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Access to Justice Division | State of Illinois Office of the Illinois Courts

(312) 793-3859 (Chicago Office)

Alison Spanner, Assistant Director

Access to Justice Division

Established in January 2014, the Access to Justice Division (Division) works to advance accessible, responsive, fair, inclusive, safe, unbiased, and welcoming Illinois state courts. The Division’s work is grounded in the principle that all individuals—regardless of income, language, disability, or representation status—should be able to meaningfully participate in court processes and experience equitable treatment throughout the justice system.

The Division supports and staffs the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice (ATJ Commission) and works collaboratively with the ATJ Commission and its committees to identify systemic barriers and implement statewide solutions. Division staff also partner closely with other divisions of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC), the appellate courts, circuit courts, and justice system stakeholders to improve court operations and services for low-income individuals, people with limited English proficiency, self-represented litigants, and other vulnerable court users.

Core Areas of Work

The Division advances statewide initiatives that strengthen court accessibility and improve the justice delivery system, including:

  • Development and implementation of statewide standardized court forms
  • Language access policy development and interpreter services support
  • Court-based training and education on access to justice issues
  • Development of self-help resources, including appellate-focused materials
  • Statewide data collection, research, and analysis to inform policy and innovation

Illinois Court Help

Illinois Court Help is a free, statewide service that provides court users with reliable procedural information about Illinois courts. Operated in partnership with the ATJ Commission, the service connects individuals to trained court guides who offer step-by-step assistance by phone, text, or email.

Court guides help users understand court processes across all levels of the Illinois court system, including how to file documents electronically, prepare for hearings, and participate in court proceedings remotely. While Illinois Court Help does not provide legal advice, it plays a critical role in helping court users navigate procedures and, when appropriate, connects them to legal aid organizations and community-based resources.

Standardized Court Forms

The Division partners with the ATJ Commission’s Forms Committee and its subcommittees to develop standardized, simplified court forms for common legal matters. Once approved by the Forms Committee, these forms must be accepted by Illinois courts statewide.

The Division supports form development across a wide range of subject areas, including family law, eviction, mortgage foreclosure, orders of protection, name change, small claims, guardianship, criminal records relief, appellate procedures, and other civil and criminal processes. The standardized forms initiative promotes consistency across jurisdictions and enables litigants to address basic legal issues without the assistance of an attorney.

Language Access

The Division’s language access work focuses on improving court access for individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP). In coordination with the ATJ Commission’s Language Access Committee, the Division supports the development and implementation of statewide language access standards, policies, and practical tools for courts and judges.

The Division administers the Illinois court interpreter certification program and maintains the AOIC Court Interpreter Registry, which lists qualified spoken-language and sign-language interpreters available to serve Illinois courts. These efforts support the Illinois Supreme Court’s Language Access Policy and Code of Interpreter Ethics and assist courts in providing meaningful language access in civil, criminal, and court-annexed proceedings.

Community Trust

The Division staffs the ATJ Commission’s Community Trust Committee, which focuses on strengthening public trust and confidence in the courts by building meaningful relationships between courts and the communities they serve.

The Committee works with community-based organizations that are established and trusted within their communities to gather direct feedback from court users. Through listening sessions, community panels, and user testing initiatives, the Committee elevates community perspectives and integrates them into court improvement efforts, including form design, policy development, and access to justice initiatives affecting survivors of domestic violence and other vulnerable populations.

Disability Access

The Division supports the ATJ Commission’s Disability Access Committee, which promotes equal access to the court system for people with disabilities. The Committee intentionally partners with members of the disability community, court disability coordinators, and other stakeholders to identify barriers to access and improve court accommodation practices statewide.

The Committee’s work includes strengthening the role of local Court Disability Coordinators and advancing consistent, statewide approaches to requesting and providing accommodations. These efforts are aimed at ensuring that court users with disabilities can fully and fairly participate in court proceedings.

Training and Educational Programs

The Division works closely with the ATJ Commission’s Court Guidance and Training Committee to develop and deliver training materials and educational programs on access to justice issues. These efforts support judges, clerks, court staff, and justice partners by providing practical guidance on serving self-represented litigants, addressing language and disability access needs, and distinguishing between legal information and legal advice.

The Division conducts trainings at the local level for courts and community partners, including public libraries, and contributes to multidisciplinary education efforts for judicial stakeholders through statewide conferences and programs.

Appellate Resource Program

The Division’s Appellate Resource Program is designed to assist self-represented litigants navigating civil appeals in Illinois. The Division works in coordination with the ATJ Commission’s Appellate Committee, the Appellate Court Administrative Committee, appellate clerks, and research directors from all appellate districts to develop clear, user-focused appellate guidance.

The program supports a dedicated appellate self-help section on the Illinois Courts website, which provides procedural overviews, frequently asked questions, e-filing manuals, and simplified explanations of the appellate process. These resources are designed to promote consistency and transparency for litigants pursuing appeals without counsel.

The Division also partners with the Public Interest Law Initiative to support a virtual Civil Appeals Help Desk. Through this service, eligible litigants may submit appellate-related questions online and receive limited-scope assistance from volunteer attorneys, expanding access to legal guidance in appellate matters.

Statewide Collaboration

The Division supports a coordinated statewide network of court-based programs focused on assisting self-represented and limited English proficient litigants. This work builds on established initiatives such as Illinois JusticeCorps and the Access to Justice Improvement Grant Program, which supports navigators and coordinators in courthouses to assist court users and improve court services.

These initiatives are unified through the Court Navigator Network, a statewide forum that brings together court staff, coordinators, and partner organizations from across Illinois. Network members serve as liaisons between their local courts and the broader access to justice community, sharing best practices, developing new tools, and supporting consistent, user-centered approaches across judicial circuits.

Through this collaborative infrastructure, the Division promotes innovation, coordination, and continuous improvement in court services statewide.