Get Involved

Cy Pres Awards

Cy pres awards are residual funds in class action cases that, for any number of reasons, are unclaimed or cannot be distributed to the class members or beneficiaries who were the intended recipients. Under the cy pres doctrine and Illinois law, courts can distribute these residual funds to appropriate charitable causes, such as Land of Lincoln Legal Aid.

Our mission of improving access to justice for those less fortunate makes it an ideal match for class action cy pres awards, as one underlying premise for all class actions is to make access to justice a reality for people who otherwise would not be able to obtain the protections of the court system. Cy pres awards have made possible a number of innovative projects and initiatives in the state and federal courts and enable Land of Lincoln Legal Aid to provide ongoing support for these efforts. 

For more information about cy pres awards and other awards of residual funds and how you can make an impact by directing such an award to Land of Lincoln Legal Aid, contact Lura Green at lgreen@lincolnlegal.org or at 618.398.0574.