In 1951, a handful of visionary leaders at the Illinois State Bar Association recognized the need for a statewide charitable and philanthropic organization, and so the ISBA Foundation, now referred to as the Illinois Bar Foundation (IBF), was born. The Foundation’s mission was to provide aid to deserving members of the Illinois Bar who, due to age or infirmity could no longer provide for their own care or support. Over the last 75 years, the Foundation has since grown and expanded its mission to provide greater access to justice especially for those with limited means. And throughout the life of the IBF, it has been the people and partnerships that have kept it strong and nimble to address needs as they have changed over time.
In 1974 a group of IBF board members recognized the need to support access to justice efforts across Illinois, ultimately creating a grants program to support legal aid organization providing…Read More
In 1983, IBF board members saw value in creating a program to provide sustainable long-term funding to support the programmatic activities of the Foundation. It was then that the IBF…Read More
In 1999 at a modest gathering, the Foundation hosted its very first annual gala honoring Mayor Richard M. Daily with the Distinguished Award for Excellence. That event operated at a…Read More
Over time the mission of the Bar Foundation expanded to support more lawyers with a wider variety of challenges needing support to help pay for day-to-day necessities when they no…Read More
Established in 2007, the Lincoln Legacy Society created to honor and recognize individuals who have agreed to support the Foundation’s vision to be the statewide leader in advancing justice in…Read More
Established in 2008, by Mark and Janet Hassakis, the M. Denny Hassakis Fund partnered with the IBF to help improve the Illinois juvenile justice system, helping vulnerable youth and offering second chances to…Read More
Originally referred to as Lawyers Rock Legends, this unique event hosted at Buddy Guy’s featured lawyer-led bands battling it out for the ultimate prize. First year bands included: Catfish and…Read More
In 2009 the Illinois JusticeCorps program was founded as a pilot program located at the Daley Center. In 2012 the program received AmeriCorps funding and was overseen by the Chicago…Read More
In 2022 the Illinois Bar Foundation reimagined the former Post-Graduate Legal Fellowship Program and created a new grants program to support the work of Illinois Law Schools and their clinics…Read More
