Prairie State seeks to make its services accessible to as many residents as possible. This access may be limited to legal advice because we do not have enough staff to handle all of the requests for services.

Generally, Prairie State staff seek to be available for those legal matters that impact a household's ability to meet it's basic human needs for protection from violence and abuse, access to medical assistance, subsistence income, or access to decent affordable housing.

Some of the cases commonly accepted for more extensive legal representation include:

• Domestic Violence Orders of Protection (when legal representation is needed)

• Denials/terminations of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits

• Financial exploitation or abuse of the elderly or persons with disabilities

• Problems associated with nursing home care or paying for nursing home care

• Denials of special education services required for children with disabilities

• Denials or evictions from public or subsidized housing

• Denials or terminations of government assistance (welfare benefits, food stamps, home health care, veterans' benefits, Medicaid)

• Terminations of housing subsidies such as Section 8 certificates or vouchers

• Illegal lock-outs and wrongful evictions

• Utility shut-offs

• Custody/visitation matters where there is evidence that a child is in danger

• Representation of victims of domestic violence to obtain a divorce

• Denials of admission to public schools

•  Denials of or evictions from housing in violation of Fair Housing

• Laws (because of race, age, disability, or family status)

• Improper garnishment of exempt income or assets (governmental assistance, etc.)

Attorneys from the community volunteer to accept some types of cases such as divorces, bankruptcies, guardianships, or other matters. Such services vary in each community. In some communities, volunteer attorneys may assist with preparation of wills and handle real estate issues.

Prairie State seeks to work with community agencies to develop solutions to community problems.

• Through collaboration and coordination, we have developed a child support project with the YWCA of Rockford to aid low income women to obtain and enforce child support orders.

• A special educational project with Access Services of Northern Illinois resulted in materials and training to aid guardians of adults with disabilities to understand their legal responsibilities.

• Collaboration between Northern Illinois University College of Law and Prairie State Legal Services led to the development of a domestic violence curriculum to train NIUCOL students to understand the social and legal aspects of representation of battered women.

• Collaboration between Mutual Ground and Community Crisis Center, two domestic violence programs, Prairie State and the Aurora Police Department resulted in expanded legal services for battered women. Initially on-site interviews were conducted at domestic violence shelters. Later this effort evolved with the support of the Kane County Court Administrator and special funding from the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority into a courthouse-based project serving more than 800 victims a year.

• Prairie State has developed new legal education booklets and guides as a result of working with other providers of service in identifying unmet needs in our communities. We encourage community groups and organizations to contact their local office of Prairie State to discuss the how we can work together to improve access to justice.

Prairie State staff are available to meet with the staff of community agencies to discuss our services in greater detail or to provide legal information on issues confronting our client community. Prairie State also offers legal education for client groups, and may be available to conduct legal advice clinics or on-site interviewing in cooperation with local shelters, domestic violence programs, housing authorities and other agencies serving low-income persons, senior citizens, or persons with disabilities. Prairie State may also be available to conduct more formal training for social service providers.