Lawyer in the Library offers free 20-minute meetings to assist you with legal coaching, document review, referrals to additional community services, e-filing court documents, and legal questions. Bring paperwork that relates to your legal matter. Meetings with CPL LIL volunteer lawyers are by appointment only. To request an appointment, please fill out the appointment request form below. Currently scheduled dates are listed below.
Eligibility & More Info
CPL’s LIL program is available to anyone residing within the First Judicial Circuit of Illinois (Alexander, Jackson, Johnson, Massac, Pope, Pulaski, Saline, Union, and Williamson counties).
Appointments are limited to once every 2 month per participant. You are not eligible to participate if you are currently represented by an attorney.
CPL’s volunteer lawyers usually meet with participants via Zoom. In most cases, the CPL meeting room is available for participants to use; a laptop, document webcam, and technology help are provided. Participants can either attend in the meeting room or on their own device at their own location (Zoom link provided).
Note: CPL offers general technology assistance on most Wednesdays 10am-1pm. Check the Open Tech Help schedule at carbondalepubliclibrary.org/techhelp
About CPL’s LIL Lawyers
Attorney Christine Heins earned her J.D. at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale in 1993. After graduation, she clerked for the Honorable William Lewis of the Fifth District Appellate Court. Subsequent to that clerkship, she has been engaged in the practice of law, including working as a contractual Formal Hearing Officer for the Illinois Secretary of State, deciding hundreds of cases of petitioners who wanted the return of driving privileges. She is in private practice in Murphysboro where she concentrates her practice on Driver’s License Reinstatement, DUI/Criminal Defense, Traffic, Zero Tolerance Hearings, and other Secretary of State matters. She is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, The Traffic Law Section Council, the National College of DUI Defense, and the Jackson County Bar Association. christineheinslaw.com
Attorney Gene Turk is the owner of Law office of Gene Turk. Turk is a former SIU adjunct instructor who studied economics & philosophy at Iowa State University before going on to study law at Yale. His practice areas include civil litigation, contracts, & government and administrative. turklawoffice.com
Questions about the program? Contact Programming & Outreach Librarian Elizabeth Hartman: ehartman@carbondale.lib.il.us The Lawyer in the Library program was initially launched with a Self-Represented Litigant Coordinator Grant through Access to Justice Division, AOIC; Brenda Sprague, Coordinator, Office of the Chief Judge, First Judicial Circuit. Free consultations are provided by volunteer attorneys.