National Lawyers Guild - Week of Abolition 2026: "Abolish ICE"
2026-03-02 - 2026-03-06 | IL
The National Lawyers Guild (NLG) will host its annual Week of Abolition from March 2–6, 2026, themed “Abolish ICE.” This week of programming includes educational events, advocacy initiatives, and community engagement focused on immigration enforcement policy, detention practices, and broader abolitionist legal frameworks.
This event may be of interest to Chicago Council of Lawyers members who follow developments in immigration law, detention policy, and federal enforcement practices.
For more information and a schedule of events, visit:
https://www.nlg.org/woa/

Civil Liberties Committee Meeting
2026-03-13 12:00 - 13:15, 2026-04-10 12:00 - 13:15, 2026-05-08 12:00 - 13:15, 2026-06-12 12:00 - 13:15, 2026-07-10 12:00 - 13:15, 2026-08-14 12:00 - 13:15, 2026-09-11 12:00 - 13:15, 2026-10-09 12:00 - 13:15 (America/Chicago) and 2 more dates | IL
The Civil Liberties Committee meets monthly on the second Friday of every month from 12 pm – 1:15 pm CT 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.
Email ccl@chicagocouncil.org about your interest in joining this committee so you can be informed about meeting links, agendas, updates, and opportunities.
We welcome your active engagement!

ICE Oversight Panel
2026-04-01 16:00 - 17:30 | Latham & Watkins LLP, 330 N Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL, 60611, United States
Join us in person or online for a timely discussion on how various groups are working to hold ICE accountable for its actions in Chicago.
Click here to download the event flyer to share with your network.
To register, please scroll down and complete the form below.
Moderator:
Sharon R. Fairley: Ms. Fairley is a University of Chicago Law School graduate and current Professor from Practice. Before joining the Law School, Professor Fairley was a federal prosecutor, the First Deputy Inspector General & General Counsel for the City of Chicago Office of the Inspector General, and Chief Administrator for the Independent Police Review Authority, the agency responsible for police misconduct investigations. She also created and stood-up the Chicago Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA).
Panel Members:
Hon. Ruben Castillo (Ret.): Rubén Castillo is a former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. In 1994, Castillo was the first person of Latino descent to be named a judge in the Northern District of Illinois, and in 2013 the first to become Chief Judge; he served in that role for 25 years. He is currently serving as Chair, Illinois Accountability Commission, with a goal of creating a public record of the conduct of federal agents during “Operation Midway Blitz” and the Trump Administration’s military-style operations throughout the Chicagoland area.
Lori Lightfoot: Ms. Lightfoot was the 56th Mayor of the City of Chicago and the City’s first black woman and first LGBTQ person to hold that role. Prior to becoming Mayor, Ms. Lightfoot was a US Attorney in the Criminal Division, Partner at Mayer Brown, Chief Administrator, Chicago Police Department Office of Professional Standards, Chicago Police Board and Task Force. In her post-mayoral career, Ms. Lightfoot is teaching and consulting on a variety of public interest matters. She recently organized and leads the Illinois Accountability Project, an effort to provide a clearinghouse for collecting evidence of abuses by ICE officers.
Mary Meg McCarthy: Ms. McCarthy is the Executive Director of the National Immigrant Justice Centers (NIJC), a premier immigrant and human rights advocacy organization which oversees ~1,500 pro bono attorney providing legal services to thousands of individuals annually. She is an expert on immigration law, policy, and practices who is an award winning attorney, has testified before Congress, and a frequent television guest. The NIJC leads a program providing pro bono legal assistance to immigrants in habeas cases.
Fred Tsao: Mr. Tsao is the Senior Policy Counsel of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR). The organization is dedicated to promoting the rights of immigrants and refugees to full and equal participation in the civic, cultural, social, and political life of our diverse society. Fred has been one of the leaders in ICIRR’s efforts to respond to the Midway Blitz options in the Chicago area.
Matthew J. Piers: Matthew Piers is an nationally known litigator and Senior Counsel of Hughes, Socol Piers Resnick & Dym. His focus includes complex litigation involving class actions, constitutional and civil rights, labor rights, employment, education and housing discrimination, law enforcement misconduct, immigrants' rights, RICO, to name a few. He is also a member of Whistleblower Advocates. Earlier in his career, Mr. Piers was Deputy Corporation Counsel for the City of Chicago. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.
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Illinois Supreme Court Public Hearing
2026-04-09 10:00 - 12:00 | IL
The Illinois Supreme Court Rules Committee is seeking public comments on three proposals that will be considered at a public hearing on April 9, 2026, in Chicago.
Written comments should be submitted no later than April 2 to RulesCommittee@illinoiscourts.gov or via mail to:
Committee Secretary
Supreme Court Rules Committee
222 N. LaSalle St., 13th Floor
Chicago, IL, 60601
Those interested in being scheduled to testify at the public hearing should send an email to the Rules Committee Secretary by April 2, 2026.
The hearing will be livestreamed.
Click here to see the official release from the Supreme Court of Illinois.

