Today, Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, Restore Justice, and Uptown People’s Law Center have released a critical report titled “Ending Long Term Solitary Confinement in Illinois” describing the urgent need for solitary confinement reform in Illinois. The Illinois General Assembly is considering the Nelson Mandela Act (HB 4828), which would restrict solitary confinement by prohibiting prisons from holding individuals in solitary for more than 20 hours a day for more than 10 days. This new report authored by Chris Bridges and David Shapiro of Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rig ..read more

During the March 19 Illinois Primary Election cycle, over 100 non-partisan Election Protection pro bono volunteers and Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights staff answered calls from voters to the 866-OUR-VOTE hotline, conducted an on-the-ground voter protection field program in Chicago and six northeast Illinois counties, and protected the rights of voters in pretrial detention and student voters. Chicago Lawyers’ Committee is grateful to national Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, and our community partners for their collaboration and solidarity i ..read more

Chicago Lawyers’ Committee and Our Partners Challenge CHA Land Lease to Billionaire-Owned Soccer Team Dismissed, but CHA Accountability Campaign Continues  Lawsuit Dismissal, and Coalition Efforts  Our lawsuit seeking to challenge the Chicago Housing Authority’s (CHA) plan to lease public housing land to a billionaire-owned soccer team was dismissed in court in October, but Chicago Lawyers’ Committee and our clients remain committed to the fight for affordable housing and fair land use.   The Coalition to Protect CHA Land, Chicago Housing Initiative, and the Lugenia Burns H ..read more

We had the honor of sitting down with our very own J. Cunyon Gordon, Director of the Settlement Assistance Program, and spoke with her about her experience serving as a military lawyer in the Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG). Thank you for your service, Cunyon! Tell me about your time serving as a military lawyer in the Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG). How long did you serve in this role?  “I served from 1981-1988 as a Navy Judge Advocate because the Navy paid for me to go to law school and the “pay back” was two years of service for every year of law school. I served ..read more

On Monday, October 30, 2023, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) hosted a public budget hearing to gather input from across the state on the budget for public education in fiscal year 2025 (FY25). ISBE heard from educators, parents, students, community organizations, and other leaders via written statements and in-person and virtual testimony. Beatriz Diaz-Pollack, Director of Education Equity at Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, provided testimony at the hearing alongside others from the Partnership for Equity and Education Rights Illinois (PEER IL). Read Beatriz’ testimo ..read more

*credit: Sertoma Star Services Sertoma Centre and New Star recently completed a merger and are now called “Sertoma Star Services” with the help of Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, and Winston & Strawn LLP.   Sertoma Centre and New Star have decades of history serving people with intellectual/developmental disabilities and those living with mental illness in the south suburbs of Chicago. Together, they have more than 120 years of combined service. Given their aligned mission and values, the agencies decided to merge to combine the unique st ..read more

Melisa Topic is a second year law student at Chicago-Kent College of Law. She was born and raised in Chicago and was excited to intern with Chicago Lawyers’ Committee this summer - an organization that is closely aligned with her values and career goals. We had the opportunity to ask Melisa about her experience working with us this summer. Read more below! Why were you interested in an internship at CLC? I was interested in interning at Chicago Lawyers’ Committee because I wanted to see the type of legal work done at a nonprofit. What inspired you to go to law school? I always had an inkling ..read more

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois held its ceremony for the 2023 Awards for Excellence in Pro Bono and Public Interest Service. Of the 21 pro bono awards given, eight awards went to our Settlement Assistance Program volunteers!  We had the opportunity to interview Joseph (Joe) Dusek about his experience volunteering for the Settlement Assistance Program and how it feels to win a 2023 Excellence in Pro Bono and Public Interest Service Award.   Joe runs his own private practice and has been volunteering for the Settlement Assistance Program since 2021 ..read more

On May 16th, Beatriz Diaz-Pollack, Director of Education Equity, joined the PEER IL coalition in advocating for House Bill 3446, the Evidence Based Funding (EBF) Spending Transparency bill. Illinois ranks 45/50 for equitable school funding. Passing HB3446 will be an important tool to advance the fight for adequate and equitable school funding. The Illinois House Secondary Education Committee held a subject matter hearing on the bill where Beatriz provided testimony. Read Beatriz’ testimony here ..read more

Pictured left, Cliff Helm, Senior Counsel at Chicago Lawyers’ Committee. Pictured right, Erik Snapp of Dechert LLP. On May 9th, Cliff Helm, Senior Counsel of the Midwest Voting Rights Program joined Chicago Votes and the Unlock Civics Coalition in advocating for House Bill 39, Voting in Prison. This bill would restore voting rights to people incarcerated in Illinois prisons, post-conviction. The House Ethics & Elections Committee held a subject matter hearing on the bill where Cliff provided testimony. Read Cliff's testimony here ..read more