Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights

12/19/2022

On December 12th, Chicago Lawyers’ Committee, Legal Action Chicago, and National Housing Law Project submitted a letter of objection on behalf of community partner organizations to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in response to Chicago Housing Authority’s (CHA) application to dispose of public housing land for a Chicago Fire practice facility on the Near West Side.

By allowing this land dedicated for public housing to be used for a private Chicago Fire Practice Facility, the city and CHA are perpetuating segregation and continuing the trajectory of pushing out Black Chicagoans in violation of civil rights laws.

Read Chicago Lawyers’ Committee’s objection letter sent in partnership with Legal Action Chicago and the National Housing Law Project on behalf of the Chicago Housing Initiative and Lugenia Burns Hope Center here: https://buff.ly/3jleBZ4

12/15/2022

We are pleased to announce David M. Shapiro as the next Executive Director of Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, beginning January 17, 2023.

David has devoted his career to fighting for racial justice and civil rights, first at the ACLU National Prison Project, and since 2012 as a MacArthur Justice Center attorney and a Northwestern Law clinical faculty member. David founded and currently serves as the Director of the MacArthur Justice Center’s Supreme Court and Appellate Program, where he worked on police brutality, prison conditions, wrongful convictions, and other complex civil rights issues.

David’s expertise, leadership skills, and commitment to racial justice make him an excellent candidate for the role of Executive Director. Under David’s leadership, we are confident the organization will continue to succeed and achieve its mission of securing racial justice and economic opportunity for all.

We are looking forward to this next chapter and ask that you join us in welcoming David!

12/12/2022

Ami Gandhi, Senior Counsel at Chicago Lawyers' Committee and Common Cause Indiana board member will be moderating a panel discussion on December 15th from 11:30-1:00PM EST.

The panel will focus on the U.S. Supreme Court and the push for the justices to adopt a code of ethics. To register and to learn more information click here: https://buff.ly/3YclWKr

12/07/2022

Tonight is the 2022 Chicago United for Equity (CUE) Showcase! Our Program Counsel, Cliff Helm, is a Senior Fellow at CUE and will be showcasing his latest project at tonight’s event. Congratulations, Cliff on another year of great work building a more equitable Chicago!

*Picture shows Cliff at the 2019 CUE Showcase.

12/07/2022

HOPE Fair Housing Center and Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights are hosting a FREE training for housing providers on Tenant Screening, Eviction Records, and Fair Housing.

If you are an Oak Park housing provider in the Oak Park area, we ask you to join us on Monday, December 12th from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Oak Park Public Library.

Registration is REQUIRED for this event. The deadline to register is December 8th. You can register by scanning the QR code on the image above or using the following link: bit.ly/3E7GrPs.

12/06/2022

🚨 Tonight! Sign up for this virtual public forum today at 7pm to learn more about the “Invest In Kids” voucher program.

Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUsceisrT8tHdKwyA-3OU9fMiS0hVhhEa7I

This coming Tuesday, Dec 6th at 7pm join us for a virtual public forum hosted by Network 49, where you can learn about:

--how the Invest in Kids voucher program works;
--why all types of voucher schemes increase education inequity and harm the public good; and
--what we can do together to make sure public funds are for public schools in Illinois!

Register online at: bit.ly/Dec6voucherforum

Co-sponsored by Indivisible Chicago, 33rd Ward Working Families, 50th Ward United Working Families, 48th Ward Neighbors for Justice, Indivisible Evanston, Indivisible Lincoln Square, Parents 4 Teachers, and Illinois Families for Public Schools

12/01/2022

Community organizations are affected by a number of employment regulations and other laws that are nuanced, especially for grassroots groups that engage in community organizing. Seyfarth Shaw LLP and Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights are pleased to offer a webinar on employment issues that will help nonprofit executive directors, HR professionals, and boards become well-informed of the legal risk posed in hypothetical situations most relevant to their organizations.

