Page Updated: October 08, 2002

Prairie State in the News

Illinois Equal Justice Project

News and Articles About Prairie State
and Legal Services

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 Rock Island Office in the News (March 3, 2006)

Prairie State has a new Executive Director (January 11, 2006)

State Farm Insurance and Prairie State Legal Services Honored for Corporate Pro Bono Project (Feb 26, 2004)

Getting Your Voice Heard (Aug 18, 2003)

State Supports Limited Legal Help (May 19, 2003)

Self-defenders Get a Friend of Court (Mar 9, 2003)

Domestic Violence Symposium March 24, PSLS co-sponsors (Mar 6, 2003)

Equal Justice Foundation Grants 2003 (Jan 9, 2003)

Access to Legal Aid Lowers Domestic Abuse (Jan 8, 2003)

Legal Services Role in the Decline in Domestic Violence (Dec 6, 2002)

Open Letter to KCBA Members (Dec 6, 2002)

Prairie State Rated as a 4-Star Charity (Nov 27, 2002)

Fund Cutbacks Shrink Legal Help for Poor (Nov. 20, 2002)

Volunteer Attorney Assists People in Need (Nov 9, 2002)

Prairie State Legal Services is There When You Need Them (Nov 2002)

Hesed House provides legal help (Oct. 14, 2002)

You Have Rights When Your Landlord Decides to Evict (Oct. 10, 2002)

Justice Kilbride Addresses 25th Anniversary Luncheon: Announces New Funding (Oct. 8, 2002)

Annual Fee to Rise $49; Legal Aid Gets Boost (Oct. 4, 2002)

Prairie State Helps Custodial Grandparents Face Hard Road (Sept. 29, 2002)

Legal Services Funds May be Cut (Sept. 8, 2002)

State Funding for Legal Aid Continued in FY 2003 (Aug. 14, 2002)

Free Legal Service on the Wane (Aug. 30, 2002)

Drop in Indigent 'Bad News' For Legal Aid Funding Here (July 30, 2002)

Franks Makes Legal Services to Disabled Possible In McHenry County (Apl. 2, 2002)

State Funding for Legal Aid Continued in FY 2003
Equal Justice Illinois Campaign Seeks Additional Support

Despite one of the most difficult budget climate’s in recent memory, the State of Illinois will continue to support efforts to provide legal aid services to low-income individuals and families facing civil legal problems. The budget for FY 2003 approved in June by the General Assembly and Governor George Ryan will include $490,000 for the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation as part of the appropriation for the Illinois Department of Human Services.

The Illinois Equal Justice Foundation is a not-for-profit entity created to distribute state funding for legal aid efforts, as outlined in the 1999 Illinois Equal Justice Act (30 ILCS 765/1 et. seq.).  Over the past two years the Foundation has distributed a total of $952,525 to support access-to-justice initiatives in four categories:  civil legal aid, legal information for the public, mediation services, and telephone advice & referral services. 

The appropriations for the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation represent the first time that the State of Illinois has committed general revenue funds to ensure that all Illinois residents, regardless of income, have meaningful access to the protections of our legal system.  Despite this important victory, more state funding is needed to ensure a stable base of support for Illinois woefully under-funded legal aid system.  Currently the state provides less than 2% of the total funding for legal aid programs in Illinois.  Of the ten most populous states in the U.S., Illinois ranks last in state appropriations for legal aid -- $500,000 vs. an average of $5.4 million. 

The Equal Justice Illinois Campaign is building a broad-based coalition of individuals and organizations to educate opinion leaders about the importance of our legal aid system and to encourage the State of Illinois to increase funding for the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation.  As someone who understands the importance of legal aid, we encourage you to join the Campaign.  To find out more, call Gretchen Wahl at 312-335-0100.

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Link to the Chicago Bar Associations Publication of the Illinois Equal Justice Project Report

Copyright 2002 Prairie State Legal Services, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED