More than 1.3 million Cook County residents are living at or near poverty, unable to pay for often critical legal help.
There are only about 300 full-time legal aid attorneys to help them.
Our Profession
There is a huge gap in access to civil legal assistance for the low-income and disadvantaged people who most need the protections of our justice system.
This is our common cause as lawyers, and we as a legal community can do something about it.
Our Foundation
Through grants, advocacy, pro bono and partnerships, the CBF takes a system-wide approach to increasing the availability of legal assistance for those most in need.
Thanks to your support, we’re making a real difference.
You Make It Possible
Connect with your community through the CBF to make a difference in this vital cause.
Chicago's legal community once again has answered the call to help ensure that people in need in our community have access to justice. Thousands of individual donors at a new record of 118 law firms, corporations and other law-related organizations participated in this year's Campaign.More...
Provisionally called the CBF Postgraduate Academy, the project will address two compelling concerns: new lawyers unable to achieve meaningful employment in this challenging job market; and low and moderate income people in desperate need of legal assistance.More...
These FY 2012 grants will enable tens of thousands of low-income and disadvantaged Chicagoans, including disabled children and adults, veterans, homeowners facing foreclosure and homeless youth, to get critical legal advice and assistance. More...
The CBF gratefully recognizes the contributions of the following: Branding and logo development by Crosby Associates; Website design and development by Billups Design; Signage and Event Posters by 24 Seven Discovere.