Register today for the free webinar here: http://bit.ly/3XRwnD2

11/29/2022

Denying voting rights to people in prison is a legacy of the Jim Crow era. affirms the dignity of incarcerated community members & ends the racist practice of felony disenfranchisement. Illinois has the opportunity to pass historic voting rights legislation, expanding voting rights to community members in prison.

Chicago Lawyers' Committee Senior Counsel, Ami Gandhi (pictured right), and members of the Unlock Civics Coalition are in Springfield this week to support this effort!

11/28/2022

We were thrilled to recognize our amazing honorees at this year’s gala! Each honoree has been a critical partner of Chicago Lawyers’ Committee in many ways, and we are grateful to continue our work with them. Thank you to each of our honorees for all you do every day and congratulations!

✨POWER TO THE PEOPLE AWARD
Raise Your Hand for Illinois Public Education

✨LAW FIRM PRO BONO PARTNER AWARD
ArentFox Schiff LLP

✨CHAMPION OF JUSTICE AWARD
Jonathan Baum, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP

✨BONNIE ALLEN CIVIL RIGHTS VISIONARY AWARD
Niketa Brar, Chicago United for Equity

11/21/2022

Atlanta. Buffalo. Charleston. El Paso. Oak Creek. Orlando. Pittsburgh. These are only a few of the communities devastated by hate-fueled violence in recent years. And this weekend, Colorado Springs joined that unenviable list when a 22-year-old gunman burst into Club Q, a long-beloved safe haven and place of celebration for the LGBTQ community, and in a few short minutes shot and killed five people, seriously injured more than 25, destroying the lives of the victims, countless family members, friends, and terrorizing the city’s cohesive LGBTQ residents.

It is easy to despair, but we must act.

Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights has stood against bias-motivated crime since our inception in 1969.

Read more in our full statement here: https://www.clccrul.org/our-statements/2022/11/21/fighting-hate-whenever-and-wherever-it-arises

11/21/2022

Black voters in North Lawndale scaled mountains of inconvenience and confusion to vote • The TRiiBE

On November 8th, our Election Protection volunteers witnessed continued barriers to access for voters of color. Some voters faced improper requests for ID, and voters with disabilities encountered physical barriers and misleading signage. Many voters in Chicago had new polling places, different from where they cast their ballots as recently as the 2022 Primary Election, and several voters had to make multiple trips to find their true polling place or cast provisional ballots in light of this.

Natalie Frazier of The Triibe wrote, “41 percent of North Lawndale residents have no vehicle available. So yes, two or three tries to vote are too many for someone on foot or reliant on public transportation.”

In her article, she also discussed ballot and voting system issues, many of which we encountered through calls to the 866-OUR-VOTE hotline and our field volunteers. Ultimately, barriers to access such as these disproportionately affect communities of color and low-income voters, resulting in widespread disenfranchisement.

Frazier concluded, “Equity, rather than equality, should be the goal for election conduct in Chicago.”

Read the full article here:

Essay: it’s hard for me to fathom that what I experienced as an election judge in the 24th Ward on Tuesday was similar to the experiences of North Side neighborhoods.

11/17/2022

Thank you to all 250+ attendees who were able to join us for our Lift Every Voice Annual Gala last night. This celebration was our first time getting together in a few years and we were delighted to mark the occasion with more than $300,000 raised to continue our work fighting for racial equity and economic opportunity for all.

Thank you for your support of Chicago Lawyers’ Committee! We look forward to continuing this fight together.

11/11/2022

In honor of Veterans Day, J. Cunyon Gordon, Senior Counsel at Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, shared a statement in support of Illinois Senate Bill 828, a bill that would re-enfranchise community members in Illinois who are incarcerated in prison. SB 828 is a crucial step to advancing racial equity in Illinois. Thank you for your service, Cunyon, and for supporting the restoration of voting rights.

Click this link to read Cunyon’s statement: https://www.clccrul.org/blog/2022/11/3/support-for-sb-828-voting-in-prison

11/11/2022

Nonpartisan Election Protection volunteers improved voter access in the Illinois and Indiana Midterm Elections on Tuesday in several ways, from answering registration and polling place questions to resolving incorrect ballot, inaccessibility, electioneering, and voter intimidation issues with local election authorities in both states.

