Illinois Legal Aid Online

I am the Development Director for Illinois Legal Aid Online or ILAO. I started in January 2020, 6 weeks before the pandemic. We had the option of working remotely prior to the pandemic, but after the pandemic started we all had to work remotely. As a new employee, I was worried that I wouldn't have the opportunity to interact with my colleagues. However, ILAO leadership focused on our mental health during this time and we had many opportunities to interact during fun Zoom calls. Coffees, happy hours, and more! After the pandemic ended staff decided that we would continue to work remotely and go to the office as needed. I have worked at several nonprofits during my fundraising career but ILAO is the BEST! Great leadership, intelligent and interesting colleagues, and a board that is committed to our mission and to raising $. I am so honored and privileged to work for such an outstanding nonprofit.

ILAO uses widely-accessible technology to provide access to justice for all Illinoisans. ILAO provides forms, information and connections to legal aid services using simple and direct tools. A terrific organization that is innovate, extremely well-run and providing much needed services to help solve legal problems.

I have worked with this organization for over 10 years now and have been impressed at every step of the way with what ILAO accomplishes for those who are in need of information to help solve their legal issues. ILAO brings transparency and clarity of the law to those who may not otherwise be able to afford the services of a lawyer. Hearing story after story of those who have benefited from ILAO's resources makes me proud to be involved in this organization.

ILAO continues to be a wonderful resources to those in need, while also raising awareness on the massive needs in the legal aid sector. I have been proud to serve on ILAO's young professionals board for a long time now.

I have been a member of ILAO's Young Professionals Board for several years and am proud to be a part of an organization that works to fill a crucial gap in the legal system.

ILAO is a uniquely powerful resource to give information to those who need it - and in an accessible way. The people behind this organization are also so full of passion for their work and are a continuous inspiration, and always looking to improve ILAO's services to meet people where the need is the most.

Thank you for supporting ILAO!

ILAO came to the non profit agency I work for and provided training on the website and resources. The training was very beneficial for advocates and clients. I am very grateful for the training as well as the website because as a legal advocate we utilize it often. The programs are amazing!

I am currently a member of the Young Professionals Board for Illinois Legal Aid Online but I was once someone that was just in need of some help with my law-related questions. I was luckily enough to stumble upon ILAO and it proved to be an invaluable resource. I am fortunate to be able to give back to an organization that provides so much help, not only to me, but countless others. I honestly cannot recommend them enough.

I am a member of Illinois Legal Aid Online's Young Professionals Board. I love the work this organization does to help people in Illinois navigate the legal system. Before joining the Young Professionals Board, I used the website to learn how to attend a hearing at the Daley Center. The information was easy to find, easy to follow, and - perhaps most importantly - was accurate. I am happy to support an organization that helps other people feel less alone when dealing with issues that impact their daily lives.

is a support for the community, helping immigrants

Estoy muy emocionada de ver cómo la organización ILAO a estado apoyando a tantas familias en el estado de Illinois especialmente las más vulnerables ,con cada uno de los programas que durante todo este tiempo an estado implementando yo que tengo la oportunidad de apoyar como navegadora comunitaria veo cómo las personas de nuestras comunidades se benefician con estos apoyos que ILAO proporciona para las familias.
Gracias Silvia Martínez

My name is Vincent Boggan, I have been a paralegal for over 20 years, assisting people in navigating the legal system. However, I was introduced to ILAO about almost 2 years ago, by way of Jerome White. Jerome has taught me a great deal through his presentation, zoom meetings, and personal one on ones. He then invited me to become a Community Navigator and instructed me on how to navigate ILAO’s informative website, forms and tool kits . Do to ILAO’s efficient website and trainings I have become a much more effective navigator and I’m able to help a lot more people. I am grateful for the staff of ILAO who has truly put together a magnificent legal navigation tool that has made it a lot easier for everyday people to be informed and address their legal concerns

E tenido la oportunidad de participar con ILAO y me parece súper bueno a sido de mucha ayuda los beneficios que ofrecen en temas legales, migración así como a mi me han ayudado han ayudado amigos y familiares y la verdad tenemos mucho por agradecerle a ILAO

Partnering with Illinois Legal Aid has opened up our ability to guide individuals with legal questions and concerns. Our office receive many calls concerning the law. ILAO has provided us with easy access to forms, direction and information to share with our constituents! It is an amazing organization with an online resource center that is changing the lives of many 1 person at a time. ILAO is a hidden gem and we are glad to spread the resources to those who need it most.

