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A gift of any size helps us provide access to legal services to people in need throughout Cook County.

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The Right to Counsel (RTC) Pilot Program can provide legal representation at no cost to eligible low-income tenants at risk of or subject to eviction or lockout in Chicago. The RTC Pilot Program services will be provided in part by the Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing alongside Legal Aid Chicago and CARPLS.

The three-year pilot program, supported by a second round of ERAP (Emergency Rental Assistance Program) will play a pivotal role in preventing and minimizing the disruption and damage caused by the eviction process.

Celebrate Juneteenth with CARPLS on June 19
Last year, Juneteenth became an official federal holiday. This was a momentous occasion in U.S. history considering Juneteenth was originally celebrated in Texas on June 19, 1866. It marked the first anniversary of the day that African Americans there first learned of the Emancipation Proclamation, more than two years after it was initially issued.

In 2020, CARPLS staff came together and formed the CARPLS Racial Justice Committee (RJC) to identify ways to better educate ourselves, think about the way we provide services, and to improve the legal system we work in. We are continuously thinking of diversity, equity and inclusion and how that connects to the clients we serve.

CARPLS is proud to celebrate Juneteenth and to reflect on its meaning while our office is closed on Monday, June 20.
The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) publishes 2022 Justice Gap Study
A few key findings from the study:

Low-income Americans do not get any or enough legal help for 92% of their substantial civil legal problems.

About 50 million Americans have household incomes below 125% of the poverty thresholdincluding more than 15 million children and nearly 8 million seniors.

Most low-income households have dealt with at least one civil legal problem in the past yearand many of these problems have had a substantial impact on people’s lives.
Hear from our CARPLS clients
"CARPLS got to the point!"

CARPLS spoke to "Michael" regarding an eviction. We advised him about his rights and referred him to the Early Resolution Program (ERP) through Cook County Legal Aid for Housing & Debt. He said CARPLS was "very easy and they were understanding! I'm very satisfied."
CARPLS saves a client from eviction

"Leona" called CARPLS because her landlord was trying to evict her. Leona said, "The lawyer that I spoke with was great. At this point, I feel like I am on the right track. It was nice to have this at our fingertips and get answers."
"CARPLS really helped me"

"Peter" called CARPLS because he was being sued for credit card debt. He learned that the creditor could not actually collect from him and was referred to the ERP program. He said, "They helped me understand what I should do. It was a great experience."