Latest News
Three Reforms to Fines, Fees, and Debt Collection Practices
Along with our partner, Chicago Appleseed, the Council of Lawyers is a member of the Transit Table Coalition, working to eliminate transportation barriers that keep people out of work and in poverty. On Friday, the Transit [...]
New Directions for the Office of the Clerk of the Cook County Circuit Court: Recommendations for Planning and Transitioning to New Leadership
Written by Sarah Bloomquist, Undergraduate Intern (Summer 2020) Today, Chicago Council of Lawyers, Chicago Appleseed, and the Civic Federation release our joint report, New Directions for the Office of the Clerk of the Cook County Circuit Court: [...]
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 [...]
Examining “Cook County E-Court” and Looking Toward the Future of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Written by Sarah Bloomquist and Allison Leon In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, criminal courtrooms in Cook County were shuttered for all but limited proceedings beginning March 13, 2020, with judges allowed to hear only bond and preliminary [...]
Chicago Tribune Reports Excellent News about State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s Reformist Policies (Even if they Framed it as an Attack)
Both this morning and yesterday, the Chicago Tribune published an editorial and an analysis, respectively, attacking bail reform in Cook County and the State’s Attorney’s (SA) felony dismissal rates. The information published in their report on SA Kim Foxx is well-analyzed, and [...]
Reallocating Priorities: Call for City of Chicago to Invest in Community-Based DV Prevention and Intervention
Chicago Council of Lawyers and Chicago Appleseed are happy to share The Network's campaign to fund domestic and sexual violence services. The Network has released a comprehensive report calling for the reallocation of $35-million from the [...]
We Should Not Declare Victory Prematurely: Fight Against COVID-19 at Cook County Jail is Far From Over
Following a recent report from the CDC that the Cook County Jail has been successful in containing the COVID-19 outbreak within its walls, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart was quick to tell the Chicago Tribune on Tuesday that he [...]
Court Costs, Fines, and Fees Are Bad Policy
Across the country, regressive court fines, administrative costs, and filing fees are functioning to penalize people solely for their poverty. Court costs, fines, and fees (also known as “monetary sanctions”) exist in both the civil [...]
What’s Happening in Portland Matters
Two things are happening in Portland, Oregon, that bear close attention in Chicago as events quickly unfold. First, as summarized on July 17 by Charlie Warzel, an opinion writer at large for The New York [...]
The United States is a Nation Ruled by Laws, Not Kings
AMERICANS EVERYWHERE MUST SPEAK UP ABOUT PORTLAND Americans everywhere should care deeply about what the Trump administration is doing to Americans in Portland – and give voice against it. As the highly esteemed and astute [...]