Desde hace unos meses formo parte de los navegadores voluntarios de ILAO, ha sido para mi una gran experiencia y una oportunidad de servir a la comunidad. Es una organizacion sin fines de lucro centrada en ayudar a las pesonas. Me siento feliz y le doy gracias a Dios por darme la oportunidad de conocer a esta organizacion y de poder aportar un granito de arena compartiendo informacion a la comunidad, porque muchas personas desconocen sus derechos y tambien desconocen las asesorias legales a las que pueden tener acceso de manera gratuita. ILAO es un gran equipo comprometido con todos.

I was lucky enough to have worked here for 6 years after volunteer/interning as a law student. An incredible resource to those without attorneys (and to attorneys who are doing pro bono outside of their practice area!) that we often take for granted in Illinois. Beyond that, a wonderful group of people who care deeply about their users, their community, and helping folks access justice. Almost all states have a statewide legal information website but few rival ILAO in terms of scope, depth, and usability. Please support them - your dollars will go towards helping LOTS of people with legal problems.

A few years ago, I needed help navigating the small claims court process. Luckily, I found ILAO. ILAO’s online tutorials and library of filing forms and sample filings were invaluable in helping me successfully file my claim, represent myself in the hearing before the judge and enforce my judgment. I am incredibly thankful that ILAO is helping simplify the law for individuals without lawyers so that they can get justice and am proud to support that mission as a new board member.

I have been involved with ILAO for over 10 years in various capacities, first as a volunteer and now as a Board Member. ILAO provides tools to help people who cannot afford a lawyer with crises such as unemployment, food insecurity, abuse, eviction, deportation, divorce and debt. ILAO leverages technology to help people who would other wise be left alone to navigate complex legal topics. For example, ILAO's Form Library provides over 70 apps that generate free legal papers.

I am always impressed by the organization's drive to innovate and continually improve. In addition to keeping its extensive resources up-to-date in real time, it also strives to understand the additional needs of its users. The ILAO team is a diverse group of individuals committed to knocking down the barriers to using the law to get justice.

ILAO is an organization that truly backs up what it intends to accomplish. Provide legal aid in Illinois to all of those who are in search of it. It's voluminous library of legal materials are second to none.

I have served on the ILAO board for two years, and am inspired by the work they do. It's a small and mighty team that has a massive impact for the people of Illinois by giving people the information they need to resolve really important life problems.

I have been on the Board of ILAO for the past few years. What a wonderful organization that helps people help themselves while using tech to meet people where they are and give them what they need! It is a well run organization with caring and hard-working volunteers and staff. What a benefit to the legal community and the community at large!

I interned at ILAO for a summer while studying for the Bar Exam. I saw first hand the great lengths they go to to make sure their content about the law is up-to-date and accesible to persons from all walks of life. ILAO is also a tremendous resource for attorneys who want to get involved in pro bono matters.

As a nation, we are a long way from making our justice system available to everyone but ILAO, in many ways, is where progress in Illinois is happening.

I interned with Illinois Legal Aid Online and found the experience to be impactful and rewarding. It was eye-opening to see the vast number of people who visit the website everyday in search for help and the wide variety of topics that ILAO touches. It is directly rewarding when I see these people in need being empowered with information that I published over the summer. It was also great insight into how hard the ILAO staff works to ensure that information is up to date for the general public.

The ILAO website has helped me sort through and understand several legal and general questions. It is easy to navigate and has information organized in categories and searchable. I specifically learned about unemployment and health insurance and having one website source to go to really saved me time. I was worried the information would be too technical or complicated, but everything was clear and easy to understand.

Since using the site I have virtually attended a few ILAO fundraisers and learned about how far-reaching their services are and how many people have been helped.

I am always referring people to ILAO as a first and complete resource for any type of legal issue or question. What a wonderful service you provide!

As a judicial extern, I use ILAO's user friendly website all the time! The automated documents are so so helpful and I really enjoy reading ILAO's blogs.

ILAO is always the first place I turn when I need help getting started with a case. Highly recommend its services!

I am an ILAO volunteer. I joined to indulge in my passion to aid those who are unaware of possibilities of how to help themselves. These services allow me to further educate myself as my career is in the legal field. Being an ILAO volunteers allows me to give back to our community. I love this resource because it is so informative. I am beyond happy and thrilled to be personally affiliated with this organization. It's absolutely wonderful!

I volunteered with Illinois Legal Aid Online as a livehelp chat agent and found the experience to be impactful and rewarding. It was eye-opening to see the vast number of people who visit the website everyday in search for help. Sometimes our visitors have already identified what they need, and ask for specific information regarding this. Many times, they aren't sure about what help they can get if any. It is directly rewarding when I see these people in need being empowered with information that I provide.

