We are not a traditional bar association. The Council is a member-based organization whose focus is the benefit of non-members, particularly poor and disadvantaged populations who often have unequal access to the justice system. In partnership with the Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts, volunteers from the Council work on non-litigation pro bono projects meant to promote systemic reform, including increased access to justice, immigration court reform, criminal justice reform, children and family law, and projects on the federal courts. In addition, the Council provides well-respected evaluations of state judicial candidates and sitting judges, and evaluations of nominees to the federal bench in Chicago.
Threats of Punishment Don’t Create Safety
In an editorial Friday, the Sun-Times reports that State Senate Republicans want to toughen the law and upgrade order of protection violations from a misdemeanor to a Class 4 felony. The editorial suggests this will deter violence and create safety. Unfortunately, that is a misconception. The Dep...
NEW REPORT – When You’re a Hammer, Everything’s a Nail: Examining the “Progressive Prosecutor” Movement and Possibilities for Future Reform
Byline: Naomi Johnson (she/they) is the Co-Executive Director of Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts. They lead all research and policy projects for the organization – centering community voices alongside evidence-driven approaches. Naomi graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a...