Once Upon a Legal Challenge
A Chicago Fairytale Once upon a time, in the magical city of Chicago, there lived a young couple who were facing a legal challenge they didn't know how to overcome. They had heard of the wise and noble attorneys of Chicago, but they feared they couldn't afford the help they ...
Read More The Need for Legal Aid
Families in Cook County need your help Legal aid is an essential service for individuals facing legal issues who cannot afford legal representation. In Illinois, there is a growing need for legal aid as many people struggle to navigate the complexities of the legal system on their own. Without legal ...
Read More Storage Unit Struggles
Client Made Whole After Volunteer Intervenes In 2018, Patricia started renting a storage unit. The contract obligated Patricia to make monthly payments in exchange for using the unit, and she paid extra for an insurance policy to protect her stored belongings. She paid rent consistently and on-time, using the storage ...
Read More Amicus Poloniae Client Receives Fresh Start through Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy offers a fresh start to clients who are overwhelmed by their debts. There are several options for bankruptcy, each with different filing requirements and legal ramifications. An attorney is recommended, but many people cannot afford to pay an attorney if they are already struggling to pay their bills. Klaudia ...
Read More Divorce Case Settled!
ArentFox Schiff Achieves Financial Security for Client and Family Mary and her husband were married in 1998 and had four children together. When the couple separated in 2012, Mary effectively became the primary parent of the children, one of whom has a significant intellectual disability. Mary was involved in a ...
Read More Furnace Fix
Clinic Volunteer Enforces Appliance Warranty A broken appliance at home can range from mundane annoyance to client's worst nightmare. Reba experienced this firsthand when her furnace stopped working in the middle of the winter. Fortunately for Reba, the furnace was covered by warranty, so she reached out to the company ...
Read More Years-Long Guardianship Case Resolved through Volunteer’s Persistence
CVLS was appointed as Guardian ad Litem (GAL) for a 77-year-old man named Mr. R. At the time of our appointment, Mr. R. was living independently in his own home, which was in major disrepair. Mr. R has dementia, among several other health issues, and although he had some family ...
Read More One Undergraduate Student Helps Another toward Pathway to Citizenship
Immigration
CVLS was excited to host Northwestern undergraduate student, Tess Ballis, for an internship last summer. Bilingual, professional, hard-working, and kind, Tess was an incredible asset to the Minor Guardian ad Litem (GAL) and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) Programs. Last week, Tess wrapped up one of her cases with the ...
Read More Senior Client Fixes Bank Misstep with Help of Clinic Volunteer
Katherine is 83 years old. She pays her monthly cell phone bill by mailing a check for about $100 to her cell phone carrier. One month, Katherine learned that one of her checks had been stolen, altered, and deposited into someone else's account. This caused a withdrawal of $3,900 on ...
Read More Neighborly Client Avoids Eviction
Housing
CVLS Depositions Result in Settlement Kalvina has lived at the same public housing development since 2013. She's popular in her community and known by everyone as a good neighbor. In fact, Kalvina spends most of her days caring for an elderly couple who live in the same complex. Part of ...
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