This site really makes it easy to provide succinct and relevant advice to people. From my understanding the ability to meet with a lawyer is limited in most instances and almost non-existent in civil contexts. ILAO provides much needed, but hard to find information in one easy place so that individuals without resources can be informed about important issues.

I am a volunteer of ILAO. Before I joined ILAO, I was quite anxious about my performance. I don't know if I can really provide the right or useful information to the visitors. But ILAO has a really great database and I can find almost every legal issues the visitors asked about.

Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO) provides help and hope to those who experience despair and cannot afford an attorney. From the compassionate staff to the hardworking board of directors and young professionals board, from volunteers to donors, we all embrace the mission of ILAO. Never has ILAO been as important as during the pandemic. I applaud the staff for keeping up with the myriad of changes related to the pandemic. Whether the issue was unemployment, eviction, domestic violence, deportation, food insecurity, and more, ILAO was there to provide accurate and timely information. ILAO provided relevant information in English, Polish, and Spanish. ILAO has made our world a better place.

I love Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO)! Their knowledge base is enormous and so helpful. I recently had to find out how to get a grandparent appointed as a guardian of their grandchild. I didn’t start at the courthouse website, I started at ILAO’s! The information I found on ILAO’s site was so helpful and helped us learn the process and forms required.

They also have so much information on the eviction process in Illinois and the many resources and programs available to help landlords and tenants apply for aid so that they can avoid eviction.

As a volunteer with ILAO LiveHelp through the Chicago Paralegal Association, I can quickly navigate their resources to find answers. The information is easy to read and topics are clearly labeled so you can find what you need fast. Plus they have set up pre-answers that are so helpful especially when we are trying to handle multiple requests. Plus Val H. is a wonderful trainer and a huge help. I love volunteering with ILAO and I frequently recommend the site to family and friends.

ILAO helps everyday people access the justice system by using technology to level the playing field in an innovative way. The staff are dedicated to the organization and its mission and the users inspire all of us to do better. So proud to be a part of this team.

Racist and bias! Failure to aid and comply with Due Process Law. More to come.
ALL PEOPLE ARE ENTITLED TO DUE PROCESS LAW
Typical corruption in the city of Chicago. SAD!

As a volunteer, I have had the honor to assist individuals who are seeking legal information and have been able to do so continuously. As a LiveHelp Operator Volunteer, one comes across several individuals who are seeking legal information and have exhausted their options. It is a rewarding experience when they express their gratitude and are grateful that we are trying our best to find the best available information for them whether it be resources or links. Due to the pandemic, patrons have less resources in person, Illinois Legal Aid Online has served as a wonderful resource now more than ever to patrons who are seeking information during the pandemic.

Very good opportunity for students to fulfill Pro Bono Requirment! Instruction and user interface are very sophisticated. I could help a lot of visitors to find information they need via system.

When I first signed up to be a volunteer with Illinois Legal Aid Online I only planned to do so for a few weeks. However, once I got started and learned of all the great work they were doing to help people, I had a really hard time leaving. After volunteering for over a year, I can confidently say that this organization does work that truly matters. Even as just a volunteer, you can make such a noticeable difference in people's lives, which always stuck with me. There were so many times that I would run across people who were facing difficult circumstances, but felt alone and hopeless. Time and time again, the people I would chat with would divulge how other legal aid organizations were either too busy to help them or entirely too complicated to navigate. So, when I would hear them cheer up and regain confidence that their matter wasn't beyond help or hope, it not only brightened their life, but mine as well. I think Illinois Legal Aid Online is a tremendous help to the community and hope that they continue to be a light in the darkness for people for many years to come.

Ive been volunteering with ILAO for 2 months and it has been great. It feels awesome to help people. There is a lot of people who have legal issues and don't have the knowledge or resources to solve them by themselves. ILAO provides the resources for them. As an ILAO volunteer I do my best to go above and beyond to help our visitors.

I enjoyed volunteering here during law school and beyond. Its online volunteer option makes it easy to give back, and ILAO’s community resources are outstanding.

Volunteering with ILAO has been a wonderful experience that has allowed me to still help people find solutions to their legal issues all from the comfort of my own home. ILAO is constantly finding ways to improve their platform to make it more accessible, user friendly, and updated for all of their visitors/clients. They provide great training resources and support to help guide me through my volunteering experience.

I volunteered as a live chat operator during my law school and I can tell it is a very rewarding experience. You can see the immediate impact on peoples' lives. The website is very comprehensive and can provide effective guidance to all users.

