Millions of people in the United States fall below the poverty line. Many live a life of constant stress and doubt, created in part by the legal system intended to assist them. Those who participate in the system – including the many attorneys offering pro bono services – often lack full understanding of what the life of a poor American is truly like.
LAF will seek to change that this Pro Bono Week. For more than 40 years, LAF (formerly known as the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago) has worked with poor or low-income clients, providing free legal services in non-criminal related matters throughout the Windy City.
On, Wednesday, October 28th from 5:30pm to 7:30pm, LAF will team up with Alicia Aiken of the Confidentiality Institute to present a program for lawyers on working with impoverished clients.
“Tight Budgets & Tough Choices: Poverty, Decisions & Why Legal Aid Matters” is an interactive program intended to educate lawyers on what it is truly like to live in poverty. By demonstrating the difficult choices the poor face in their daily lives, attendees will develop a better understanding of their pro bono clientele. Alicia Aiken has presented this program numerous times in the past, including one attended by the Commission on Professionalism.
Registration is still open for this program. Attendees will receive 1.5 hours of Illinois professional responsibility CLE credit.