"I have seen first-hand how civil legal aid can be a lifeline that enables families to save their home from foreclosure or eviction, recover back wages from an employer, secure disability benefits or provide protection in domestic violence situations," said Bishop Paprocki, who is both a canon and civil lawyer. "This program goes to the heart of preserving human dignity and empowering people to gain control of their lives again. I am excited to be involved in making the dream of 'justice for all' a reality in the Springfield Diocese."
After his ordination as a priest, Bishop Paprocki studied law at DePaul University College of Law and was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1981. Shortly thereafter, he co-founded the Chicago Legal Clinic, which has evolved over the years from a small neighborhood office to a keystone provider of legal services to the working poor and disadvantaged, providing assistance to over 250,000 people in the Chicago area since its inception.
The Springfield diocese's legal services program will be funded from the cash proceeds of $1.5 million seed money from the sale of stock donated for the benefit of the poor by the late Arthur Robinson. With the charitable gift as seed money, Bishop Paprocki challenged the members of the Catholic Lawyers Guild and the legal community at large to match the commitment to the poor by donating to the accompanying endowment campaign.
The legal services program will be managed by Catholic Charities and provide assistance through eight Catholic Charities regional offices in Alton, Springfield, Decatur, Granite City, Carlinville, Quincy, Mattoon and Effingham. A panel of volunteer lawyers with expertise in various areas of civil law is being recruited to provide pro bono assistance to clients in need.
"So far we have recruited approximately 15 attorneys; however, we expect that number to grow significantly once the coordinator is in place," said Steven Roach, executive director for Catholic Charities, in early December.
"We have received dozens of calls from people needing legal assistance since we announced the program in October," he added.
On Dec. 19, Amy Maher, an attorney who received her juris doctor from the University of Notre Dame Law School, was named director of the legal clinic.
"There is a tremendous unmet need for legal aid for people in our society who don't have the resources to navigate their way through the court system. Catholic Charities Legal Services will be a lifeline to those people," said Maher, adding that she is thrilled to be part of the process.
For more information on how to contribute to the endowment campaign or how to become a volunteer attorney for the new legal services program, contact Meredith Curtin, Catholic Charities Development Coordinator at (217) 523-9201 ext. 304.
Donations are tax deductible and multi-year pledges are welcome.