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Details | State of Illinois Office of the Illinois Courts

Justice Corner

1/27/2020

January 27, 2020

Dear Justice Corner,
I am interested in getting more training about Access to Justice issues, how can I do that?
Judge Wanttolearn

Dear Judge Wanttolearn,
One opportunity for training on access to justice-related topics is at the upcoming Judicial Education Conferences. Check out some of these sessions:

  • Judge Only Sessions
    • Self-Represented Litigants: Monday, 2:45-4:15 p.m.
    • SRLs & Help Desks: Mon. & Tues., 4:30-5 p.m.
    • Deliberative Decision Making: Tuesday, 8:30-10 a.m. & Wednesday, 4-5:40 p.m.
    • Procedural Fairness and Judicial Decision Making: Wednesday, 11:3 a.m. – 1 p.m.

 

  • Multidisciplinary Sessions (Clerks and court staff also welcome to attend)
    • Disability Rights in the Courthouse: Thurs. & Fri. 8:30-10 a.m.
    • Self-Represented Litigants: How May We Help You?: Thursday, 1:30-3 p.m.
    • Court Fees & Waivers in Civil Cases: Thursday, 3:15-4:45 p.m.
    • Navigating Legal Issues Alone and Barriers to Justice: Thursday, 3:15-4:45 p.m.
    • How to Overcome Language Barriers Inside and Outside the Courtroom: Friday, 8:30-10 a.m.
    • Fines & Assessments: The Criminal & Traffic Assessment Act: Friday, 10:15-11:45 a.m.

Another opportunity for training is to have members of the Access to Justice Division of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts come to your courthouse and present to any constituency (judges, court staff, clerks, all of the above) on topics of particular importance to your court (language access, information vs. advice, dealing with SRLs in the courtroom, etc). Contact Jill Roberts at jroberts@illinoiscourts.gov to schedule a training.

Lastly, you can always find some helpful access to justice materials on the Court’s website.The Access to Justice Commission has created bench cards and other helpful materials for easy reference. If you would like any of those materials or have questions, comments, concerns, suggestions, or stories about self-represented litigants, please email justicecorner@illinoiscourts.gov.

-Justice Corner, Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice's Court Guidance and Training Committee

  • Chair, Judge Jo Beth Weber, Jefferson County
  • Presiding Judge Clarence M. Darrow, Rock Island County
  • Presiding Judge Sharon M. Sullivan, Cook County
  • Associate Judge Elizabeth M. Rochford, Lake County
  • Chief Judge Michael Kramer, Kankakee County
  • Justice Michael Hyman, 1st Appellate District
  • David Holtermann, Lawyers' Trust Fund, Chicago
  • Wendy Vaughn, Clinical Professor NIU, Member of Access to Justice Commission

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