More and more people are turning up in our courtrooms without an attorney. They are trying to save their homes, protect their credit, collect money that is owed to them, get protection from abuse and deal with a host of other serious legal issues. They cannot afford an attorney. Judges are prohibited from offering them advice. The few free legal services available cannot begin to meet the need. Too many walk away without the relief they are entitled to. To address this need, some courts have set up advice desks to assist these pro se litigants, guide them through the system and help them enforce their rights.

When the Legal Aid Bureau of Metropolitan Family Services expanded its Poverty Law Project to the southwest suburbs in September, attorney Dennis Trainor met with Presiding Judge Ron Riley and found him receptive to the idea of an advice desk at the Markham court house. As a result, pro se litigants can now get advice and assistance from Dennis on Thursdays from 9AM to 1PM in a room next to Courtroom 204. Referrals come from the Clerk’s office, the court’s information desk and the office of the presiding judge.

Litigants who came to the courthouse earlier in the week were told about the advice desk and elected to come back later to get advice before proceeding with their case. Judges are now seeing unrepresented litigants better prepared to present their cases, are are making referrals to the desk as well.

How does it work? An elderly resident had been trying to collect money that was owed to her. Dennis located the address of the person she was suing, helped her prepare the court order she needed, walked her to the Clerk’s office to help her file an amended complaint that would meet the legal requirements for the relief she wanted and, finally, helped her place the complaint and summons, (containing the new address) with the sheriff so it could be successfully served.

Thank you to following for helping to make this Advice Desk possible:

• Chicago Area Foundation for Legal Services and Chicago Bar Foundation- $12,500 to our Poverty Law Project
• Pattishall, McAuliffe, Newbury, Hilliard & Geraldson LLP - $2,000
• Attorney Tom Zimmerman – for directing a Cy Pres Award of $62,500 to LAB.

Submitted by: Legal Aid Bureau of Metropolitan Family Services - General Operating Office on 02/09/2009