptcy is not the best solution. The program communicates with creditors to achieve a favorable disposition concerning the debt, without the need for in-court representation.
Legal Advocates for Consumers in Debt. This new program is an attorney supervised debt management plan. It gives clients a chance to eliminate their unsecured debts through a single affordable monthly payment that is distributed to their creditors based on creditor counseling guidelines.
Court Appointments. The Clinic’s professionalism, competence and integrity are recognized by the courts through appointments to carry out official functions. In particular, Marta C. Bukata, the Clinic’s Deputy Director and Domestic Violence Program Director, and Supervisory Attorney Gerald P. Nordgren are often appointed by Domestic Relations Judges as “Child’s Representative.” This means that children have their own attorney when they are embroiled in their parents’ domestic relations disputes. Additionally, Gerald P. Nordgren and Executive Director Edward Grossman are appointed by the Federal Court as “Special Commissioners,” holding public sales of foreclosed properties. The “commissions” from these sales are a significant source of support for the Clinic.
Expungement/Clemency Services. The Clinic provides expungement, clemency and sealing services to assist ex-offenders attempting to obtain employment. The services will remove the barriers which ex-offenders face trying to re-integrate into society. These services also serve to strengthen the community by reducing joblessness, opening doors for educational opportunities and stabilizing families.