 In 2012, the court established the Access to Justice Commission to
"promote, facilitate and enhance equal access to justice, with an
emphasis on access to the Illinois civil courts and administrative
agencies for all people, particularly the poor and vulnerable." The
commission, made up of dedicated volunteers, has made great strides
in improving access for non-native English speakers and in
standardizing various forms and procedures, making them more
user-friendly for pro se litigants.The creation of the new Civil
Justice Division will formalize the role of the Access to Justice
Commission within the court's administrative structure. By bringing
this function under the umbrella of the Administrative Office of the
Illinois Courts and creating a sixth operational division, the court
has ensured that this function will be fully supported by all of the
facilities and resources available to other agencies and programs of
the Supreme Court.
"The Civil Justice Division, now with a permanent home within our
administrative office, will support the court's effort to improve
access to justice throughout the state of Illinois," said Garman.
"Going forward, the access to justice initiative will be more fully
integrated into the court's larger efforts and will benefit from the
expertise and resources available within the administrative
structure of the court system."
Under the Illinois Constitution, the Supreme Court has
supervisory authority over the state's judiciary and the legal
profession. The constitution also authorizes the Supreme Court to
appoint an administrative director and staff to assist the chief
justice in fulfilling these administrative and supervisory duties.
Michael J. Tardy, director of the Administrative Office of the
Illinois Courts, said that the creation of the Civil Justice
Division within the AOIC will greatly enhance and support the
Supreme Court's objective of increasing access to justice.
"The administrative office's capacity to implement the Supreme
Court's initiatives to increase access to civil justice will be
strengthened through this structure," Tardy said. "The new Civil
Justice Division within the AOIC will propose, implement, measure
and refine policies and procedures designed to, among other things,
improve access to civil justice."
Danielle E. Hirsch, who previously served as executive director
of the Access to Justice Commission, is now assistant director of
the Civil Justice Division and will serve as the administrative
office's chief liaison with the commission.
The Access to Justice Commission is made up of 11 volunteer
members who serve three-year terms. Seven members are appointed by
the Illinois Supreme Court. The Illinois Bar Foundation, the Chicago
Bar Foundation, the Lawyers Trust Fund of Illinois and the Illinois
Equal Justice Foundation each appoint one member. The chair is
appointed by the chief justice of the state Supreme Court.
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Since its inception, the Access to Justice Commission has been
chaired by Jeffrey D. Colman, a partner in the Chicago law firm of
Jenner & Block. In the two years since the commission began its work
under his leadership, the Illinois Supreme Court has adopted several
measures in response to commission recommendations: amending the
judicial canon of ethics to permit judges to make reasonable efforts
to facilitate the ability of self-represented litigants to be fairly
heard; creating a model language-access plan to enhance the
integrity of judicial proceedings where one or more participants is
a non-English speaker; easing attorney licensing requirements for
lawyers who are spouses or civil union partners of active military
personnel serving in Illinois; and expanding the rule allowing law
students to represent indigent clients under the supervision of
licensed attorneys. Each of these innovations improves access to
justice by increasing the availability of legal services or by
facilitating self-representation.
The Access to Justice Commission has also undertaken an
initiative to design and implement simplified standard forms for use
in various legal proceedings. One such form is intended for use in
simple, uncontested name-change proceedings. Once approved, the
forms will be available in either electronic or paper format and
will be accepted in all judicial circuits throughout the state. In
the future, proposed drafts of other such standardized forms will be
posted for public comment.
Kelly, the Bloomington lawyer appointed by Garman to serve as the
chairman of the Access to Justice Commission, was one of the 11
initial appointees to the commission in 2012 and was reappointed to
a three-year term in 2013. As such, he has been involved in the work
of the commission since its inauguration.
"Mr. Kelly is an experienced litigator who, before he entered
private practice, worked as a legal aid attorney and as an assistant
public defender," Garman said. "As such, he is familiar with the
barriers faced by unrepresented litigants, non-English speaking
parties, veterans and others who are often underserved by the legal
system. I am confident that he will provide outstanding leadership."
The chief justice also thanked Colman for his dedication to the
cause of access to civil justice and commended him for his tireless
efforts.
[Text from file received from the
Illinois Supreme Court]
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