I have been volunteering at the LiveHelp program and it is great to see the incredible impact it has on people who need legal information and legal aid and most of the time really don't know where to begin looking. It is an easily accessible first contact to quickly put them in the right direction or even solve their issues altogether.

I completed my year of service as an Americorps VISTA at Illinois Legal Aid Online. I can’t express enough how grateful I am to have worked with an incredible team of passionate people committed to their mission.

I am a member of the Young Professionals Board at Illinois Legal Aid Online. I love the work this organization does to support regular folks in Illinois and provide them with accurate, easy to read legal information. I really believe that with a little bit of good information, people are really empowered to help themselves in a lot of legal issues. Thank you to ILAO for helping Illinoisans get the legal info they need.

ILAO does vital work in helping people connect to legal information. I've been lucky enough to volunteer for this organization and see first hand how ILAO provides clarity into the court system for people across Illinois. Especially right now, their services are invaluable.

Having both worked directly with ILAO and used ILAO's content in other public service roles, I can confidently say that the information and tools made available through their website are absolutely invaluable. Navigating legal issues can be so daunting, but the content is broken down to take users step-by-step through the legal process and there are numerous easy-to-use programs that can assist pro se litigants with all the forms they need for dozens of different legal issues. The ILAO team is amazing and could not be more dedicated to working towards equal access to justice.

In 1990, I received a degree in law and was an assistant to the head counsel of the Illinois Legal Aid Services in DuPage County and, although I did not become an attorney, my experience was invaluable because of helping people. Fortunately, the Illinois Legal Aid Services via on-line is giving me another chance to help people during our unprecedented time of crisis. Specifically, I help about 100 persons monthly in child custody, divorce, court hearing, debt recovery, felony violation, traffic violation, COVID-19 unemployment and injury, and other legal matters. Hence, after working 27 years in international finance and law for the US government and international companies, I am helping myself by learning these cases while helping others because of Illinois Legal Aid Services. Always grateful, Hon. C. Kim DSL/PhD

I call Illinois legal aid today because my landlord has been harrassing me since COVID19..... I was a little upset.... Because of my situation.... The owner of the business kept telling me I was yelling at him.... I told him I'm not yelling at u..... I'm a little upset but I'm not yelling he kept insisting that I was yelling at him and he hung up in my face..... I felt discriminated against..... I will never call for advice...... So,,, I called back to see if I could talk to another person in the office.... It took longer for someone to answer than it did the first time I called..... They lady told me the man who answered the phone was the owner of the business..... And he didn't want to help me..... And it wasn't because I was yelling at him as he was trying to say.... I feel like he was racist..... Heard a black voice come through the phone ..... They love to yelling that stereotypical "angry black woman" BS..... ALL THESE WHITE PEOPLE HATE THE SEEDS OF THIS EARTH..... U SEE IT ON THE BEWS EVERYDAY.... I DIDN'T WANT TO GIVE 1 STAR.... I HAD TO IN ORDER TO SUBMIT MY REVIEW.

I was injured in a bicycle accident 2 years ago (I suffered minor injuries, and my bicycle was damaged). The person who caused the accident exchanged information with me, but we were not able to reach an agreement outside of court. Because I felt like I was entitled to a just remedy, I decided to file a case in small claims court. But, I wasn't sure how to start the process. This led me to the ILAO website which had a lot of resources which were useful to me, including: a how-to on how to file a small claims case pro se, what to do if I had trouble collecting a judgement, and links to resources on the court's website. ILAO's resources made me feel more confident walking into the courthouse -- at the filing stage and in the hearing itself. In the end, I prevailed in the case and secured a fair judgement. I would recommend ILAO to others.

Illinois Legal Aid Online serves a very important role in our community - bringing access to the justice system for those who would go without. It is also a tremendous tool for law students trying to serve marginalized communities while also learning how to be an attorney. ILAO's comprehensive resources in plain language are an amazing starting point for everyone.

This is an outstanding resource for both professionals and every day persons looking for help with legal issues in Illinois. I highly recommend donating to this cause because they are able to assist far more persons per dollar donated, across the entire State of Illinois, than any other public legal services operation in existence.

Illinois Legal Aid Online has been very instrumental in helping self-represented litigants in our local court systems. There are easy to follow directions and information given to help create the correct form. How-to videos are very helpful to someone unfamiliar with the court system.

While I have been a Board Member of ILAO for the past several years, I have been familiar with its significant social impact for much longer.

It’s really a rather simple story. The legal system is often complicated and difficult to navigate. Those with means can hire lawyers to advocate for their interests. Others facing legal-related issues are often shut out from the sorely strained legal aid community and have to fend for themselves.

