Lawyer in the Library: January 2026 Dates Announced for the First Judicial Circuit
Date/Time
Date(s) - 01/01/2026 - 01/31/2026
12:00 am
Categories
Each month at local public libraries in the First Judicial Circuit, volunteer attorneys work to help
self-represented litigants through the Lawyer in the Library program. With several locations across the
Southern Illinois region, free legal advice is available nearby.
The Lawyer in the Library program provides patrons needing help with a legal issue the
opportunity for a private, one-on-one session with an attorney for up to 20-minutes to receive advice or
help with legal documents. There is no fee and pre-registration is required at most locations. On the date
of your session, check in at the library registration desk and bring any paperwork pertaining to your legal question or situation. This program may be limited to one visit per patron.
For more information about the program, or to pre-register to speak to an attorney, you may call
one of the following participating libraries:
o Anna, IL – Stinson Memorial Public Library, 618-833-2521
o Attorney Gene Turk – Thursday, January 22, 12:00 pm – 2:00 pmo Carbondale, IL – Carbondale Public Library, 618-457-0354
o Attorney Gene Turk – Wednesday, January 21, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pmo Cairo, IL NEW! – Cairo Public Library, 618-734-1840
o Attorney Julian Valdes – Thursday, January 8, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pmo Carterville, IL – Anne West Lindsey District Library, 618-985-3298
o Attorney Winter Campanella – Monday, January 26, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pmo Eldorado, IL NEW! – Eldorado Memorial Library, 618-273-4402
o Attorney Julian Valdes – The next quarterly session will be scheduled soon.
o Galatia, IL – Galatia Public Library, 618-268-9200
Attorney Julian Valdes – Tuesday, January 20, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
o Golconda, IL NEW! – Golconda Public Library, 618-683-6531
o Attorney Julian Valdes – Wednesday, January 14, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pmo Harrisburg, IL – Harrisburg District Library, 618-253-7455
o Attorney Nina Brown – Tuesday, January 13, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
o Herrin, IL – Herrin City Library, 618-942-6109
o Attorney Antonio Madrigal – Friday, January 30, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pmo Marion, IL – Marion Carnegie Library, 618-993-5935
o Attorney Roderick Throgmorton – Tuesday, January 13, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pmo Metropolis, IL – Metropolis Public Library, 618-524-4312
o Attorney Joseph Tondini – Wednesday, January 28, 3:00 pm – 5:00 pmo Mounds, IL – Mounds Public Library, 618-745-6610
o Attorney Kacey Eisenhauer – The next quarterly session will be scheduled soon.
o Olive Branch, IL – Dodge Memorial Public Library, 618-776-9200
o Attorney Julian Valdes – Thursday, January 8, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pmo Vienna, IL – Vienna Carnegie Public Library, 618-658-5051
o Attorney Kacey Eisenhauer – The next quarterly session will be scheduled soon.
Thank you to the following for their support of this program: Chief Circuit Judge William J.
Thurston, all First Circuit Judges and Circuit Clerks, Volunteer Attorneys, Library Directors, Library
Program Coordinators, and other library staff members.
Each Lawyer in the Library program is initially launched with an Access to Justice Improvement
Grant (ATJ Grant) funding through the Access to Justice Division, Administrative Office of the Illinois
Courts. The programs continue with each Volunteer Attorney coordinating with the Library and Brenda
Sprague, Executive Assistant to the Chief Circuit Judge/ATJ Improvement Grant Coordinator.