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 Fund for Justice, 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.