CBA Sept. 2015.pdf

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Chicago Bar Foundation
Report
By Angela Inzano
CBF ProgramManager
Liberty and justice for all is one of
America’s most cherished principles,
and a fundamental part of the very
fabric of our nation. Our founding
fathers fought a revolution for it. Thou-
sands of brave men and women since
then–from Abraham Lincoln to Susan
B. Anthony to Martin Luther King
and all who fought with them–risked
their lives to ensure that the principle
of justice for all truly applied to all
Americans.
Justice for all knows no political
exclusivity. It is not a Democratic or
Republican value, but an American
value. At the opening of each and
every session of this Senate, we stand
together and pledge our allegiance to
this founding principle. Millions of
schoolchildren pledge their allegiance
every day to this fundamental tenet of
our country.
For more information on how you can get
involved in legislative advocacy on behalf of
access to justice, and to sign up for CBF advocacy
updates and alerts, visit www.chicagobar-
or
contact Angela Inzano, CBF Program Manager,
at or 312/554-4952.
A Fundamental Responsibility of Our Government and Our Legal Community’s
Responsibility to Hold Them to It
Justice for All
Yet today in Illinois and throughout
the United States, we are falling far
short of fulfilling our nation’s promise
of ‘justice for all.
Our Common Cause
Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, a long time
champion for equal access to justice, made
these remarks as part of a Senate floor debate
in 2006. They are still true today.
The CBF’s mission recognizes that as
trustees of the justice system, lawyers have a
responsibility to take a lead role in ensuring
that system is fair, accessible, and efficient
for everyone, not just people who can
afford to hire an attorney. As the CBF’s new
Justice Pledge (see page 17) underscores,
fulfilling that responsibility requires us to
use a mix of our time, money, and influ-
ence for the fundamental principle of equal
justice under the law to become a reality
for everyone in our community.
One way that all of us as CBA members
can use our influence in this regard is by
contacting your elected officials on access
to justice issues. The CBF is your central
resource for information on key policy
issues impacting access to justice and how
you can help. (Check out the text box at the
left for how you can sign up for advocacy
updates and alerts). Legislators don’t hear
much from their constituents on access to
justice issues, and you make a real differ-
ence when you let them know these issues
are important to you and your community.
Your support of the CBF also gives
you a vehicle to come together with your
colleagues in the CBA and larger legal
community to speak with one powerful,
collective voice on these issues with the
federal, state, and local government. The
CBF staff and volunteers work closely with
the CBA’s legislative counsel and staff as
well as the ISBA, ABA, and other local and
national partner organizations to provide a
consistent voice on these issues.
Key issues the CBF regularly prioritizes
at all levels of government are funding for
legal aid and the courts, and loan forgive-
ness and repayment assistance for lawyers
and advocates in public service. The CBF
also advocates on a range of other issues
that significantly impact access to justice,
and these collective efforts have made a real
impact over the years.
Two recent examples of where your
advocacy, individually and through the
CBF, made an impact on the state level this
past year were the passage of key amend-
ments to the Access to Justice Act and a
new law requiring civics education for high
school students.
Access to Justice Act
Originally passed in 2013 with broad
bipartisan support, the Access to Justice
Act created a pilot program to develop and
support a much-needed hotline and net-
work of legal assistance to help thousands
of veterans and military families in need
16 SEPTEMBER 2015