Under Siege: The American Judiciary and the Rule of Law
2026-05-05 09:00 - 16:30 | IL
On May 5th, the Cummins Family Justice Foundation, the Berkeley Judicial Institute, and the CBA are hosting a program entitled “Under Siege: The American Judiciary and the Rule of Law.”
This full-day program will include a luncheon discussion with retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer and The Honorable Diane P. Wood, as well as sessions featuring judges and attorneys from across the United States. Together, they will explore the role of the judiciary, the importance of maintaining public confidence in legal institutions, and the challenges facing the rule of law today.
This program will be offered in a hybrid format, allowing participants to attend either in-person or via Zoom. More details, including registration information, are at https://learn.chicagobar.org/p/UnderSiege.
CCL members can get free CLE credit by participating virtually.
Not a member? Click here to join!

Lessons from Hungary: Dismantling the Autocratic Playbook
2026-05-19 15:00 - 16:00 | IL
Join LDAD on May 19, 2026, for a discussion with UCLA Law Professor Scott Cummings and LDAD Executive Director Lauren Stiller Rikleen on what lessons American lawyers can learn from Hungary’s experience of democratic resistance to autocracy.
Webinar Details:
Date: Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Time: 4:00 pm ET
Register here (there is no charge to attend): Webinar Registration
The recent defeat of Hungary’s far-right populist leader, upheld by the Trump administration as a model after sixteen years of autocratic rule, has significant repercussions for democracy around the world—especially in the United States.
In 2023, UCLA Law Professor Scott Cummings was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship to study how lawyers assist—and resist—autocrats seeking to capture state systems and hold power, and spent significant time in Hungary researching how lawyers responded to that country’s rule-of-law crisis.
Join this fascinating conversation with Professor Cummings about what lessons American lawyers can learn from Hungary’s experience of democratic resistance.

When Cops Become Robbers Screening
2026-05-20 17:30 - 19:30 | University of Illinois Chicago, School of Law, 300 S State Street, Chicago, IL, 60604, United States
The End Policing for Profit working group is excited to host a screening of When Cops Become Robbers on Wednesday, May 20th from 5:30-7:30pm at UIC Law, at 300 S. State Street, Room S1210. A panel discussion will follow.
From former law-enforcement officers to constitutional lawyers, When Cops Become Robbers reveals how power, profit, and bad incentives turned public safety into a payday.

Click here to register.

Registration will close 24 hours before the event. Please bring an ID to get into the building.

This event is sponsored by the Civil Asset Forfeiture Committee, which is jointly shared by the Chicago Council of Lawyers and Chicago Appleseed.

