During this time of Thanksgiving, I want to take a moment to thank all the Commissioners on the Access to Justice Commission, our Supreme Court liaison, Justice David K. Overstreet, and our many volunteer committee members for their steadfast commitment to increasing access to justice throughout Illinois. I also want to add a special thanks to the ATJ Division staff who shepherd the work of the ATJ Commission and are the backbone of the initiatives.
Looking outward, we also want to recognize a few of the many individuals who have made meaningful contributions to the Illinois justice system this year. At the outset, it is necessary (and hopefully obvious) to point out that this list is representative of the great work being done across the state and reflective of the many individuals who strive each day to ensure that our courts are fair and accessible.
- Jim Muir, Circuit Clerk of Franklin County
Jim recently regaled ATJ Division staff with a tale of a litigant who came to the courthouse from Indianapolis, IN on the wrong court date. To add a layer of complication, she also didn’t speak English. Instead of sending that person away and telling her to return a different day and to bring an interpreter, he set to work to ensure she could resolve her legal issue that day. He called InLingo, the remote interpreting system, to request an interpreter. Before he made it upstairs to the courtroom, InLingo had already found an interpreter. He told the judge the situation and they handled her case that day. None of that had to happen in that way, but Jim thought about the litigant and her time and went out of his way to ensure she could access the courts right then. Those sorts of efforts are applauded.
- Brenda Sprague & Cynthia York, 1st
Circuit Court Administrators
Brenda is a champion for promoting the opportunities and resources available to serve litigants throughout the nine-county circuit. She applies for and administers the Access to Justice Improvement grant for the Circuit for many things including the Lawyer in the Library program. Brenda’s enthusiasm and compassion for providing and improving services for those litigants who are self-represented, facing language barriers, or in need of specific services is infectious. Brenda works closely with Cynthia York who initiated the 1st Circuit’s Therapy Dog program, first in Williamson County and this year expanded to Jackson County. This program brings a calming presence for witnesses and parties going through challenging court cases and makes them feel more comfortable in the courts. Both are active in the Court Navigator Network and are always looking for new ideas for improving access to justice in the Circuit.
- Bob Glaves, Executive Director, Chicago Bar Foundation
The Chicago Bar Foundation has a rich history with the ATJ Commission and is a nominating entity for one Commissioner. But Bob’s dedication to access to justice started long before the ATJ Commission’s creation, dating back to at least 1999 when he took the helm at the Chicago Bar Foundation (CBF). Since then, the CBF has increased the amount of its annual grants and fundraising more than tenfold and has played a leading role in launching a number of groundbreaking access to justice initiatives. Perhaps one of Bob’s greatest strengths is his ability to motivate people into action. His quiet confidence, his humility, and his gift of communication continue to keep and recruit people to make a difference.
- Hon. Lisa Wilson, 10th Judicial Circuit
Judge Wilson is active with many organizations and projects, including the Public Interest Law Initiative’s 10th
Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee, and works tirelessly to promote pro bono in central Illinois. She has been a part of CLE presentations and other speaking engagements centered around pro bono. In her courtroom, she regularly refers clients to the pro bono Help Desk in both Peoria and Tazewell County, providing litigants a fair chance to have representation when other judges may not encourage the opportunity nearly as much. She has also been a leader in remote court appearances and has helped train other judges about conducting effective remote proceedings.
- Renata Stiehl, Senior Division Attorney, Office of the Presiding Judge – Domestic Violence Division, Circuit Court of Cook County
Renata was the first civil legal aid attorney to work full time in Cook County’s Centralized Domestic Violence Courthouse when the doors opened in 2005, and she is now the Senior Division Attorney in the DV Division. In her current role, Renata created and is responsible for the new Litigant Services Advisors, DV trained court staff whose mission is to assist unrepresented survivors in preparing their petitions requesting emergency relief. In addition, she leads the team that manages the After Hours program, through which victims can reach a judge for a hearing to obtain an emergency order of protection nearly 24 hours per day. Currently more than 2,000 unrepresented litigants have taken advantage of this program.
On behalf of the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice, we thank those mentioned above. We also are deeply grateful to all the judges, legal aid and pro bono lawyers, circuit clerks, court staff, self-help personnel, navigators, volunteers, AOIC staff, our partners, and all those who share the vision of a more fair and accessible court system.