CBA Record January-February 2026

Chicago Bar Foundation Report

A Year of Innovation and Impact: The CBF in Action in 2025 By Emme Veenbaas I n a year marked by new legal challenges for people in need and the dedicated organizations that serve them, the CBF was a powerful force for good thanks to your dedicated partnership and support. Together with your fellow CBA members and our broader legal community, you helped thousands of people get critical legal assistance and continued to build a fairer and better justice system for everyone. Below are some highlights of the important work you made possible this year.

training and resources and connecting residents with reliable, plain-language tools to navigate the legal system.

Cook County Legal Aid for Housing & Debt The CBF continues to play a lead role in the Cook County Legal Aid for Housing & Debt (CCLAHD) program, a groundbreaking county wide initiative serving people facing eviction, foreclosure, consumer debt, and related chal lenges. A report released this

Court Access Library Project In 2025, the CBF launched the Court Access Library Project, a pilot program to expand access to the courts through public libraries across Illinois. Recognizing libraries as essential com munity hubs for information and assistance, the project provides library patrons with space and equipment to appear in court remotely, access legal information, e-file documents, and receive guidance from trained librarians. The initiative is an innovative partnership between the Illinois Secretary of State and the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice, led by Judge Jill C. Marisie and a dedi cated steering committee. With their guidance, the project has supported the 18 libraries in the pilot by providing specialized Key members of the Court Access Library Project, from left: Roya Samarghandi, The Chicago Bar Foundation; Illinois Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Rochford; Judge Jill C. Marisie, Circuit Court of Cook County; Cook County Commissioner Scott Britton; Judge Jorge Ortiz, 19th Judicial Circuit; Lindsey Dorfman, Glenview Public Library; Jill Roberts, Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts; and Anna Claussen, Office of the Illinois Secretary of State.

Neil Steinkamp from the global advi sory firm Stout presents on the broad impact of the unique program serving people facing eviction in Chicago and Cook County.

year from global advi sory firm Stout high lighted how CCLAHD’s Early Resolution Pro

gram in the Circuit Court, working with a City of Chicago “Right to Counsel” pilot for evictions, has created a unique and effective model to ensure unrepresented tenants can access high-quality legal assistance tailored to their circumstances. The report found that this approach is making a clear, positive impact in promoting housing stability and improving access to justice across Cook County. Since its inception, CCLAHD has served more than 110,000 people and continues to help court users con nect more easily to legal assistance and mediation when they need it most.

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