Volunteer and Intern Positions
Change lives by changing the system.
Chicago Appleseed pro bono attorneys work to promote systemic reform at the heart of local and state policies. Chicago Appleseed conducts research and advocacy in the areas of criminal justice, judicial performance, court reform, and community justice. We identify problems, research their causes, and recommend systemic solutions. Chicago Appleseed is part of a national network of public interest law centers working through and with Appleseed in Washington, D.C.
Interns and volunteers work with our talented staff, committed board members, and blue ribbon task forces comprised of exceptional professionals in their fields. The work you do will directly influence decisions by major policy makers at the city, county, and state level. Commitments are tailored to your availability and strengths, and can range from interviewing experts, drafting memos, writing grants, blogging, court watching, and more.
Some of our more recent accomplishments, which have drawn on volunteer assistance, include:
Planned and staffed the Judicial Performance Commission of Cook County
Successfully negotiated the end of videoconferencing in bond court.
Created an ongoing court watching program at the Cook County Criminal Courts building.
Contributed to the decades-long effort to abolish the death penalty in Illinois.
Published and continually revised the Chicago Tenant-Landlord Handbook.
Collaborated with the Egan Coalition for Payday Loan Reform to enact payday lending legislation.
If you are interested in changing lives at the systemic level with Chicago Appleseed, please contact Malcolm Rich at malcolmrich@chicagoappleseed.org or 312.988.6565.
The Judicial Performance Commission of Cook County is looking for volunteers to serve as court observers for those judges identified by the Commission to have judicial performance issues. Please contact Elizabeth Monkus (emonkus@chicagoappleseed.org)to volunteer or to receive more information.