Illinois Equal Justice Foundation

10/08/2026

Last week, our Executive Director Leslie Corbett joined the celebration of Illinois Legal Aid Online's 25th anniversary gala, and she brought a special perspective. Leslie served on ILAO's very first Board of Advisors so she's seen this organization grow into a major hub that helps people across Illinois access legal resources.

Pictured with Leslie: Lisa Colpoys (former ILAO Executive Director), Shane Colpoys, and Judge Catherine Schneider.

10/06/2026

New Leaf Illinois + CARPLS + Cook County Public Defender's Office are hosting a FREE Expungement & Record Sealing Event on October 19

CARPLS and New Leaf are collaborating with the Cook County Public Defender Office’s Freedom Defense Center for an Expungement & Sealing Clinic on Monday, October 19, 2026.

Location: 5500 W. Madison St, Chicago IL
Time: 9:30AM (Doors close at 10AM)
Registration Required – Please pre-register by contacting 312-738-7399 or [email protected]

Need a fresh start? Our legal team will guide you through the expungement and sealing process, including:
• Checking eligibility for record clearing
• Assistance with completing necessary forms
• Step-by-step guidance on the legal process
• Access to additional legal resources

Why Attend? Clearing your record can open doors to jobs, housing, and other essential opportunities.

10/06/2026

One year ago, Legal Council for Health Justice launched Illinois Pride Connect to help LGBTQ+ Illinoisans know their rights and find the support they deserve.

This free digital resource hub connects people across the state to affirming legal and community services, with information on:
✅ Housing
✅ Education
✅ Healthcare
✅ Public benefits

Congratulations to our grantee Legal Council for Health Justice on this milestone! ilprideconnect.org

10/01/2026

*October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.*

For survivors, safety often depends on more than leaving. It means securing an order of protection, sorting out custody and housing, and facing an abuser in court.

Through the Civil Legal Aid appropriation in the state budget, the IEJF funds legal aid organizations across the state that provide survivors of domestic violence with free legal help.

No survivor should face the legal system alone.

09/29/2026

Did you know? A cannabis conviction is often the reason people first reach out to New Leaf Illinois, but it doesn't have to be the only thing we help with. Once you register, a legal aid attorney can help you clear ALL your eligible records.

One call can be the first step toward a clean slate.

872-NEW-LEAF | newleafillinois.org

09/24/2026

The Illinois Housing Development Authority's Court-Based Rental Assistance Program (CBRAP) is officially open.

CBRAP provides emergency rental assistance to tenants and landlords across Illinois who have pending case(s) in eviction court.

Eligible applicants may qualify for up to $10,000 that can be applied to past due rent, up to $700 for court costs, and up to two months' future rent to prevent housing displacement.

A tenant with a pending eviction court case must apply first at: https://lnkd.in/eXnHdEQS.

If eligible, the Illinois Housing Development Authority will send the tenant’s landlord an email inviting them to complete their section of the application.

09/24/2026

“The changes that HR1 is making to the Medicaid program … represent the largest policy shift in the program’s 60-plus year history,” said Elizabeth Whitehorn, director of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services.

An estimated 165,000 to 300,000 Illinois residents could lose Medicaid because of the work requirements, according to the department.

Cook County leaders and health officials sounded the alarm Wednesday, warning that changes in the Medicaid work requirement may lead to hundreds of thousands of Illinois residents losing coverage.

09/22/2026

Congrats to Clarissa Gaff, Executive Director of Land of Lincoln Legal Aid, on 20 years with the organization!

Land of Lincoln Legal Aid was one of IEJF's earliest grantees, and over the years, it has expanded services to reach more low-income Illinoisans across 65 counties in central and southern Illinois. That's an enormous stretch of the state, but they show up for people wherever they are: mobile justice vans, hotlines, and local offices alike.

Here's to two decades of leadership and impact, Clarissa!

09/17/2026

Our September newsletter takes us down to southern Illinois, where we talk to IEJF Board member and long-time resident, Michael Pierre Ruiz and share highlights from our legislative briefing at Southern Illinois University Simmons Law School.

We also feature the latest Eviction Help Illinois report and how the network is still delivering impact, 6 years in.

Check it out: https://iejf.org/news/newsletters/

09/14/2026

Last week we traveled to Carbondale to co-host a legislative briefing on civil legal aid in southern Illinois.

Hannah Brenner Johnson, Dean of Southern Illinois University Simmons Law School, moderated a discussion with CLARISSA GAFF, Land of Lincoln Legal Aid, Michael Bergmann, Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI), and Dale J. Aschemann, SIU Legal Clinic, on the programs they offer to community members who can't afford a lawyer — and the most pressing needs they're seeing in the area.

We're grateful to Supreme Court of Illinois Justice David Overstreet for joining us and speaking to how integral legal aid is to the justice system, and to State Representative Patrick Windhorst, along with staff from Congressman Bost's and Representative David Friess's offices, for taking part in the conversation.

Special thanks to Southern Illinois University Simmons Law School for hosting us and to IEJF Board Member Michael Ruiz for his leadership!