Welcome to the Chicago Council of Lawyers

A Message from the President of the Chicago Council of Lawyers, David Schrodt

The Chicago Council of Lawyers (the Council) is Chicago’s progressive public-interest bar association. Since our founding in 1969, we have worked to promote the rule of law, strengthen democratic institutions, and advance a justice system grounded in fairness, equality, transparency, and respect for human dignity.

Our mission is not abstract. Too many people—particularly those who are poor or otherwise disadvantaged—continue to face unequal access to and unfair treatment in the justice system. We work to address those disparities through practical, systemic reform. This often involves careful study of how legal institutions operate, followed by concrete recommendations, and sustained advocacy to improve them.

We focus our efforts in three principal areas.

• First, we defend the rule of law and democratic governance, including responding to actions by public officials—including those of the Trump Administration—that threaten judicial independence, constitutional norms, or the fair administration of justice.

• Second, we work to advance equal justice in the Illinois courts by identifying ineffective or unjust policies and advocating for workable reforms. That work has included, for example, proposals to improve court transparency, efforts to address barriers to meaningful access for unrepresented litigants, and recommendations aimed at ensuring that court procedures are applied fairly and consistently.

• Third, we evaluate judicial candidates and sitting judges. In partnership with the Alliance for Judicial Screening, we provide independent, nonpartisan evaluations of candidates for the state courts and nominees to the federal bench in Chicago. These evaluations are widely relied upon by the public and are an important tool in promoting judicial quality and accountability.

Underlying all our work is a commitment to collaboration and to practical results. The Council brings together lawyers who may not have the time or be in the place to engage in direct representation but who want to contribute their judgment, experience, and voice to efforts that strengthen our justice system. We aim not simply to identify problems, but to help craft and provide support for solutions that will make the system better.

At times, the Council has taken positions that are unpopular within the profession or beyond it. Our vision is to look beyond the prevailing winds and insist that the legal system meet the standards it claims for itself. This has been our vision from our earliest days, and we remain dedicated to it today.

If you share our goal of wanting a better justice system, I encourage you to join us. You can learn more about opportunities for participation on the Get Involved page of this site. And, just below, under the heading “Ready to join us?” three long-time members of the Council, including Board members, describe in their own words what the Council’s work has meant to them and why it continues to matter. Together, we can do more.