CBA Record Jan-Feb 2021

Your Foundation at Work in 2020 By Elena Dennis, CBF Director of Development & Communications D espite the many challenges of 2020, you can be proud of the great work you made possible Chicago Bar Foundation Report

through the CBF. By coming together with your colleagues through the CBF, you helped thousands of people in need get critical legal assistance while laying the groundwork for a fairer and better legal process for the future. Below are just a few highlights of the CBF’s impact (learn more by visiting chicagobarfoundation.org). Groundbreaking Legal Assistance Partnership Launches In the final months of 2020, the CBF joined with the Circuit Court, Cook County, the CBA, and many other legal aid, government, and community partners to launch a new Early Resolution Program to provide legal help for the growing number of Chicagoans facing eviction and consumer debt cases.The program is part of Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt (CCLAHD), a broader new initiative for housing and debt issues. The initiative will also include restarting the Circuit Court’s Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation program that made such an impact in the aftermath of the Great Recession. 2020 Investing in Justice Campaign Powers Through to Success In a year like no other, more than 4,200 attorneys and legal professionals came together to raise over $1.3 million through the 14th Annual Investing in Justice Cam-

The CBF and its partners announce the launch of the Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt program in a virtual press conference.

group of distinguished local and national stakeholders to tackle these issues. Through an intensive, wide-ranging examination over a nine-month period, the Task Force explored, researched, and analyzed all pos- sible solutions to the current market failure in the consumer and small business legal services market, ultimately proposing a comprehensive series of 11 recommenda- tions for regulatory reform to the Illinois Supreme Court in October 2020. Promoting Access as Courts Shift to Remote Proceedings The CBF worked closely with our court partners immediately following the pan- demic shutdown to help the legal system pivot to the remote environment in a

paign to provide key support for more than 30 pro bono and legal aid organizations and related initiatives. 2020 Campaign Chair Sean Berkowitz of Latham & Watkins LLP provided stellar and steady leadership throughout, steering the campaign and dozens of vice chair leaders at 151 law firms and corporate legal departments to success despite the unprecedented challenges. CBA/CBF Task Force Submits Innova- tive Report to Supreme Court The CBA and the CBF officially launched the Task Force on the Sustainable Practice of Law & Innovation in October 2019 to help shape a better future for our profes- sion, the public, and the justice system. The Task Force brought together a broad

14 January/February 2021