The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice recently announced a partnership with the Second Judicial Circuit of Illinois and Land of Lincoln Legal Aid that will provide important data on the impact of remote appearances in reducing access to justice barriers in rural communities.
During the two-year pilot program, Land of Lincoln attorneys – including staff, Pro-Bono, and Judicare attorneys – will appear remotely before Second Judicial Circuit judges. The judges and attorneys will provide data on these appearances, so the ATJ Commission can explore how appearing remotely impacts traditionally unrepresented parties.
Second Circuit Chief Judge Melissa A. Morgan noted in a press release that many court users in the Second Circuit live at or below the poverty level and choose to appear in court without a lawyer.
This initiative will connect individuals who may have otherwise been self-represented with legal services in “a variety of civil matters,” she said, as well as “provide litigants access to local resources and vital information.”
At the same time, remote appearances will save Land of Lincoln staff and volunteer attorneys travel time and expenses while expanding their reach across the Second Circuit, Chief Judge Morgan said.
The Second Judicial Circuit is comprised of 12 counties in southern Illinois (Crawford, Edwards, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jefferson, Lawrence, Richland, Wabash, Wayne, and White) and includes counties bordering Indiana and Kentucky.
Uncovering ‘found time’
The ATJ Commission partnered with Land of Lincoln lawyers on a similar pilot program in the First Judicial Circuit from June 2021 to July 2023.
Data was gathered every six months and measured against two periods: pre-pandemic (September 2019 – February 2020) and pre-pilot launch (January – June 2021).
During the two-year program, Land of Lincoln attorneys appeared remotely for 467 proceedings, saving 633.5 hours of travel time to courthouses, 18,432 miles of driving, and $11,626.83 in costs.
In a report on the data, the ATJ Commission said this “found time” could equate to “providing full legal representation to 50 additional survivors of domestic violence seeking an order of protection” or “converted to providing legal advice and brief services to over 205 low-income tenants facing homelessness.”
In addition to “found time” for lawyers, Land of Lincoln reported that their clients “highly valued” the convenience of being able to handle their court matters remotely and on breaks from work, without missing workdays.
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