Get Involved

It is more important than ever to join the Chicago Council of Lawyers. Our democracy is under threat, and your membership helps provide the resources to protect it. Here is what you receive when you become a member of the Council:

  • An opportunity to participate in the protection of our justice system and the Rule of Law.
  • Access to research, reports, and people fighting to maintain our legal system.
  • Free Ethics Training to meet your CLE requirements.

Make a Donation

CCL is a 501(c)(6) organization. Your support of our 501(c)(3) The CCL More Perfect Union Fund empowers us to continue engaging, educating, and advocating for a fairer, more just society. Make a tax-deductible charitable donation today!

While CCL is an independent public-interest bar association dedicated to promoting excellence and integrity in the administration of justice as a 501(c)(6) organization, contributions are generally not tax-deductible as charitable contributions. However, The CCL More Perfect Union Fund supports charitable and educational activities through tax-deductible contributions as a 501(c)(3) organization. 

Help Grow the Impact of This Work

  • Share this page link or this graphic with colleagues, friends, and community members who may be interested in getting involved.

Join a Committee

Increased awareness and participation strengthen our collective voice and advance accountability and justice.

Learn more about our committees below, and email ccl@chicagocouncil.org about your interest in joining a committee or supporting a program so you can stay informed about meetings, agendas, and opportunities. We welcome your active engagement!

The Civil Liberties Committee meets monthly to address current civil liberties issues ranging from police accountability in Chicago to the Administration’s anti-immigration efforts, to trans rights, and everything in between. The Committee researches, prepares, and issues statements advocating for reform.

Click here to learn more about the Illinois Habeas Project that we are actively involved with. It’s a collaborative initiative created to respond to the growing need for legal relief for individuals detained through heightened immigration enforcement. The project brings together several organizations, including the National Immigrant Justice Center, the ACLU of Illinois, the Chicago Bar Foundation, and other legal partners to coordinate pro bono legal assistance for immigrants who may be unlawfully detained. 

The Criminal Justice Advisory Committee (CJAC) uses research, advocacy, legislative proposals, technical assistance, and project management to improve all areas of our criminal justice system, with a focus on decarceration and racial equity. CJAC’s work varies widely and includes everything from the enforcement of core constitutional rights to evaluation and design of individual Cook County programs. We work in partnership with stakeholders, practitioners, community groups to develop effective, systemic solutions, manageable implementation plans, and the community-based support necessary to bring about meaningful permanent change.

The Civil Courts and Access to Justice Committee works to identify ineffective, inefficient, and unfair court management policies and procedures, recommends improvements, and advocates for their implementation. The Committee is committed to strengthening fairness, integrity, efficiency, and professionalism in the courts. Its mission is to provide practical information on how to build and maintain an effective and independent justice system that enjoys the confidence of the public and lives up to the expectations of transparency and accountability.

CCL’s judicial evaluation program makes every effort to evaluate all judicial candidates in Cook County in the following categories:

  1. Fairness, including sensitivity to diversity and bias
  2. Legal knowledge and skills (competence)
  3. Integrity
  4. Experience
  5. Diligence
  6. Impartiality
  7. Judicial temperament
  8. Respect for the rule of law
  9. Independence from political and institutional influences
  10. Professional conduct
  11. Character
  12. Community service

Evaluations are placed on VoteForJudges.org for easy access by voters. Judicial evaluations are published in 7 languages.

This is a joint committee that partners with other organizations that are working on civil asset forfeiture issues in Illinois.

Future Justice Lawyers of Chicago is a program for students who are interested in becoming lawyers dedicated to serving justice in some way. Students must be enrolled at a college, university, or high school in the Chicagoland area; in-person meetings are held monthly.

Current Opportunities

Share Your Experience

We would love to hear your story. Whether you have served on a committee, attended events, contributed to an initiative, or built meaningful connections through the Council, your experience can help others understand the value of membership and engagement.

By sharing a brief testimonial, you can help showcase the impact of the Council’s work, inspire future members, and strengthen our community of lawyers committed to promoting excellence, integrity, and fairness in the administration of justice.

Click here to submit your testimonial and tell us how CCL has impacted your professional journey.

The Chicago Council of Lawyers, Chicago’s public interest bar association, brings lawyers together not to advance professional self-interest, but to strengthen the justice system by insisting that it honor the principles that animate constitutional governance: fairness, human dignity, personal autonomy, compassion, and fidelity to truth. At a time when policies of the Trump Administration repeatedly transgress those principles, the Council’s independent voice is more important than ever.

Robert Lehrer

Robert Lehrer

I have been a member of the Chicago Council of Lawyers for almost as long as I have been a lawyer. I’m privileged to know some of the people who were present for the Council’s founding in 1969, and to be part of what they started and have sustained for more than 50 years. Participating in the Council’s work has consistently given me the feeling of being on the correct side of history. Our work has improved the quality and performance of the courts, and the public corruption we oppose no longer feels like “just a fact of life” in Chicago. Other bar associations exist for the benefit of their own members. This one exists for the public good.

Bob Slobig

Blob Slobig

I have been a member of the Chicago Council of Lawyers since my first year of practicing law, nearly 40 years ago.  What drew me to the Council then – and why I am still an active member now –is the Council’s unwavering commitment to the public interest.  From serving as an independent advocate for fairness, integrity, and competence in the state and federal court systems, to speaking out against public corruption and systems that prioritize private and  political influence over the public good, to working to advance systemic reforms designed to ensure that substantive laws and procedural requirements are applied with equal fairness to everyone who finds themselves caught up in the justice system, to promoting transparency and accountability in government – the Council has never lost sight of its original goals and values, regardless of the political climate or the popularity of the reforms for which the Council may be advocating.  I am proud to be a member of the Chicago Council of Lawyers.  I hope you will join us in the fight.

Carrie Huff

Carrie Huff, Your Content Goes Here

Upcoming Events:

Civil Liberties Committee Meeting

August 14 @ 12:00 pm - 1:15 pm

Supreme Court Rules Committee to Hold Public Hearing

September 3 @ 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Civil Liberties Committee Meeting

September 11 @ 12:00 pm - 1:15 pm

Civil Liberties Committee Meeting

October 9 @ 12:00 pm - 1:15 pm