Illinois Equal Justice Foundation Awards $2.4 Million to Legal Aid Groups

The Illinois Equal Justice Foundation (IEJF) has awarded grants totaling $2,485,794 to 37 Illinois civil legal aid providers.

Grants were made possible with funding from the state appropriation for civil legal aid as well as settlement funds awarded to the IEJF by former Attorney General Lisa Madigan. Eighteen grants were funded by the state appropriation.

Since its inception in 1999, the IEJF has awarded $27 million in state-funded grants to Illinois organizations serving the civil legal needs of over 570,000 residents.

Twenty-nine grants were funded by the settlement funds. The remainder of the settlement funds will be expended this fiscal year.

The IEJF was established by the Illinois Equal Justice Act in 1999. The Act established a state appropriation for civil legal aid.  Funding for the appropriation passes through the Attorney General’s Office.