The More Perfect Union Fund
2026-06-23 11:30 - 13:30 | University Club of Chicago, 76 E Monroe St, Chicago, IL, 60603, United States
This special gathering brings together members of the legal community, civic leaders, and supporters committed to strengthening our democratic institutions. Proceeds from the luncheon support the Chicago Council of Lawyers’ ongoing work to promote judicial integrity, transparency, and access to justice.
Registration is now closed, but you can still support the Chicago Council of Lawyers’ mission by making a charitable donation to our 501(c)(3) partner organization, The CCL More Perfect Union Fund, that reflects your commitment to advancing justice, accountability, and the rule of law.
Click Here To Make A DonationWhile 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.
Thank you to our generous supporters:
Architects of Justice – $5000
Steve Art
Robert Held
Carrie Huff
David MeltonJudd & Linda MinerLoevy & LoevyMiner, Barhill & Galland
Beacons of Justice – $1500
Aviva Futorian
Louis & Maria Harrison Charitable Fund
Guardians of Justice – $500
Marshall L. Blankenship
Camille CalabreseSteve DiamondKulmeet GalhotraBetsy & Scott LassarRobert LehrerJackson PallerDebra Shore
Defenders of Justice – $250
Mark DupontJulia San FratelloMark HeyrmanJack KaplanTara McKnightRichard McLeeseJohn RatnaswamyBarbara & Thomas RosenweinHon. James ShapiroRobert SlobigGeoffrey StoneFrank Valadez
*As of June 21, 2026.
Program
Cara Hendrickson of the Illinois Attorney General’s office will be interviewed by Sharon Fairley of the University of Chicago about protecting the Rule of Law.
Liam Connell of the Patriotic Millionaires will then speak on concrete steps toward greater economic fairness in his presentation, ‘Proud to Pay More: The Patriotic Millionaires’ Fight to Create an Economy that Works for All.’
Learn more about these featured speakers by watching the video and reading their bios below.
Cara Hendrickson
Cara Hendrickson serves as the Executive Deputy Attorney General in the Illinois Attorney General’s Office. In that role, she is responsible for advancing the strategic legal priorities of the office, including overseeing the Attorney General’s work promoting federal accountability and the rule of law. Earlier, Cara served as the Chief of the Office’s Public Interest Division, where she supervised the attorneys and staff who enforce the civil rights, disability rights, workplace rights, and antitrust laws, in addition to conducting investigations and cases involving the False Claims Act, consumer fraud, and energy issues.
Cara previously served as the Executive Director at Impact for Equity, one of Chicago’s most formidable law and policy centers, guiding its work for racial, economic, and social justice. An experienced litigator, Cara’s law practice focused on constitutional and civil rights litigation at Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym, Ltd. She has also practiced at Massey & Gail, LLP and Kirkland & Ellis, LLP.
Cara has served as a Commissioner on the Illinois Executive Ethics Commission, which promotes ethics in Illinois public service, on the board of the Public Interest Law Initiative, and on the advisory board of the American Constitution Society, Chicago Chapter. She was a Fellow in the 2014 class of Leadership Greater Chicago.
Cara served as a law clerk to the Honorable Ann Claire Williams, United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (Ret). She graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School and received her B.A. from Northwestern University. She has a Strategic Perspectives in Non-Profit Management certificate from Harvard Business School.
Sharon R. Fairley
Sharon Fairley is a University of Chicago Law School graduate and current Professor from Practice. Before joining the Law School, Professor Fairley was a federal prosecutor, the First Deputy Inspector General & General Counsel for the City of Chicago Office of the Inspector General, and Chief Administrator for the Independent Police Review Authority, the agency responsible for police misconduct investigations. She also created and stood up the Chicago Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA).
Liam Connell
Liam Connell is a member of Patriotic Millionaires, the former CEO of Allston Trading, and the founder of several algorithmic trading firms that Goldman Sachs and Sequoia Capital later acquired. His professional career has spanned technology, finance, entrepreneurship, and quantitative trading, including work at an IBM research center before transitioning to Wall Street and later founding multiple financial technology and trading firms.
Throughout his career, Liam has combined experience in technology and financial markets with long-standing involvement in advocacy related to human rights, democratic accountability, and economic inequality. He participated in civil rights activism in Northern Ireland and in the Anti-Apartheid movement, and has continued to engage in efforts to protect democratic institutions and address the concentration of wealth and power.
Liam’s work and advocacy draw on decades of experience across both the private sector and civic engagement, with a focus on the relationship between economic systems, political power, and democratic governance.
Click here to learn more about Patriotic Millionaires, a network of business leaders, investors, and philanthropists who use their private influence and unique public voices to advance an economic framework capable of sustaining the rich, stable, and free nation the vast majority of Americans want.
Stay Connected
Thank you for supporting CCL and the More Perfect Union Fund. The work doesn’t end when the luncheon concludes. We invite you to stay engaged with our efforts to strengthen the justice system, uphold the rule of law, and advance equal justice for all.

Join the Council – Become a part of a network of attorneys, judges, law students, and civic leaders committed to judicial excellence, public service, and meaningful reform.
Follow Along – Stay informed about upcoming events, advocacy initatives, and opportunities to support our mission by following us on social media: LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky
Share Your Experience – Attending the luncheon? Share your photos and reflections on social media and tag CCL to help spread the word.

If you have any questions, please contact us at ccl@chicagocouncil.org or by giving us a call at 224-301-5808.

Civil Disagreements: Is Money in Politics a Threat to American Democracy
2026-06-26 11:30 - 13:30 | Union League Club of Chicago, 65 West Jackson, Chicago, IL, 60604, United States
Join us at 11:30 AM CT Friday, 6/26, at the Union League Club of Chicago for a lively discussion of some competing views and proposed answers to these and other questions.
Click here to register.
Civil Disagreements is a series of moderated debates and discussions on current, critical, and often contentious civic questions sponsored by the American Bar Association’s Division for Public Education, the American Constitution Society (Chicago and Austin, TX chapters), the Federalist Society (Chicago chapter), the Chicago Council of Lawyers, Reform for Illinois, and the Union League Club of Chicago.

