Lessons from Hungary: Dismantling the Autocratic Playbook
2026-05-19 15:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago)
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.

Civil Liberties Committee Meeting
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, 2026-11-13 12:00 - 13:15, 2026-12-11 12:00 - 13:15
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!

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
Join the Chicago Council of Lawyers for an afternoon dedicated to advancing the principles of justice, accountability, and the rule of law.
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 CCL’s ongoing work to promote judicial integrity, transparency, and access to justice.
Ticket Levels
Support the mission of the Chicago Council of Lawyers by joining us at a level that reflects your commitment to advancing justice, accountability, and the rule of law.
Architect of Justice
$5000
Includes one exclusive table with 8 tickets, premium recognition in event materials and online, and prime seating.
Beacon of Justice
$1500
Includes 6 tickets, premium recognition in event materials, and priority seating.​
Guardian of Justice
$500
Includes 2 tickets, recognition in event materials, and priority seating.
Defender of Justice
$250
Includes 1 ticket and recognition in event materials.
Advocate for Justice
$150
Includes 1 ticket.
Click Here To Reserve Your Seat In Support Of Justice
Your support at every level strengthens the work of the Chicago Council of Lawyers. We invite you to join us for what promises to be an engaging and meaningful afternoon.
Or, if you are unable to attend but would like to donate to support instead, please click the button below.
Click Here To Make A DonationIf you have any questions, please contact us at ccl@chicagocouncil.org or by giving us a call at 224-301-5808.
Program
Cara Hendrickson of the Illinois Attorney General’s office will be interviewed by Sharon Fairley of the University of Chicago about the AG’s litigation challenging the Trump administration. Liam Connell of the Patriotic Millionaires will then speak on concrete steps toward greater economic fairness.
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 the former CEO of Allston Trading and founder of several algorithmic trading firms that were later acquired by Goldman Sachs and Sequoia Capital. 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 the Anti-Apartheid movement, and has continued to engage in efforts focused on protecting democratic institutions and addressing 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.
Help Us Spread The Word
Know someone who should attend? Help us broaden the reach of this work by sharing this event with your network. We welcome you to invite colleagues, peers, and others who are committed to advancing justice and accountability.
Your support, both in attending and spreading the word, makes a meaningful difference.
Click here to download the flyer.
