Illinois courts to receive $100K grant to expand access

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - The court system in Illinois will receive a $100,000 grant to expand access to the judicial process in Illinois.

The Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts announced this week that the grant is from the National Center for State Courts as part of the Justice for All projects.

Officials say the Illinois courts' Access to Justice Commission will use the funds to support a "strategic action planning effort to expand access to justice in Illinois."

The grants were created to meet achieve "meaningful access to effective assistance" in civil legal matters with input from inside and out of the court system.

Mark Marquardt is executive director for the Lawyers Trust Fund of Illinois. He says that "too many people see the civil justice system as remote, complex and unresponsive."