Public Statements
Formal statements issued by the Chicago Council of Lawyers in response to current events, legal issues, or matters of public concern.
Chicago Council of Lawyers Position On Reauthorization of FISA Section 702
Section 702 was added to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) by amendment enacted by Congress in 2008. Section 702 allows the National Security Agency to conduct individualized searches of non-U.S. persons' communications without [...]
Chicago Council of Lawyers Urges Withdrawal of DOJ Rule That Would Upend Enforcement of State Disciplinary Rules Against DOJ Attorneys
DOJ proposal would delay or block state discipline of federal government lawyers. On March 16, the Chicago Council of Lawyers (“CCL”) submitted a comment opposing and urging withdrawal of a Department of Justice (“DOJ”) [...]
AI Surveillance: Need for Regulatory Safeguards
The U.S. government’s use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) surveillance has increased rapidly in the last five years. For example, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has access to over 640 million photographs that can [...]
Legality, Justice, and the Use of Cruelty
Public debate over the policies of the second Trump administration—both in the mainstream press and across social media—frequently collapses two distinct questions into one: whether a policy is lawful, and whether it is just. [...]
Coalition of Chicagoland Bar Associations Statement on the Shooting of Alex Pretti
The Coalition of Chicagoland Bar Associations stands with the legal community in seeking accountability, transparency, and justice following the fatal shooting of Alex Jeffrey Pretti by federal Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis on January 24, [...]
Statement From Attorney Robert Held On His Attack By ICE Agent
Re: DHS Spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin's January 27, 2026 Statement CHICAGO – On January 21, 2026, the Brookfield Police Department charged off-duty ICE agent Adam Saracco with Class A misdemeanor battery for throwing 68-year-old attorney and [...]
Letter to the Honorable Justices of the Illinois Supreme Court regarding Retired Judge James R. Brown
January 5, 2026 Honorable Justices, We are writing to call your attention to an article recently published by Retired Judge James R. Brown (hereafter "Judge Brown") and to request that you exercise your discretion to [...]
Praise for Chicago Lawyers and Judges Who Defend the Rule of Law
Since the Trump administration launched Operation Midway Blitz in September 2025, Chicago and its suburbs have been at the center of the administration’s efforts to detain and deport undocumented immigrants. Masked agents of [...]
Letter to Governor Pritzker regarding restrictions on protests against ICE in the Village of Broadview
October 24, 2025 Dear Governor Pritzker: The Chicago Council of Lawyers writes to express its appreciation for your steady leadership at a time when public confidence in law enforcement and the rule of law is [...]
Statement: Council Condemns Federal Government’s Assault on First Amendment Rights in Broadview, Illinois
The Chicago Council of Lawyers condemns what is happening with purported immigration enforcement in Broadview, Illinois. The federal government is orchestrating an assault on First Amendment rights that is unconscionable, pretextual, and cannot be tolerated.