JUF Community Legal Services

JUF Community Legal Services, formerly known as the American Jewish Congress (AJC) Legal Clinic, provides individuals and families in need of legal services with access to free and much needed legal representation.

JUF Community Legal Services is staffed entirely by volunteer attorneys who generously donate their time each year to provide pro bono legal assistance in civil matters. Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Foundation (CVLS) will work with JUF to provide administrative support alongside JUF's TOV Volunteer Network and Lawyers Division.

The AJC Clinic was originally created in 1981 to better address the legal needs of the Russian Jewish immigrant community, and in recent years, its scope broadened to serve clients of diverse ethnicities and ages. In 2009, AJC faced budgetary shortfalls, and in the wake of the economic crisis, the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago was able to step in and provide the essential funding to sustain and expand the program through JHELP: A Boost in Tough Times.

“This program provides a crucial safety net service for our community members. With more people in need of these services now in the midst of this economic crisis, we felt this was a priority warranting emergency funding and community support.” - Steven Nasatir, CEO of the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago

What types of cases does JUF Community Legal Services handle?

The Community Legal Services program provides legal assistance in civil cases. The program does not handle criminal matters (other than simple misdemeanors) or those cases which generate fees. Although not exhaustive, the following list represents some of the more common practice areas for the program:

• Bankruptcy
• Housing: Building Codes, Evictions, Foreclosures, Landlord – Tenant
• Family Law: Adoption, Child Support/Visitation, Divorce/Custody, Guardianships, Orders of Protection
• Administrative: Public Aid, SSI, Immigration, Medicare/Medicaid
• Wills, Powers of Attorney, Simple Estates/Probate
• Consumer Matters

Who can volunteer for the program?

Attorneys of all practice areas are encouraged to volunteer regardless of their specialty. Ideally, clients are placed with attorneys who specialize or have an interest in the area of the client’s legal problem.

How does the JUF Community Legal Services program work?

Clients contact the Program Coordinator, who completes an initial assessment and screens the clients for financial eligibility, then schedules an appointment for the client to meet with an attorney. The Program Coordinator contacts attorneys in advance to schedule appointments to meet with clients at an evening session. After the initial meeting at the evening session, the attorney and client will negotiate arrangements for future appointments. The program is not an advice clinic – attorneys generally handle the case from start to finish.

Generally, volunteers staff 1-2 evening sessions per year, taking on 1-3 cases per session. CVLS provides malpractice insurance for all participants in the program, as well as training, support and legal resources for attorneys who are handling cases outside their specialty.

The program is available to clients on an appointment only basis. Clinic sessions are held at regular intervals at the following city and suburban locations: the Bernard Horwich JCC in Rogers Park, The Council for Jewish Elderly in Rogers Park, the Joy F. Knapp Children's Center in Rogers Park, the Elaine Kersten Children’s Center in Northbrook, and the Northwest Suburban Community Counseling Center in Arlington Heights.

When a legal problem is imminent, or if special circumstances exist, the Coordinator may bypass the regularly scheduled evening sessions and set up a special meeting between the client and a lawyer.

To volunteer, please call Lindsay Yaffa at 312-444-2833 or email lawyers@juf.org.

If you know of anyone in need of free legal assistance, please refer them to the JUF Community Legal Services Program Coordinator at (847) 568-1525. Financial eligibility requirements vary depending on the type of case, income levels of the client, and number of persons in the household.

Who’s Who: JUF Community Legal Services

Julie E. Fox is the Chair of the JUF Community Legal Services program. She will recruit attorneys for pro bono service for the program, work closely with the Program Coordinator to address problematic issues that might arise, serve as JUF liaison to the program, and provide guidance, counsel and direction to volunteer attorneys. Julie is a partner with her mother, Sherry A. Fox, at FOX LAW OFFICES LLC.  Their law firm concentrates it practice in guardianship matters, including disabled adults and minors’ estates and probate litigation. Julie received her J.D. from John Marshall Law School in 1994 and is licensed to practice law in Illinois. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Greater Chicago/Upper Midwest Region for the Anti-Defamation League and is involved with JUF’s Shalom Chicago program and the JUF Young Lawyers Group.

Steven L. Baron served as Chair of the former American Jewish Congress Legal Clinic and has graciously agreed to continue with pro bono work with JUF Community Legal Services as Chair of Operations, interfacing with the Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Foundation, assisting the Program Coordinator in the operations of the program, and, with Julie, providing guidance, counsel and direction to volunteer attorneys. He is a partner at Mandell Menkes LLC where he handles commercial litigation and dispute resolution, with particular emphasis on matters involving intellectual property, media, advertising, marketing and First Amendment law. Steve received his J.D. from the University in Minnesota in 1988 and is licensed to practice law in both Illinois and Minnesota. He is a member of the Boards of Directors of the Legal Community Against Violence and Heartland Human Care and Services and has received the "Distinguished Service Award" for his volunteer work representing low income clients through the Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Foundation.

Sima Blue serves as Program Coordinator for the JUF Community Legal Services and has served as Coordinator for the former AJC Clinic for the past 25 years. Sima interviews and screens clients for case type and financial eligibility, schedules attorneys, staffs and attends clinics, handles information and referrals on incoming calls, keeps statistics and prepares reports. Sima holds a Master of Arts in Developmental and Physiological Psychology and Bachelor of Science in Psychology, both from the University in Illinois. She has twice received the “Distinguished Service Award” from the Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Foundation for her work with the AJC Legal Clinic.