March 19, 2020 

 
We Marshal Forward
to Give Justice a Voice!!!

As a valued partner of Cabrini Green Legal Aid (CGLA), we appreciate your ongoing support and engagement. The COVID-19 emergency has only increased the vulnerability of the individuals, families and communities that we work to serve each and every day, and we are making sure that the health and safety of our staff and clients are of the utmost priority.

CGLA continues to monitor the daily developments of the coronavirus and we are creating solutions that will benefit our clients, partners and supporters during this difficult time.  Recognizing that the virus is highly contagious, all of the experts agree that the best way to control its spread is to reduce opportunities for people to be in close contact with each other. Guidelines from the Mayor of Chicago, the Governor of Illinois, city and state departments of health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, instruct businesses and organizations to practice social distancing by temporarily limiting the situations where people have to be in close contact with each other. We want you to know how CGLA is complying with these guidelines for social distancing and what the impacts will be on our daily operations as we continue to offer alternatives for our services:

CGLA’s Operations
CGLA is doing its part to protect our staff and reduce the spread of the outbreak by implementing a mandatory work from home policy, and by suspending all business travel. Our office at 6 S. Clark Street is currently closed to the general public. The entire staff will work remotely during normal business hours, and we will continue to respond to phone calls, voicemails, and emails. Please call us at 312-738-2452 or go to our Get Help page.

CGLA Help Desks
CGLA’s Help Desks at the Daley Center and Markham Courthouse are temporarily closed. However, we are designing a way to allow Help Desk patrons to submit a request for assistance with expungement and sealing through our website, www.cgla.net. Please visit our website often to check our progress and we are working to assure that there is a streamlined process to support our client’s legal needs.
 
Cook County Circuit Court
The Chief Judge has issued an order to postpone civil and criminal cases for a 30-day period starting Tuesday, March 17, 2020 through April 15, 2020.  All courthouses will remain open for those 30 days. However, because court employees who are not required to be in courtrooms are encouraged to work remotely, some services may not be available.

Court dates are expected to be rescheduled 30 days from the original court date. For example, a hearing that was scheduled for March 23, 2020, will be rescheduled for April 22, 2020.  Please contact the Clerk’s office in the district where your case is to be heard to get your new court date. Contact information can be found on the Clerk’s website.

Cook County Expungement and Sealing Court Call
The Presiding Judge over the Expungement Court Call has suspended the expungement and sealing calls at 2650 S. California Avenue for the remainder of March through April 20, 2020. The call will resume on April 21, 2020. Hearings that were scheduled during this time will be rescheduled. Hearings in suburban districts have also been suspended for a minimum of 30 days.  Again, please contact the Clerk’s office to get your new hearing date.
***
CGLA will strive to provide the highest level of legal services possible under these challenging circumstances while minimizing the impact on our ability to serve our clients and the public. Thank you for your partnership and we appreciate all you do to Give Justice a Voice!
Please continue to visit us at www.cgla.net for the latest updates.
 
Below, are resources and recommendations to stay informed about COVID-19.

Chicago Department of Public Health
Illinois Department of Public Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
World Health Organization