On November 28, the Illinois Supreme Court promulgated Supreme Court Rule 10-101, "Standardized Forms." Paragraph (a) of the new rule reads as follows: "The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice shall establish a process to develop and approve standardized, legally sufficient forms for areas of law and practice where the Commission determines that there is a high volume of self-represented litigants and that standardized forms will enhance access to justice."

So what is the Commission, and what are these forms designed to do? Read Adam Lasker's background piece in the December IBJ (the article was written a couple of weeks before the rule's adoption).