The Attorney of the Day Eviction Defense Program (AOD) is the only in-court volunteer project operating daily and exclusively in the Daley Center eviction court. In 2010, we represented 335 tenant families with a total savings for tenants of $472,347 in rent waived and damages awarded. We concentrate on serving clients in the private market, including housing choice voucher holders, as legal assistance corporation-funded organizations serve those in public housing. In order to expand our volunteer component, we now have an attorney dedicated to recruiting, training, scheduling, and supervising volunteers. Several of the large law firms have become very involved in our program, encouraging their young associates to take cases and gain court experience.

“What draws me to LCBH is that the organization helps people who are going to lose their homes, which is the first thing that we all need,” says Brian Thomas, an active AOD volunteer. “Think food, shelter, and clothing – our home is essential. Helping people either get extra time or to force their landlords to take appropriate action to remediate problems is important work, especially considering that if we were not there to help, a judge could give them two weeks to move and think he or she was doing the tenant a favor.”