Access to justice shouldn’t depend on income, location, or circumstance—and for thousands of Illinoisans each year, Illinois Free Legal Answers helps make that promise reality.
ABA Free Legal Answers is a nationwide virtual legal clinic that allows income-eligible individuals to post civil legal questions online and receive answers from volunteer attorneys in their jurisdiction. The platform now operates in 42 states and territories, including Illinois, as well as a federal portal for immigration and veterans’ benefits, connecting people with legal help when traditional services may be out of reach.
According to the 2025 ABA Impact Report, since the platform launched in 2016, volunteer attorneys across the country have answered 469,864 civil legal questions, offering critical guidance on issues ranging from housing and family law to consumer protection and employment. In 2025 alone, clients submitted 67,646 questions, and attorneys contributed 18,910 hours of pro bono service—a 14.3% increase from 2024.
The needs behind those numbers are real and urgent. In 2025:
- 39% of questions related to Family and Children
- 19% focused on Housing and Homelessness (up 3% from the prior year)
- 10% addressed Consumer and Financial concerns
- 3,678 questions were submitted by veterans
- 3,572 questions were submitted by seniors
For many users, Free Legal Answers represents their only opportunity to receive legal assistance. Client surveys show:
- 93% found the site easy to use
- 81% received a timely response
- 73% were satisfied with the help they received
- 65% obtained information they otherwise could not afford
- 60% said the assistance helped address their legal problem
Volunteer attorneys echo that impact, with 95% saying they plan to use the site again and 94% recommending it to their peers. Nationwide, more than 17,000 attorneys have registered on ABA Free Legal Answers since launch, serving over 78,000 clients and helping nearly 40,000 individuals connect directly with volunteer lawyers in 2025 alone.
Illinois Remains a National Leader
PILI serves as the statewide administrator of Illinois Free Legal Answers—and once again, Illinois leads the nation in attorney participation.
Illinois has the highest number of registered volunteer attorneys in the country, with 1,725 attorneys signed up on the platform, outpacing every other state.
That leadership reflects the deep commitment of Illinois’ legal community to expanding access to justice. Through PILI’s ongoing outreach, training, and clinic partnerships, attorneys from law firms, corporations, bar associations, and law schools continue to step forward to meet community needs—answering questions online, participating in virtual and in-person clinics, and helping clients navigate complex civil legal challenges.
Effective July 1, 2025, the Illinois Supreme Court established the MCLE for Pro Bono Pilot Project in an effort to help to address unmet legal needs in Illinois. The MCLE for Pro Bono Pilot Project creates a two-year pilot project wherein Illinois attorneys can receive Minimum Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) credit for providing pro bono legal assistance through Illinois Free Legal Answers. The pilot project will allow an attorney to earn 1 hour of MCLE credit for every 2 hours of pro bono participation with Illinois Free Legal Answers, up to 5 credits per 2-year MCLE reporting period.
Join Us in Expanding Access to Justice
PILI is proud to help lead Illinois’ participation in this nationwide effort—but we can’t do it alone.
We regularly partner with law firms, corporations, bar associations, and law schools to host Illinois Free Legal Answers workshops and trainings. PILI can provide:
- Guided trainings on how to use the platform
- Group clinic coordination, offering virtual and in-person opportunities
- Illinois MCLE credit for substantive trainings and for answering questions on the site
These workshops offer an accessible way for attorneys to provide meaningful pro bono service—answering questions together, learning the platform, and making an immediate impact.
If your organization is interested in hosting a workshop or getting involved, we’d love to connect.
Together, we can continue building a stronger, more equitable justice system — one question, one attorney, and one client at a time.