SB3500 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 19720 JRC 33170 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB3500

Introduced 2/5/2026, by Sen. Javier L. Cervantes

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

New Act

Creates the Legal Deserts Act. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts may establish a program to provide grants or reimbursements to compensate an individual lawyer or law firms that relocate or open an office within a geographic area for the purpose of providing legal services to individuals residing within a legal desert. Provides that the grants or reimbursements may cover marketing expenses, compensation for an attorney or up to 2 attorneys per firm, or other eligible expenses identified by the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning courts.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Legal Deserts Act.

Section 5. Legislative intent. The General Assembly finds that:

(1) The United States has more than 1.3 million lawyers, but the vast majority are concentrated in urban centers, which leaves many rural counties with few, if any lawyers. These areas are often referred to as "legal deserts".

(2) Residents in need of assistance with legal matters, including, but not limited to, real estate transfers, wills, family law matters, and criminal issues often face uncertainty and inability to find a local option and may turn to self-help or online tools. Online tools and artificial intelligence products offer limited personalized assistance but cannot replace the knowledge and experience of a human lawyer.

(3) According to the Illinois Attorney Registration and Discipline Commission, approximately 88% of Illinois lawyers are registered to practice in 6 counties (Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will), with the remaining 12% scattered across the remaining 96 counties. Although lawyers in private practice have traditionally served the legal needs of most individuals, currently a total of 61 counties have less than 20 private practice lawyers; 46 counties have less than 10 lawyers in private practice; and 4 counties have only one lawyer in private practice. Of the lawyers within those 61 counties, more than half are aged 60 or older, which means following retirement these rural areas may be left with no lawyers.

(4) The General Assembly finds it is necessary that all people in Illinois have access to legal services and proper representation despite geographic limitations.

Section 10. Definitions. As used in this Act:

"Geographic area" means any unit of local government as defined by the Illinois Constitution.

"Legal desert" means a county with fewer than 100 lawyers or any geographic area that the Supreme Court or its designee has identified as facing significant challenges in obtaining legal services due to one or more factors.

Section 15. Legal desert programs. Subject to appropriation, the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts may establish a program to provide grants or reimbursements to compensate an individual lawyer or law firms that relocate or open an office within a geographic area for the purpose of providing legal services to individuals residing with a legal desert. Grants or reimbursements may cover marketing expenses, compensation for an attorney or up to 2 attorneys per firm, or other eligible expenses identified by the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts. Grants provided under this Section are subject solely to the oversight of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.