Enter ILAO. It’s cornerstone web site simplifies the law giving people the information to resolve their problems. These problems are in the realm of those that threaten to disrupt lives, e.g., domestic abuse, eviction, deportation, divorce and debt and ILAO often serves as a lifeline to answers to seemingly unsolvable issues.

In 2018 alone, over two million people use ILAO’s tools, showing how an organization operating without substantial resources can leverage technology to offer critical assistance to those without any other good options.

The dedication and passion of ILAO’s staff is remarkable and their fervent desire to make a difference is crystal clear. ILAO is the epitome of a great non-profit.

Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO) is one of the most important organizations to me. Not only did I start out my career at ILAO as an AmeriCorps VISTA, but I have found myself using ILAO in a variety of ways throughout my life. In my current role overseeing an immigration legal services program at a nonprofit, clients often come with other legal questions such as how to get an order of protection or child custody agreement. I'm always excited to share ILAO's resources with them because they are easy to use, in Spanish, and walk pro se applicants through the process. I myself used ILAO to get a divorce from my abusive spouse. ILAO is an organization that is constantly at the forefront of innovation and consistently improves to better serve the legal needs of communities in need.

As a pro bono Human Resources and Training Consultant, I have provided services to the Chicago Legal Aid community for the past ten years.

I consulted with ILAO to strengthen their HR practices and facilitated management and employee training programs for them.

Working with them is a pleasure. The management and staff are engaged, enthusiastic and intelligent. They are a hard working team whose focus is helping attorneys and the public find the legal information they need to guide next steps and decisions.

Creating the content which explains and informs about a wide variety of legal issues is so useful for members of the public who need these facts, instructions and forms.

Not everyone can afford the services of an attorney and ILAO provides practical content that fills the bill.

Legal Aid Agencies across Illinois also use ILAO's website to post job vacancies and their agency's activities.

ILAO's website announces training workshops and other educational activities being offered throughout the state. It's a wonderful resource for finding excellent professional development opportunities.

Five years ago, I had the great good fortune to be invited to join the Board of Illinois Legal Aid Online. I had known about the organization for years because so many of my colleagues and contacts were involved and always sharing stories about all the people that received help resolving a whole variety of problems using ILAO's tools. Once I joined the Board, I found that the stories they told only skimmed the surface of the value offered by ILAO. There are millions of people weighed down with problems that they need help resolving. However, resolution comes at a price. That price is steep and the process is long, confusing and frustrating. ILAO helps lift the weight, puts the cost within reach, and simplifies the process. Rather than continuing to live with problems or creating more problems by taking on a great financial burden, ILAO allows people to come to grips with their issues and move on with their lives.

On a personal basis, ILAO has helped me focus on how very fortunate I am to have the resources and support that allows me to purchase the help I need and it allows me to take part in helping others to feel the same sense of relief and peace that I experience once a problem has been solved.

For every $1000 ILAO receives, 1750 people are served. What an ROI!

I worked for Illinois Legal Aid online (ILAO) for over 6 years and saw the staff's daily commitment to access to justice for all Illinois residents no matter their income. The ILAO website breaks down complicated legal concepts into easy-to-understand articles, videos, court forms, etc. It is overwhelming and often scary to interact with the court system. ILAO works to lessen these real fears by providing people with knowledge about the law, the court process, finding an attorney, going to court on your own, etc. The ILAO website is an invaluable resource and I am grateful for the ILAO staff's hard work and dedication.

Amazing organization that empowers vulnerable populations by providing free, easy-to-use legal information. The website has tons of resources including legal guides, referrals, and court forms, in English, Spanish, and Polish. They are by far the most advanced and robust legal aid website in the US. I highly recommend their services. Keep up the great work!

ILAO offers the every day person with a legal issue exactly what they need to understand and solve their problem. From small issues like changing your name to bigger ones like getting a divorce, ILAO has straight-forward, plain-language guides available to help.

I started working with Illinois Legal Aid Online during my first year of law school as a volunteer at the Daley Center. The site helped me to share information in an easy to understand way with individuals who needed assistance. As I spent more time volunteering, I was able to share information with the folks at Illinois Legal Aid Online, and the staff made me feel that the feedback I provided from my interactions with the public was helpful to improving the site. Now that I'm a practicing attorney, I'll still use Illinois Legal Aid Online whenever I need to familiarize myself with a new area of the law for a pro bono matter or really anything.

I have been on the Young Professional's Board at ILAO for 4 years now and have enjoyed every moment! The group's offering is vital to those in Illinois who don't know where to go when they need to navigate a complicated legal system. On top of that, all of the employees, board members, and directors are very engaged in spreading ILAO's message. Highly Recommend!