News Articles About Prairie State Legal Services

Legal Services Role in Decline in Domestic Violence - Economists at Colgate University and the University of Arkansas have concluded that access to legal services is one of the primary factors contributing to a 21 percent decrease nationally in the reported incidence of domestic violence between 1993 and 1998. After the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the decrease in 2000, Economists Farmer and Tiefenthaler examined the support services available to domestic violence survivors in the counties in which they reside. Surprisingly, they found that shelters, hotlines and counseling programs for battered women had no significant impact on the likelihood of domestic abuse, but that the availability of legal services decreases the likelihood that women will be battered. ... [Legal Services E-Lert, December 6, 2002]

An Open Letter To Kane County Bar Members - First Vice-President of the Kane County Bar Association, Kevin Drendel discusses the delivery of legal services including pro bono and low bono services... [Kane County Bar Briefs, December 6, 2002]

Prairie State Legal Services Rated as a 4-Star Charity - Rockford-based Prairie State Legal Services, hopes a recent 4-star rating from Charity Navigator will encourage donor support. According to Charity Navigator, a national service that provides financial evaluations of charities, Prairie State Legal Services is a top rated charity. Kyle Wade, Deputy Director of Charity Navigator says, "Receiving four out of a possible four stars is an “Exceptional” rating. Your organization exceeds industry standards and outperforms most charities in our database." Prairie State is one of 25 receiving a four star rating out of a total of 75 evaluated charities in Illinois. ... [Prairie State Press Release, November 27, 2002]

Volunteer Attorney Assists Those in Need - Charlene Riefler a volunteer attorney with the Batavia office of Prairie State since May 2000 has provided more than 1,900 hours of pro bono services to victims of domestic violence. Primarily working as a volunteer in the domestic violence project, housed at the Kane County Judicial Center she assists victims of domestic violence in obtaining Emergency and Plenary Orders of Protection . ... [The Beacon News, November 9, 2002]

Prairie State Legal Services There When You Need Them - Sometimes life doesn't turn out the way we plan. And sometimes problems arise that we can't control. When Pat Mason's husband became physically abusive, she was pregnant with their child and she needed help. She turned to the Community Crisis center. They took her in, provided a safe environment and experienced counsel. They also put her in touch with Prairie State Legal Services to help keep her safe and end her marriage. . ... [United Way of Elgin Website, November, 2002]

Hesed House provides legal help - The free clinic at Hesed House, provides advice and referrals to address legal issues that often can compound the problem of poverty and lead to chronic homelessness. "We've got a very good relationship with Prairie State, and we don't want to reinvent the wheel or run into their turf," said Ryan Dowd, 24, the third-year law student and Hesed House intern who runs the clinic. Hesed House officials have been working closely with Prairie State attorney Steve Pick, who was offering advice at the clinic along with Bill Bolotin of Naperville and long-time PADS lawyer Pat Kinnally who staffed the first night of the clinic. ... [The Beacon News, October 14, 2002]

You have rights when a landlord decides to evict - There is a process under Illinois laws which has to be followed in order for eviction notices between residential tenants and a private landlords to be legal. According to a published booklet by Prairie State Legal Services, an eviction lawsuit is the way a landlord legally removes a residential tenant from a rental unit. ... [The Courier News, October 13, 2002]

Justice Kilbride Addresses Gathering Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Prairie State Legal Services - Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride spoke Saturday at a luncheon kicking off a year long celebration of 25 years of service to the poor and elderly by Prairie State Legal Services. Justice Kilbride knows personally the importance of legal services from the time he spent as a staff attorney in the Rock Island Office of Prairie State Legal Services (1981-1987) ... [Press Release, October 8, 2002]

Annual Fee to Rise $49; Legal Aid to Get Boost - The Illinois Supreme Court hiked attorney registration fees by $49 a year to boost both legal-aid services and support for lawyers with drug and alcohol problems. Chief Justice Mary Ann G. McMorrow indicated in a written statement that this action demonstrates a commitment by the full court, and by attorneys in Illinois, to assume responsibility for those unable to afford legal services and for those lawyers who need compassion and help... [Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, October 4, 2002]

Prairie State Trying to Help with Legalities: Custodial Grandparents Face Hard Road - Custodial grandparents stand in for mothers and fathers who can't or won't care for their own children. But many do so without legal authority, and that can create problems. Now, Prairie State Legal Services is educating custodial grandparents about their rights and helping them navigate the court system with a new program funded by a grant from the East Central Illinois Area Agency on Aging... [The Pantagraph, September 29, 2002]

Legal Services Funds May be Cut - McLean County residents who can't afford an attorney in criminal cases typically are given a public defender, but those who need a lawyer for civil matters must apply at Prairie State. As figures from the 2000 census are applies to legal aid funding based on poverty population $13,000 will be trimmed from local legal aid program . "It's significant. It's going to be something we'll have to make up with local fundraising or other grants," says Managing Attorney George Boyle... [The Pantagraph, September 8, 2002]

State Funding for Legal Aid Continued in FY 2003 - 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. Among the top ten states Illinois still ranks last in state support... [Illinois Equal Justice Project, August 14, 2002]

Free Legal Services on the Wane - Poor central Illinoisans will continue to have free lawyers to assist them, despite funding cuts. The decrease in funding to the Peoria office of Prairie State Legal office is about $50,000. According to Managing attorney Lisa Wilson, "That means that we will lose money to supply one attorney, but we should be able to continue to manage."... [Peoria Journal Star, August 30, 2002]

Drop in Indigent 'Bad News' For Legal Aid Funding Here - A reduction in the poor population in Illinois translates to fewer federal dollars for legal aid in the state. This, in combination with Illinois low level of state support for legal aid, and recent low interest rates, means sharp cuts in services to the indigent... [Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, July 30, 2002]

Franks Makes Legal Services to Disabled People Possible in McHenry County - State Rep. Jack Franks secured a $10,000 grant for Prairie State Legal Services to help residents with severe disabilities meet their basic needs for subsistence income and shelter. “The project is needed because disabled individuals often are unable to advocate on their own behalves in Social Security matters, fair housing claims and similar matters,” said Linda Rothnagel, Managing Attorney at Prairie State Legal Services in Waukegan... [Press Release Rep. Jack Franks, Apl. 2, 2002]

Prairie State Wins Cases for the Poor - For the full-time attorneys of Prairie State Legal Services, practicing law is more of a calling rather than just a job...[Kankakee Sunday Journal, Sept 23, 2001]

On Receiving the Illinois Bar Association's Access to Justice Award - Remarks by Moses W. Harrison II, chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court ....The need for universal access to lawyers and the courts is not some abstract moral aspiration. It is a social and political imperative. American society is premised on the promise that each of us is equal under the law. Such equality is impossible if people do not have a voice to speak for them in the courts of law. Attorneys are that voice. They are the only voice...[Clearinghouse Review, Journal of Poverty Law and Policy, May-June, 2001]