866-OUR-VOTE hotline volunteers answered hundreds of calls while field volunteers served as poll watchers and advocated for voters on the ground, ensuring their right to vote.

With persistent threats to our democracy, Chicago Lawyers’ Committee is grateful to the nearly 200 pro bono volunteers who volunteered this election, our community partners, the law firm of Kirkland & Ellis LLP, and the national Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law for their support and their dedication to voting rights.

Click the link to read our recap of the 2022 Midterms in Indiana and Illinois.



https://www.clccrul.org/blog/2022/11/9/election-protection-volunteers-improve-voter-access-in-the-illinois-and-indiana-midterm-elections

11/09/2022

Thank you to our Lift Every Voice Supporter Sponsors! We are officially one week away from our annual gala on November 16th at Theater on the Lake. We look forward to celebrating our work, seeing our community, and of course, sharing a delicious dinner with you all.

Thank you to all our sponsors and Host Committee members for making our work and this event possible.

11/08/2022

It's and the polls are open! 🗳

In Illinois, you can register to vote if you're:
▪️ A US citizen
▪️ At least 18 years old by Election Day
▪️ Living in your election precinct at least 30 days before Election Day
▪️ Not currently serving time inside a correctional institution

If you're voting today and have questions or issues, call or text 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) to connect with a trained legal volunteer from Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights/Election Protection

11/08/2022

Thank you to our volunteers who help ensure access to the ballot box! “Our goal and our role is to be there to make sure that voters are able to vote freely,” said Cliff Helm, Voting Rights and Civic Empowerment Program Counsel in a recent WBEZ Chicago interview. Read more about the work of poll watchers at the link below, and call
866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683),
888-VE-Y-VOTA (888-839-8682),
888-API-VOTE (888-274-8683), or
844-YALLA-US (844-925-5287) for assistance!



https://www.wbez.org/stories/poll-watchers-serve-as-the-eyes-and-ears-of-election-day/2ca1f134-de92-4c65-b9bf-77820647ef2a

On Election Day, poll watchers serve as the ‘eyes and ears’ of the voting process.

Concerned about poll watchers? They’ve actually long been a part of Illinois’ voting process and have plenty of rules to follow.

11/07/2022

Apply for Chicago Lawyers’ Committee’s 2023 Summer Associates Program!

First- and second-year law students who are interested in applying for a Summer 2023 internship with Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights should apply through the Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) website.

Graduating law students who are interested in applying for a Summer 2023 PILI Fellowship with Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights should submit application materials through the Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) website.

For more information head to our website at www.clccrul.org/career-opportunities

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and we encourage applicants to apply by December 1.

11/04/2022

“Is this in the best interest of the ABLA residents? Is this in the best interest of the city of Chicago? How can you answer that when you don’t even know what the agreement is?” – Alderman Byron Sigcho Lopez

Two decades ago, the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) tore down thousands of homes in the large ABLA public housing complex. City officials and Mayor Lori Lightfoot have pushed a plan to turn this public housing land over to the Chicago Fire Football Club owned by a billionaire. As the deal awaits approval from the federal government, Lightfoot and the CHA have kept key details hidden from the public and even other government officials.

Read more in this ProPublica article: https://www.propublica.org/article/chicago-fire-lightfoot-public-housing-abla

📸: for

Pictured is Rod Wilson, Executive Director of the Lugenia Burns Hope Center, on the land where the ABLA Homes once stood.

11/04/2022

Thank you to our Lift Every Voice Partner Sponsors! We are grateful for your support of Chicago Lawyers’ Committee and look forward to celebrating with you at our annual gala.

