financial access Archives - Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts

The Collaboration for Justice Joins the Free to Drive Coalition as Amici in Mendoza et al. v Stickler

The Civil Rights Corps and the National Center for Law and Economic Justice have filed a brief on behalf of Free to Drive Coalition members in support of the plaintiffs in Mendoza et al. v Stickler. Chicago Appleseed and Chicago Council of Lawyers (the Collaboration for Justice) have joined as amici...

Testimony to the IL Supreme Court Statutory Court Fees Task Force: Fines and Fees Perpetuate Inequality as Opposed to Serving Justice (August 30)

On August 30, 2022, Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts' social work intern, CJ Beck, provided testimony at a public hearing held by Illinois Statutory Court Fees Task Force. The public hearing was called so community members could provide testimony on the Task Force's draft report on the "Impl...

Illinois Payday Loan Reform Takes Hold

Illinois’ payday loan and consumer installment loan laws, the Consumer Installment Loan Act and the Payday Loan Reform Act (collectively referred to as CILA / PLRA), have taken effect. This is exciting news for a state that has "more payday loan stores than McDonald's," according to a 2004 statement...

Bet On Bank On Chicago

Underbanked. Unbanked. These terms, collectively, refer to individuals in our society who have limited or no relationship with a traditional bank. Yet, because banking transactions—money transfers, paycheck cashing, non-cash payments, and small loans—are an essential part of modern life, those witho...