ATJ Commission funds 26 programs to expand meaningful participation in courts

By Sarah Song, Deputy Director, Access to Justice Division

The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice (ATJ Commission) is proud to announce $400,000 in new grants to 26 organizations dedicated to ensuring that every person-regardless of income, language, background, or ability-can meaningfully participate in the court system.

This year, 31 remarkable organizations stepped forward with exciting and innovative applications for the Reducing Barriers to Meaningful Participation in Court grant. This grant aims to directly support organizations working on the front lines to break down barriers to the legal system. It is open to a wide range of applicants, including administrative agencies, universities, foundations, legal aid organizations, community-based organizations, and social service organizations.

After careful review, the grant selection committee chose 26 grantees whose impactful programs directly support people navigating the courts on their own, often at some of the most challenging moments of their lives.

These grantees will expand community-based legal clinics, strengthen pro bono services, increase language access, support survivors of domestic violence, improve remote access to the courts, assist veterans and service members, and help Illinois residents achieve stability through criminal record relief, eviction diversion, and remote mediation.

This year's grantees are:

• Administer Justice to open three new community-based legal clinics.
• Cabrini Green Legal Aid to enhance its pro bono program supporting self-represented court users seeking to seal or expunge criminal records.
• Center for Conflict Resolution to support remote mediation participants by improving access to technology and language services.
• Center for Disability and Elder Law to support its pro bono guardianship self-help services and representation program.
• Chicago Advocate Legal, NFP to serve as a free court-appointed GAL or Child Representative and to support the "Empowering Fathers" program.
• Chicago Volunteer Legal Services to continue operating a family law legal clinic at the Maywood Courthouse in Cook County.
• Chinese American Services League to provide self-help legal assistance to low-income and limited-English proficient court users, including Chinese and Chinese American litigants.
• Greater Chicago Legal Clinic to run a weekly advice desk at the Bridgeview Courthouse in Cook County.
• Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence to implement a rural court access initiative that helps underserved self-represented survivors of domestic violence.
• Illinois Equal Justice Foundation to operate the Illinois Armed Forces Legal Aid Network.
• James B. Moran Center for Youth Advocacy to operate a legal advice and representation help desk for court users seeking criminal records relief at the Skokie Courthouse in Cook County.
• Land of Lincoln Legal Aid to launch a virtual divorce pilot program for self-represented litigants.
• Lawndale Christian Legal Center to provide holistic, community-based legal services for juveniles and emerging adults.
• Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services to provide legal information to survivors of domestic violence in DuPage County.
• Legal Council for Health Justice to continue the statewide operation of IL Pride Connect resource hub and legal hotline.
• North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic to provide free legal representation for low-income individuals facing domestic violence and housing issues.
• Prairie State Legal Services to support a collaborative courthouse-based eviction diversion help desk at the Rock Island County Courthouse.
• Pro Bono Network to continue coordinated clinics and community partnerships that offer flexible pro bono opportunities in family law, elder law, and expungement.
• Raise the Floor Alliance to expand efforts to address labor violations affecting workers in low-wage industries.
• SIU Simmons Law School Legal Clinic to support two full-time summer clinical fellows assisting unrepresented seniors in southern Illinois with guardianship and estate planning needs.
• South Suburban College to support the Student Pro Bono Expungement course.
• Spanish Community Center to secure training for six case workers to share legal information with clients and assist them with interpretation and translation needs.
• Syrian Community Network to host twice weekly office hours, in person and remotely, where staff answer questions and guide people who speak languages other than English navigate the court system.
• The Village Legal and Community Project to provide community-based pro bono legal services and host attorney office hours in neighborhood spaces.
• Westside Justice Center to offer in person community pro se clinics, assisting with completing forms and giving brief legal advice.

Through partnership and shared commitment, we are building a more just, inclusive, and accessible court system for everyone. The ATJ Commission is honored to support the efforts of these vital organizations during the 2026-2027 grant year (May 1, 2026, to April 30, 2027). For questions or additional information, contact [email protected].