The Illinois legislature is still debating the budget, but the general session has ended, and there were several bills passed that, if signed by Governor Rauner, would increase access to justice in our state.
For example:
HB 494: Eliminates the lifetime bar on employment in schools for people with a felony on their record by giving schools discretion to hire them seven years after they complete their sentences.
SB 1547: Protects survivors of domestic violence and persons with disabilities from local ordinances that subject them to eviction when they call for police assistance.
SB 1847: Provides access to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps) benefits for 40,000 low-income working families in Illinois.
There's an infinite number of worthy causes and organizations eager to have volunteers, but if you're just getting started, it can be difficult — even discouraging — to weed through all the options.
Luckily, many sites and platforms can help you find the best volunteer opportunities that fit your interests and skills. FromCatchafire, which helps busy professionals apply their skills to volunteer work, to DoSomething, which helps young people take meaningful action based on their passions and time preferences, you're bound to find volunteer work among the eight resources we've rounded up below.
Technology is streamlining legal practice for corporate clients, but it can also help those in need. According to Michelle Host in a recent article in The Shriver Brief, a blog put out by the Shriver Center on Poverty Law, some innovative websites are helping lawyers connect to pro bono clients.
ProBonoNet not only connects private attorneys with prospective nonprofit clients, it also provides training events, mentors and practice resource libraries, says Host. Its model has been adopted in 30 states and many of those websites can be reached through its main site, she says.
One such site, IllinoisProBono.org, is specifically tailored to lawyers who do not have a connection to legal aid, as they may “encounter difficulty learning about pro bono opportunities that match their skills and interests,” notes Host. The site has a volunteer opportunity search which has been newly updated and allows attorneys, students and other professionals to find the right pro bono fit.
Read more: http://www.lawtechnologynews.com/id=1395088808502/How-Technology-Is-Helping-Pro-Bono-Legal-Services#ixzz2wKiP1N2t
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Pro Bono literally saved my life. In 1995-1996, I was first represented in an Eviction case by Cabrini Legal Aid here in Chicago. After a ten month trial, in an amazing day, the Landlord lost and I won. I am forvever grateful to Mr. Andrew Dougherty and Ms. Christine Farrel for this one.
In 1998, my landlord filed yet a second Eviction case, and once more I was represented, PRO BONO by Mr. Andrew Dougherty of Cabrini Legal Aid. Andy worked for 18 months on this case, until he finally had to quit so we settled out of court.
There are thousands of indigent and poor folks who would be totally lost without the Pro Bono Services of Legal Offices like Cabrini Legal Aid.
