Author: The Chicago Bar Foundation
Last updated: October 2012

As the comments to Rule 756(f) underscore, the Supreme Court’s new pro bono reporting requirement is “intended to serve as an annual reminder to the lawyers of Illinois that pro bono legal service is an integral part of a lawyer’s professionalism.” For attorneys with questions about how to get involved in pro bono and/or make a qualifying financial contribution, some information and resources follow:

Pro Bono Resources

Supreme Court Rule 756(f) contains a broad definition that illustrates four distinct ways in which lawyers can use their unique training, experience, and skills to help the public on a pro bono basis. There typically are pro bono opportunities available throughout Illinois in a variety of areas of the law, ranging from discrete time commitments of one to two hours to extended trial and appellate work. 

For more information about available pro bono opportunities, click here. Attorneys in the Chicago area can also contact the Chicago Bar Foundation’s Pro Bono Support Program (312-554-8356) with questions about getting involved in pro bono.

Financial Contributions

Attorneys also are encouraged to make financial contributions “to an organization that provides legal services to persons of limited means or which contributes financial support to such an organization.” 

There are a variety of legal aid organizations throughout the state providing these services. A list of qualifying legal aid organizations in Illinois that receive funding from either The Chicago Bar Foundation, the Illinois Bar Foundation, the Lawyers Trust Fund of Illinois, or the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation follows below, with links to where you can get more information about the work of these organizations and how to make contributions.

In addition, attorneys can make contributions under the Rule to The Chicago Bar Foundation, which provides financial support for a broad range of pro bono and legal aid organizations in the Chicago area, or the Illinois Bar Foundation, which provides financial support to a range of legal aid and public interest law organizations throughout Illinois. 

Legal Aid Organizations in Illinois Receiving Funding from CBF, IBF, LTF, or IEJF (Funders of each organization are identified following each organization's name. Organizations are based in Chicago unless otherwise indicated.)

Access Living (CBF, IBF)
AIDS Legal Council of Chicago (CBF, LTF)
Cabrini Green Legal Aid (CBF, IBF, LTF, IEJF)
CARPLS (CBF, IBF, LTF, IEJF)
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago-Legal Assistance (CBF)
Center for Conflict Resolution (CBF, IEJF)
Center for Disability & Elder Law (CDEL) (CBF, IBF)
Center for Economic Progress - Tax Clinic (CBF, LTF)
Center on Halsted-Legal Information Center (IBF)
Centro Romero-Latin American Legal Assistance Services (CBF)
Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation-Sexual Assault Justice Project (CBF)
Chicago Coalition for the Homeless Law Project  (CBF, LTF)
Chicago Law & Education Foundation (IBF)
Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (CBF, IBF)
Chicago Legal Advocacy for Incarcerated Mothers (CLAIM) (CBF, IBF, LTF)
Chicago Legal Clinic (CLC) (CBF, LTF, IEJF)
Chicago Volunteer Legal Services (CVLS) (CBF, IBF, LTF, IEJF)
Domestic Violence Legal Clinic (CBF, LTF, IBF)
DuPage Bar Legal Aid Service (Wheaton) (LTF)
Eldercare Options (Decatur) (LTF)
Equip for Equality(Chicago, Carbondale, and Springfield) (CBF,IBF, LTF, IEJF)
Family Defense Center (CBF, IBF)
First Defense Legal Aid (CBF)
Health & Disability Advocates (CBF, LTF)
Illinois Legal Aid Online (CBF, IBF, LTF, IEJF)
Immigration Project (Bloomington) (IBF, LTF)
Indo-American Center-Citizenship & Immigration Services (CBF)
James B. Moran Center for Youth Advocacy (Evanston) (CBF)
Kane Legal Clinic of the Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind (IBF)
Kankakee Center for Conflict Resolution (IEJF)
Lambda Legal - Midwest Regional Office Help Desk (CBF)
Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation (Southern & Central IL)(IBF, LTF, IEJF)
Latinos Progresando-Immigrant Legal Services (CBF) 
The Law Project (f/k/a CEDLP) (CBF, LTF)
Lawndale Christian Legal Center (CBF, IBF)
Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing (CBF, IBF, LTF, IEJF)
Lawyers for the Creative Arts (CBF)
Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services (CBF, IBF, LTF)
LAF (CBF, LTF, IEJF)
Life Span (CBF, IBF, LTF)
Midwest Center on Law & the Deaf (CBF, IBF)
National Immigrant Justice Center (CBF, LTF)
Neighborhood Law Office (East St. Louis) (LTF)
Prairie State Legal Services (Northern and Central IL)(IBF, LTF, IEJF)
Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) (CBF, IBF)
The Roger Baldwin Foundation of the ACLU-Children's Initiative (CBF)
Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law (CBF, LTF)
Uptown People’s Law Center (CBF)
Working Hands Legal Clinic (CBF, IEJF, LTF)
World Relief/Chicago-Immigrant Legal Services (CBF)