Your Money at Work

Ronit Barrett, an attorney at Eimer Stahl Klevorn & Solberg LLP, is one of thousands of lawyers who contributed to this year’s 3rd annual CBF Investing in Justice Campaign.   Ronit and her colleagues at Eimer Stahl have been particularly generous in their support of the Campaign.  For the second year in a row, Eimer Stahl was #1 both in the percentage of their attorneys contributing and the amount of their total contributions on a pro rata basis.  Ronit notes that “The Investing in Justice Campaign effects real change in our justice system by ensuring access to basic legal resources for some of the most disadvantaged members of our community.   The ability to change lives with a small donation is a quality of this campaign that resonates with all of us here at the firm.”

Thanks to Ronit and more than 2,000 individual donors, 60 participating law firms and corporations, and the leadership of Campaign Chair Jeff Stone and the Campaign Steering Committee, the 2009 Investing in Justice Campaign raised nearly $1 million to support dozens of pro bono and legal aid organizations and the dedicated attorneys that work for these organizations.  The Campaign is a unique opportunity for lawyers to invest in the entire pro bono and legal aid system with one contribution. “The 2009 Campaign once again proved that, when called to act, Chicago’s legal community answers,” noted Jeff Stone. “We were able to raise a significant amount of money in what turned out to be the most difficult economic climate imaginable.  We can all be proud of the way Chicago’s legal community stepped up this year.”

The CBF distributed 100% of the funds raised in the 2009 Campaign through its comprehensive grants process – a total of 38 organizations received grants.  The CBF was able to maintain operating support grants for these organizations at current levels and continue support for a number of other innovative projects.  The largest project grant made possible by the Campaign was for the Circuit Court’s Municipal Division Advice Desk, a joint project with the Circuit Court of Cook County, CARPLS, the Chicago Legal Clinic and the CBF.  This program provided legal advice and assistance to thousands of pro se litigants facing landlord/tenant and consumer cases – groups of individuals who were particularly hard hit because of the economic downturn.   In addition to the direct impact of the CBF grants to CARPLS and the Chicago Legal Clinic made possible by the Campaign, these grants leveraged more than $100,000 in matching funding from Cook County.

The Campaign is just one important example of how lawyers can provide their financial support to advance this cause.  Learn more details about the impact of this year’s Campaign and how you can get involved on the Investing in Justice Campaign webpage.

For more information about how you can make a difference by contributing financially, please contact David Gee, CBF Director of Development, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 312-554-1209.