Pictured (Left to Right Standing): Chief Judge Melissa Morgan; Second Circuit Judge Matthew Hartrich; Supervising Senior Program Manager, Access to Justice Division, Sarah Song; Deputy Director, Access to Justice Division, Jill Roberts; Deputy Director for Program Operations, Land of Lincoln Legal Aid, Andrew Weaver; (Left to Right Seated): Second Circuit Trial Court Administrator Lisa Simmons; and Senior Supervisory Attorney for the Southern Regional Office, Land of Lincoln Legal Aid, Lana Crawford.
The Second Judicial Circuit is set to launch a Remote Appearance Pilot Project in 2025, facilitated by a collaboration with the Commission on Access to Justice and Land of Lincoln Legal Aid, alongside grant funding from the Access to Justice Division of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts. Initial planning meetings have already taken place in Franklin County.
This initiative follows a successful two-year pilot program in the First Judicial Circuit, where Land of Lincoln attorneys conducted over 450 remote appearances, leading to significant savings in travel time and costs. These efficiencies allowed for better allocation of resources to assist other court participants.
Chief Judge Melissa Morgan highlighted the benefits of remote court appearances for both attorneys and court participants, expressing her eagerness to work towards expanding access to justice within the Second Circuit.
For further details, individuals can contact the Office of the Chief Judge at 618-244-8036 or reach out to Supervising Senior Program Manager Sarah Song in the Access to Justice Division.
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