Judicial Structures, Ethics, and Efficiency – Chicago Council of Lawyers

STATEMENT OPPOSING TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S TARGETING OF PRO BONO COUNSEL REPRESENTING JACK SMITH

On February 25, 2025, President Trump issued a memorandum suspending the security clearances of all partners and employees of Covington & Burling LLP who assisted former Special Counsel Jack Smith. The memorandum also ordered all federal departments and agencies to terminate any engagement of Co...

Cook County Judge Under State Disciplinary Investigation after Allegedly Sharing Racist Meme

Judge Caroline Glennon-Goodman, a Cook County judge, is under disciplinary review for allegedly sending a racist meme in a text message. As reported by Injustice Watch and WBEZ, the meme depicts an AI-generated image of a Black child and a Black child’s leg with an electronic monitor on his ankle, c...

Primary Election Judicial Evaluations for June 2022 are Live!

Among the Chicago Council of Lawyers’ most vital projects are our state judicial evaluations. This crucial public service to help the citizens of Illinois vote for qualified judges. The quality of our judiciary is a critical part of our democracy, and informed voting for judges is necessary if we ar...

Seeking Community Input: 2022 Judicial Retention Candidates

As voters, it is our responsibility to elect for fair, compassionate judges we can trust to make impartial decisions based on consideration of the facts and the law. In order to arm voters with the knowledge necessary to make informed decisions about judges, the Chicago Council of Lawyers completes...

Chicago Council of Lawyers’ Statement in Support of the Judicial Quality Act (SB 0563)

The Chicago Council of Lawyers strongly supports passage of SB 0653, the Judicial Quality Act (the “Act”). The Act requires that the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts “develop and implement an ongoing education and training program for judges and relevant court personnel regarding do...

Chicago Council of Lawyers Opposes the Confirmation of Thomas Kirsch

The Chicago Council of Lawyers, Chicago’s public interest bar association, opposes the confirmation of Thomas Kirsch, the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana, to a seat on the Federal Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. President Trump nominated Mr. Kirsch for the se...

Judicial Evaluation Results for November 2020

Today, the Chicago Council of Lawyers releases our Judicial Evaluation Report of candidates seeking retention in the November 3, 2020 election. A ballot summary of our findings can be found here. Voting for judges is a key part of our democracy. Some Cook County judges are elected by the public...

President Trump’s Commutation of Roger Stone’s Sentence Subverts the Rule of Law

Written by Robert E. Lehrer, Board Member of the Chicago Council of Lawyers Almost immediately after President Trump’s July 10 commutation of Roger Stone’s 40-month prison sentence (Stone being Trump’s longtime friend and confidante, a 2016 campaign adviser—and a convicted felon), Sen...

Judicial Recusal & Confidence in Our Courts

This fall, the issue of judicial recusal has returned to the forefront in Illinois, with the indictments against Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke’s husband, Chicago Alderman Ed Burke. In particular, WBEZ reported at least 10 instances in which Justice Burke decided cases involving parties who,...