John Grossbart Honored for Pro Bono Work in Illinois

Illinois Legal Aid has named Sonnenschein partner John Grossbart as its "Illinois Pro Bono Attorney of the Month" for September 2007.  John has played an intergral role in a class action lawsuit that alleges the state of Illinois violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Fifteen years after Congress enacted the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act, and six years after the Supreme Court of the United States held that unnecessary institutionalization is discrimination under the ADA, nine Illinois residents with developmental disabilities sued Illinois state officials in 2005, seeking an order that would require the state to provide services within a smaller community setting, instead of segregating people in large private institutions.

The class-action lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court of Illinois charges that by warehousing persons with developmental disabilities in large institutions, the state deprives them of their fundamental right to pursue meaningful and productive lives.  The complaint alleges that Illinois' failure to provide meaningful opportunities for community-based services violates the Americans with Disabilities Act as well as other federal statutes.

Sonnenschein is working with four public interest agencies, Equip for Equality, Access Living, the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois and the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia on behalf of the plaintiffs.  Our firm brings comprehensive class-action litigation experience to the suit.

The nine named plaintiffs, who are from various parts of the state, are asking the court to order Illinois officials to make community settings readily available to people who want and need them.

"Federal law mandates that the state develop a plan that effectively helps people with developmental disabilities move into and thrive in the community while receiving the support and services they are entitled to.  Despite the fact that Illinois is the 10th wealthiest state in the union, the state ranks at the very bottom in terms of its efforts towards providing community-based services for individuals with developmental disabilities," notes John.

John and other Sonnenschein personnel have been instrumental in drafting the complaint, developing the case strategy and preparing a motion for class certification.

Click here to view a video interview with John that discusses his pro bono work.