The FAIR Act Is Law.
Now Implementation Is Underway.
The work continues. Follow the progress toward strengthening public defense and advancing access to justice across Illinois.
Explore Implementation Updates →Follow for Updates
Stay connected as the FAIR Act moves from legislation to implementation. Follow developments, access resources, and learn how the work is progressing across Illinois.
Implementation Efforts
Updates on the rollout of the FAIR Act and ongoing efforts to strengthen public defense across Illinois.
Coalition Communications
News, announcements, and opportunities to stay engaged with the Supporting Public Defense in Illinois Coalition.
Public Meetings
Meeting announcements from the Supporting Public Defense in Illinois Coalition and the State Public Defender Commission.
Reports & Resources
Reports, publications, and educational resources related to the FAIR Act and the future of public defense.
What the FAIR Act Does
The FAIR Act establishes an Office of the State Public Defender and an independent State Public Defender Commission to create statewide structure and oversight of Illinois' public defense system. Together, the OSPD and Commission will provide additional support and resources to Illinois' 102 county defender offices. The FAIR Act aims to help ensure that everyone has access to quality legal representation, regardless of where they live or their ability to pay, marking a significant shift from a largely county-driven approach to public defense toward greater statewide coordination, oversight, and support.
Learn More
Explore the fact sheet, research, and data on the FAIR Act and public defense in Illinois.
Explore Resources →Why Implementation Matters
The passage of the FAIR Act was a significant milestone in advancing access to quality public defense across Illinois. But its impact depends on effective implementation.
Continued coordination, adequate funding, and accountability are essential to translating the Act's commitments into meaningful, lasting improvements for the public defense system, access to justice for Illinois residents, and the broader legal system.
Stay Engaged
Connect with coalition partners and learn about opportunities to support implementation efforts.
Connect with the Coalition →The FAIR Act Timeline
From legislative passage to statewide implementation, follow the key milestones in advancing the FAIR Act across Illinois.
Research Report
The Sixth Amendment Center publishes a report commissioned by the Illinois Supreme Court evaluating the state's public defense system and identifying longstanding decficiencies.
Data Results
A team of faculty, law students, graduate and undergraduate students, and staff form a research team to collect additional data on Illinois' public defense system and publish their findings.
House Passage
The Illinois House of Representatives passes HB 3363, the Funded Advocacy and Independent Representation (FAIR) Act.
General Assembly Passes the FAIR Act
The Illinois Senate passes HB 3363, and the House concurs with Senate amendments, advancing the legislation to the Governor.
FAIR Act Becomes Law
Governor JB Pritzker signs the FAIR Act into law as Public Act 104-0300, establishing a new statewide framework for public defense in Illinois.
Implementation Planning Begins
The Illinois Courts outline a coordinated implementation effort involving the judicial, executive, and legislative branches.
Commission Appointments Sought
The Illinois Supreme Court announces that it is accepting applications for its appointments to the State Public Defender Commission.
State Public Defender Commission Takes Effect
The Commission officially takes effect, marking a key statutory milestone in the FAIR Act's implementation.
First Commission Meeting
The State Public Defender Commission holds its inaugural meeting, marking an important step forward in the implementation of the FAIR Act.
Office of the State Public Defender Takes Effect
The Office of the State Public Defender is scheduled to take effect.
From Legislation to Implementation
The FAIR Act was the result of years of advocacy, research, and coalition-building to strengthen public defense in Illinois. Following its passage and signing into law, the focus has shifted to ensuring its goals are fully realized.
Explore the FAIR Act's HistoryOrganizations That Endorsed the FAIR Act
Passage of the FAIR Act was made possible by a broad coalition of over 70 organizations across Illinois committed to strengthening public defense and advancing access to justice. The following organizations endorsed the legislation and supported its passage.
- 33rd Ward Working Families
- Access Living
- A Just Harvest
- A Midwest Movement Project
- AIDS Foundation Chicago
- Ascend Justice
- Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Chicago
- Better Government Association
- BlackRoots Alliance
- Cabrini Green Legal Aid
- Cannabis Equity IL Coalition
- Champaign County Bailout Coalition
- Change Peoria
- Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts
- Chicago Community Bond Fund
- Chicago Council of Lawyers
- Chicago United for Equity (CUE)
- Chicago Urban League
- Chicago United Solidarity Project (CUSP)
- Children’s Best Interest Project
- Color of Change
- Faith in Action
- Faith Coalition for the Common Good
- Farmworker and Landscaper Advocacy Project (FLAP)
- FirstFollowers
- GOT JOBS AMERICA
- Greater West Town Community Development Project
- Health & Medicine Policy Research Group
- Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence
- Illinois Collaboration on Youth
- Illinois Harm Reduction & Recovery Coalition
- Illinois National Organization for Women (NOW)
- Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice
- Illinois Prison Project
- Illinois Prisoner Rights Coalition
- Illinois Public Defender Association (IPDA)
- Illinois Social Justice Alliance
- Interfaith Criminal Justice Task Force
- Lawndale Christian Legal Center
- League of Women Voters of Illinois
- Liberation Library
- Live Free Illinois
- Metro East Organizing Coalition
- NAACP Lake County Branch 3020 B
- National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) - Illinois
- National Council of Jewish Women, Chicago/North Shore Section
- National Lawyers Guild - Chicago
- Nehemiah Trinity Rising
- Phalanx Family Services
- Prison Policy Initiative
- Rehumanize Chicago
- Restore Justice
- Rockford Urban Ministries
- The Center for Empowerment and Justice
- The People’s Lobby
- The Porchlight Collective SAP
- The Resurrection Project
- She Votes Illinois
- Shriver Center on Poverty Law
- Smart Decarceration Project, University of Chicago
- Southern Illinois Democratic Socialists of America
- Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation (SOUL)
- Speak Out Illinois LLC
- TASC (Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities)
- To Defend If Necessary, LLC
- Trilogy
- Trinity United Church of Christ Chicago
- Unitarian Universalist Advocacy Network of Illinois
- Unitarian Universalist Prison Ministry of Illinois
- Westside Justice Center
- WIN Recovery
- Youth Empowerment Performance Project (YEPP)
- YWCA Champaign County
- YWCA McLean County