Illinois Ranks 49th for how Court System Serves Disadvantaged
By Dave Collins
The Associated Press
November 18, 2014 The Daily Republican - Illinois' court system had the third-worst score in the nation among state judiciaries in serving poor, disabled and other disadvantaged members of the public, according to new rankings.
Illinois'"Justice Index" score of 34.5 out of 100, determined by the nonprofit National Center for Access to Justice, is based on how states serve people with disabilities and limited English proficiency, how much free legal help is available and how states help increasing numbers of people representing themselves in court, among other issues.
Connecticut led all states with a score of 73.4 and was followed by Hawaii, Minnesota, New York and Delaware, respectively. Local courts in Washington, D.C., had the highest overall score at 80.9.
At the bottom was Oklahoma at 23.7, followed by Kentucky, Illinois, South Dakota and Indiana.
Several major law firms led the research with help from law students at the University of Pennsylvania and the Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University in New York City, where the center is based.
"Across the country, there are millions of people who don't have legal representation and face other barriers in their abilities to protect their interests and enforce their rights," said David Udell, the center's executive director. "Our Justice Index is our online resource in identifying best practices ... ensuring that people do have access to the justice system."
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