Supreme Court Rules Committee to Hold Public Hearing
2026-09-03 10:00 - 12:00 | Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, 222 N. LaSalle Street, Chicago, IL, 60601, United States
The Illinois Supreme Court Rules Committee will hear comments on six proposals on Wednesday, September 3, 2026, at a public hearing beginning at 10 a.m. at the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, 222 N. LaSalle Street, 13th Floor, in Chicago. All proposals must be approved by the Illinois Supreme Court before they can take effect. The hearing will be livestreamed here.
The Supreme Court Rules Committee invites public comments on the proposals. Written comments should be submitted no later than Thursday, August 27, to RulesCommittee@illinoiscourts.gov or via mail to: Committee Secretary, Supreme Court Rules Committee, 222 N. LaSalle Street, 13th Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60601. All written comments submitted will also be published and accessible on the Supreme Court’s website.
To be scheduled to testify at the public hearing, please register by sending an e-mail to the Rules Committee Secretary, as noted above, no later than Thursday, August 27.
More information is available at the Rules Committee Public Hearing page of the Supreme Court’s website here.
Larry R. Rogers, Jr., of Power Rogers, LLP serves as chair of the Rules Committee.
The following are the proposals which the Rules Committee seeks comment on:
Proposal 25-09, which would amend Supreme Court Rule 46 to require that the courts create and maintain a record of all protective order proceedings, either by stenographic means or by an electronic recording system, including any court date on which an order is issued, extended, modified, terminated, vacated, published or served regardless of whether the proceeding is consolidated into another matter.
Proposal 26-06, which would amend Rule 286 by clarifying small claim defendants’ appearance and answer requirements; removing mandatory trials on appearance dates; and clarifying informal hearing procedures; (2) amend Rule 277 to reflect current practice, including changing language to “Citation to Discover Assets”, clarifying rules for citation uses against debtors or third parties, and encouraging remote appearances; and (3) creating Rule 278 to govern judgment debtors’ post-judgment statutory exemption claims.
Proposal 26-07, which would amend Supreme Court Rule 906 to require that attorneys complete specific hours of training in intimate partner domestic abuse prior to appointment as a Guardian Ad Litem in domestic relations and child custody cases.
Proposal 26-08, which would amend Supreme Court Rule 753 to allow parties to file a motion with the Review Board to correct material mistakes in Review Board Reports and allow the Review Board to file corrected Review Board Reports on its own motion.
(FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: James Brunner, Public Information Officer of the Illinois Supreme Court at 217.208.3354 or jbrunner@illinoiscourts.gov.)
Click here to download the full release as a PDF.

Northwestern University's Mock Trial
2026-11-14 - 2026-11-15 | Northwestern University, 633 Clark Street, Evanston, Illinois, 60208, United States
We are pleased to share the following volunteer opportunity from Northwestern University’s Mock Trial program. If you’re interested in supporting aspiring advocates and helping students develop their trial skills, consider serving as a judge at this year’s Mock at the Rock invitational tournament.
On behalf of Northwestern Mock Trial, we are excited to announce that our annual Mock Trial tournament is taking place on the weekend of November 14-15 at Northwestern’s Evanston campus. We are looking for individuals to serve as judges. We are reaching out to see if you will share this opportunity with the members of your organization.
College Mock Trial is a fun and dynamic way for undergraduate students to develop skills in public speaking, performance, and trial advocacy. Students will perform as both attorneys and witnesses in this year’s criminal case.
No Mock Trial experience is necessary — we train all judges. We will also provide free breakfast and lunch to all judges during the tournament. Individuals can sign up to judge anything from one competitive round (~three hours) to the whole weekend (four competitive rounds across two days).
We would be deeply grateful for your time, whether you judge one round or all four. If you’re interested in judging, please sign up here.
Here’s the complete schedule for the weekend:

Round 1: Saturday, November 14th at 8:00 AM
Round 2: Saturday, November 14th at 12:00 PM
Round 3: Sunday, November 15th at 8:00 AM
Round 4: Sunday, November 15th at 12:00 PM

Again, if you’re interested, please fill out this form! And please share this opportunity with others you think would be interested in judging!
