Hotline Number 312-738-9200
February 1, 2021
February is Black History Month
The photo above shows a mother (Nettie Hunt) explaining to her daughter (Nikie Hunt) the significance of the Supreme Court's 1954 ruling in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. They are photographed on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., November 19, 1954. This monumental Supreme Court decision overturned the “separate but equal” doctrine established in the Court’s infamous 1896 case Plessy v. Ferguson. Photo from the New York World-Telegram & Sun Collection/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
There are several ways to celebrate Black History Month in Illinois and Chicago throughout the month of February. Check out a few virtual event offerings from the following organizations:


Be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to see our Black History Month series and more news on Illinois legal aid.
Cook County's COVID-19
Community Vaccination Program
Sign up now for Cook County's Vaccination Program at vaccine.cookcountyil.gov!

The distribution of COVID-19 vaccination will be done in a phased approach as vaccine supply is available and using guidance from local, state and national public health authorities.

On this site, you can sign up for COVID-19 updates and information to schedule an appointment when administration expands to your phase.

You can also call the hotline at 1-833-308-1988. The hotline hours are Monday - Friday, 7am - 7pm CST.
"I Learned So Much!"
"Chris" called the Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt program, because he is facing an eviction due to loss of income from the pandemic. If evicted, he would have been homeless.

Our attorney advised Chris about the eviction moratorium and referred him to Rentervention.

Chris said," The CARPLS attorney was awesome! He really helped me. I learned so much."
The Road Ahead For Legal Aid:
A Q&A with LTF's Hanna Kaufman
After months of working closely with us on COVID HELP Illinois, Hanna Kaufman, who is the Counsel for Innovation & Technology at the Lawyers Trust Fund of Illinois (LTF), talked to us about LTF’s state of mind and what she sees as the future of legal aid.

LTF is the largest state-level funder of civil legal aid for the low-income in Illinois. Established as a nonprofit foundation in 1983, LTF makes grants from revenue generated by the Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) program as well as a legal aid fee assessed on Illinois lawyers as part of the annual attorney registration process. LTF is the only IOLTA fund in the country with an Innovation & Technology Counsel to our knowledge.

COVID HELP (Housing and Economic Loss Prevention) was created by CARPLS and a consortium of other legal aid organizations, through the funding of LTF, as a tsunami of legal troubles was about to hit Illinoisans. Due to the pandemic, low-income and newly impoverished Illinois families have to face life-altering difficulties related to housing, employment, income, debt and loss of a loved one. COVID HELP is a free virtual assistance tool for people in Illinois who are facing these problems because of COVID-19. It’s help available online, all day and every day.


Programs Helping People In Need

Read our recent media mentions!

Free legal resource offered to those struggling during the pandemic | Newschannel 20

Struggling financially due to the pandemic? Free COVID HELP bot can help you get legal aid | Block Club Chicago

Chicago Project Innovation Grant Challenge increases grant prize, encourages non-profit organizations to apply | Chicago Star Media

Exploring the link between unemployment and poverty | WTTW





Community Events & News
Monday, Feb. 1, 6:00 – 7:00 PM

Join WBEZ and mental health experts as they take your questions on how to cope during this stressful time and to connect you and your loved ones to helpful mental health resources.
CARPLS | 17 N. State Street | Suite 1850 | Chicago | Illinois | 60602 | carpls.org