The Commission is working with a broad range of organizations, institutions and government agencies to develop a coordinated collaborative initiative to improve the status of veterans’ benefits in Illinois. The result is a statewide network readying lawyers to provide pro bono legal representation for veterans in proceedings involving disability benefits. This collaborative effort includes the following groups:

• Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism
• John Marshall Law School
• Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs
• Illinois State Bar Association
• Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago
• Office of the Attorney General
• Other bar associations across the state, i.e., the Chicago Bar Association
• Illinois law firms

The Commission contracted a national expert in veterans’ legal issues, Ron Abrams, Director of the National Veterans Legal Services Project in Washington, D.C., to train representatives of the organizations listed above in October 2007. Lawyers participating in the first training made two commitments: 1) to represent Illinois veterans for no cost, or “pro bono” service, and 2) agree to assist in the training of other lawyers across the state, in future training programs organized by the COP and their partner organizations.

We are proud that the first major pro bono effort undertaken by the Courts Commission will serve those who have been called to our nation’s service----it is an honor to honor their sacrifice, by assisting them in receiving benefits to which they are entitled. We will not ignore them in their time of need, just as they answered their nation’s call.

For information on providing pro bono services to veterans seeking disability benefits go to www.illinoisprobono.org.