Procurement Opportunities | State of Illinois Office of the Illinois Courts

Program Overview

The Illinois Supreme Court created the Commission on Access to Justice (ATJ Commission) in 2012 to develop policies and programs to reduce barriers to the court system for self-represented court users, court users who do not speak English as a first language, court users with a disability, and other court users who may struggle to utilize the court system to address their legal issue. The Access to Justice Division of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (ATJ Division) staffs the ATJ Commission.

Reducing Barriers to Meaningful Participation in Court Grant

The Reducing Barriers to Meaningful Participation in Court Grant (Grant) can be used for any program that increases a court user’s ability to meaningfully participate in the court system. Organizations such as administrative agencies, universities, foundations, legal aid organizations, community-based organizations, and social service organizations are eligible to apply.

Proposed projects must have a clear connection to ATJ Commission’s mission and duties under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 10-100 and its current strategic plan, and the goal of connecting self-represented court users who are low-income, don’t speak English as a first language, are disabled, or are otherwise vulnerable (such as elderly adults, people of color, native Americans and veterans) with:

1. self-help resources, legal advice, and/or legal representation; and/or
2. limited scope representation services or providing legal information to an area of the state that is considered a legal desert.

Examples of eligible projects include, but are not limited to:

• Help desks or early resolution programs;
• Legal advice call centers or hotlines;
• Community-based legal centers (clinics, lawyer in the library, summits);
• Limited scope representation outreach;
• Document drafting workshops; and
• Remote appearance programs for rural counties.

Each grant will be for a one-year period from May 1, 2026-April 30, 2027, and the funds will be paid at the beginning of the grant year. All award amounts are based on the funds which are available for the grant year. These grants are funded by the ATJ Commission. The ATJ Commission is funded via publication royalties, pro hac vice fees, and attorney registration fees. No government funds are used for the grants.

Requirements & Expectations

Each application for grant funding must be submitted by a point person at an administrative agency, university, foundation, legal aid organization, community-based organization, or social service organization. Courts are not eligible to apply and should instead seek the Access to Justice Improvement grant opportunity available in the spring.

Each Point Person is expected to:

• Submit mid-year and year-end reports to the ATJ Division about project activities, number of individuals served, and grant expenditures;
• Communicate any changes in the project or staffing to the ATJ Division.

The ATJ Commission and Division will:

• Provide support to the grant point person to further the Grant Purpose; and
• Disburse funds to support the Grantee upon execution by the parties of a Grant Agreement.

Grant Award Decision Process & Due Date

Completed grant proposals must be submitted before 5:00 pm on Monday, March 2, 2026 by online application at ilcourts.info/meaningful-grant-application or via QR code:

All award decisions will be made by the ATJ Commission's Reducing Barriers to Meaningful Participation in Court Grant Selection Committee (Committee). The Committee will review all

grant applications and make awards based on several criteria including demonstrated need, potential impact of the project, long-term sustainability, and willingness to innovate and think creatively.

The Committee anticipates that the grant recipients will be announced mid-April 2026 with grant monies to be disbursed shortly thereafter. Grants will be paid to the person or entity designated by the recipient after selection. The program year will begin May 1, 2026.

Questions about the grant program should be directed to the AOIC Access to Justice Division at

AccessToJustice@illinoiscourts.gov.

Grant Proposal Requirements

Each proposal for grant funds must include the following three components. The questions are listed here for your assistance in preparing to submit the proposal online via the link above.

Section I Applicant’s Information

• Organization, Organization’s Leader, and Project Point Person Information