Kane 16th Circuit receives $15K grant, Halle Cox reappointed self-represented litigant coordinator in law library

ST. CHARLES TOWNSHIP – Halle Cox, Director of the Kane County Law Library & Self Help Legal Center, was reappointed for the fourth year in a row as the Self-Represented Litigant Coordinator for the 16th Circuit by the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice and the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, officials announced in a news release.

The 16th Judicial Circuit was awarded $15,000 for Cox’s proposed goals, which include the purchase of equipment, databases and software to better support the needs of self-represented litigants in eFiling, attending court hearings remotely – Zoom Court – locating general legal information, accessing court interpreters, and participating in Lawyer in the Library programs.

The law library also received the appointment of a full-time JusticeCorps Fellow in Illinois.

The 16th Judicial Circuit’s Chief Judge Clint Hull praised Cox’s appointment and the JusticeCorps program in the news release.

“The continuance of the Illinois JusticeCorps program remains a welcome addition to the 16th Judicial Circuit,” Hull stated in the release. “Each JusticeCorps Fellow has contributed greatly in helping our self-represented litigants successfully navigate the court system, creating a more positive experience and perception of our legal system as a whole.”

Cox’s appointment is the result of a grant program created to support the establishment of a statewide network of trial court staff to evaluate and address the evolving needs of self-represented litigants in civil courts.

According to the Commission, duties of the Self-Represented Litigant Coordinator include “facilitating the sharing of resources and best practices across county lines and judicial circuits to more effectively address the self-help service gaps seen throughout the state.”

Coordinators will identify, develop, and implement new tools and resources in their local courthouses, and as they become aware of other Coordinator’s successes throughout the state, will share resources and strive for the best possible consistent service across circuit courts in Illinois.

Along with the appointment, a Self-Represented Litigant Coordinator may be awarded monies to cover expenses related to the development of new resources and services for self-represented litigants – which is why the circuit was awarded $15,000, the release stated.

The other crucial role of Cox in her yearlong appointment is to provide onsite coordination for the 16th Judicial Court’s second award in 2021 — a full-time Illinois JusticeCorps Fellow.

The Fellow’s focus will be helping the public navigate the legal system and to make courts a more welcoming and less intimidating place for those without lawyers.

Volunteers are trained and supported to provide legal information and procedural guidance, as well as connect self-represented litigants with legal aid services and self-help resources, according to the JusticeCorps website, illinoisbarfoundation.org.