Today is the LAST day to RSVP to our gala on November 16th! Click the link to secure your ticket: https://www.clccrul.org/2022-annual-gala-lift-every-voice

11/03/2022

Thank you to our volunteers who helped protect voter’s rights at Cook County Jail and Will County Detention Facility this election cycle! Chicago Lawyers’ Committee (CLC) intern alumni Alana Reyes Jones, longtime pro bono volunteer Julie Shelton, and NextGen Leadership Council member Aleathea Williams volunteered at Cook County Jail. CLC Senior Counsel Beatriz Diaz-Pollack, Pam Fort of Speak Up and Vote, and election judges Barbara and Sharon assisted at the Will County Detention Facility. Thank you for helping us to defend the right to vote.

Do you have a plan to vote? Call 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) with any voting questions or issues. Trained, non-partisan volunteers are on standby ready to help you vote.

11/02/2022

Only two more weeks until we come together for our annual gala - Lift Every Voice!

Huge thank you to our Beacon of Justice and Advocate for Justice sponsors. This event and our work wouldn’t be possible without you. We appreciate your continued support of Chicago Lawyers’ Committee.

It’s not too late to get a ticket to the gala - click here to purchase: https://www.clccrul.org/2022-annual-gala-lift-every-voice

10/27/2022

We are less than three weeks away from our annual gala - Lift Every Voice!

RSVP’s are due Friday, November 4th - don’t wait and purchase your ticket today! https://www.clccrul.org/2022-annual-gala-lift-every-voice

We look forward to seeing everyone’s smiling faces in person again and to honor our retiring Executive Director, Bonnie Allen (pictured left). Hope to see you there.

10/20/2022

On we stand against bullying and show support for LGBTQ youth. Go purple now and join in 💜 http://glaad.org/spiritday GLAAD

10/18/2022

Register for the event on 10/25 on Voting Rights and Election Protection! Our Program Counsel, Cliff Helm, will be speaking about the challenges and opportunities we can expect in the upcoming election. He will also share about volunteer opportunities!

Registration is open for CBA and The Chicago Bar Foundation Pro Bono Week 2022 free events at https://chicagobarfoundation.org/probonoweek. Explore a variety of opportunities to find the pro bono or volunteer experience that fits your time and talents. Free CLE, Story Slam at Revolution Brewing and Pro Bono Fair at Kirkland & Ellis.

10/17/2022

It’s been a couple years since we have gathered for our annual gala and we’re excited to see everyone this year on November 16th at Theater on the Lake!

We can’t wait to see your smiling faces very soon. Please head to our website to purchase a ticket, join the Host Committee, or to sponsor the event.

More details can be found here: https://www.clccrul.org/2022-annual-gala-lift-every-voice

10/17/2022

🚨 SEEKING VOLUNTEERS! 🚨

The Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights is seeking legal volunteers to work in the field as poll watchers on election day, November 8th.

Field volunteers must be registered to vote in the State of Illinois.

Visit clccrul.org/election for more info and to sign up!

10/14/2022

Career Opportunities — Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights

We’re looking for a Director of Communications who is passionate about our racial equity mission and has the experience, skills, and drive to take our communications program to the next level. Learn more about this role here:

Please note that we offer a flexible hybrid work arrangement, with the option to work up to 3 days remotely per week. Successful applicants must provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination upon hiring.

10/13/2022

Senior Counsel, Emily Coffey, was featured in a ProPublica article. Read more here: https://www.propublica.org/article/chicago-public-housing-cha-hud

09/28/2022

Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, working with community partner Lugenia Burns Hope Center, urges the Board of Education to stop this land deal.

Read our statement here: https://www.clccrul.org/our-statements/2022/9/28/community-members-urge-chicago-board-of-education-to-stop-misguided-land-deal-use-public-housing-land-for-much-needed-affordable-housing-1

09/27/2022

Today we launched PEER Illinois - a state-wide education justice coalition made up of grassroots organizations, lawyers and researchers from across Illinois that fight for fully funded public schools.

Our coalition partners include: Illinois Families for Public Schools, bpncchicago, Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy at UIC, Palenque LSNA, HACES, IL Raise Your Hand, and Chicago United for Equity.

Join the fight here with : bit.ly/PEERaction