The Illinois Bar Foundation Board of Directors is pleased to announce a $25,000 grant to CARPLS Legal Aid, one of 32 grants awarded this year totaling $304,995 and the largest grant awarded. CARPLS is an innovative legal aid service that offers an immediate response to the every day legal problems confronting low-income residents of Cook County. CARPLS' Legal Aid Hotline and court-based Advice Desks give low-income clients direct access to attorneys who are trained to quickly assess and respond to a wide range of civil legal problems. CARPLS' unique legal triage system serves as a model for legal aid services across the county and increases access to justice by dramatically reducing the cost of legal services for the poor. This year, CARPLS assisted more than 50,000 low income clients. As the charitable affiliate of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Illinois Bar Foundation's mission is to ensure meaningful access to the justice system, especially for those with limited means, and to assist lawyers who can no longer support themselves due to incapacity. This past year, through the support of ISBA members, IBF distributed more than $425,000 to support these efforts.