04.30.09 Progress Through Partnership
E-Newsletter for members and friends of Chicago Appleseed and the Chicago Council of Lawyers
Chicago Council of Lawyers supports HB 2234, Authorizing Civil Unions
The Chicago Council of Lawyers supports HB 2234, which would authorize two adults to enter into a civil union, and thereby provide them with the same legal rights, obligations, responsibilities, protections, and benefits provided by Illinois to married couples. Applicants for a civil union would have to obtain a license. State laws dealing with annulment, divorce, and property division would apply to partners in a civil union in the same way they apply to married couples. The bill stipulates that no religious entity can be forced to bless such unions.
The Chicago Council of Lawyers supports HB 2234 because committed gay and lesbian couples, as a matter of fundamental fairness, should be able to protect their partners during economic insecurity, ill health and even death. The bill would provide gay and lesbian couples the right to do things that married couples take for granted, such as make emergency medical decisions and funeral arrangements for a partner, visit each other in the hospital and share a nursing home room. It would promote long-term commitments. It also would protect the children of same-sex couples by providing clear legal rules to govern child custody and related issues if the partners should divorce.
The Chicago Council of Lawyers commends the sponsors of this bill for their initiative to bring equal rights to all Illinois residents. The Council urges the legislature to act swiftly on this very important issue.
Parental Involvement in Illinois
A Policy Summit hosted by Chicago Appleseed
Chicago Appleseed addresses parental involvement as it relates to policy-making processes, as required in the No Child Left Behind Act under section 1118. Our work with the Illinois Parent Leadership Council on parental involvement was instrumental in providing technical assistance to the committee working with the Illinois State Board of Education to address parental involvement at a systemic level that speaks to the importance of having a master parental involvement state plan. We are interested in ensuring this important work continues under the new administration statewide and nationally, enabling Illinois to take full advantage of the best practices of other states who have taken on this mandate, as well as preparing Illinois to be ahead of the curve as education policy becomes a national priority under the Obama Administration.
Date: Monday, May 11, 2009
Time: 1:00 - 5:00 pm (Registration begins at 12:30pm)
Location: Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, 230 South LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois 60604
Featured Speakers:
Dr. Chris Koch, Illinois State Superintendent
Mary Jo Neil, Immediate Past President, Maryland PTA, Chair, Education Policy Subcommittee, Maryland Parent Advisory Council (M-PAC) 2003-2005
Beverly R. Raimondo, Director, Center for Parent Leadership/Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence (KY)
Jerome Stermer, Chief of Staff, Governor Pat Quinn's Office
Sheila Stocks-Smith, Co-Chair, Illinois Parent Leadership Council
There is no charge to attend the policy summit, but an RSVP is required. Please RSVP to Theresa Burridge at 312-988-6564 or theresa.burridge@chicagoappleseed.org by Wednesday, May 6. Please bring a photo ID for registration and security purposes. Please note that seating is limited!
For more information, click here
MCLE Forum on Police Accountability
Join us for an upcoming MCLE forum:
Forum on Police Accountability
Date: Wednesday, May 20
Time: 12:00 -- 1:30 pm (1.5 hours MCLE credit)
Location: Sidley Austin LLP,1 South Dearborn, Chicago 60603
Speakers:
Chief Administrator Ilana Rosenzweig of the Chicago Independent Police Review Authority
Chicago Police Department Deputy Superintendent Peter Brust
Attendees are invited to bring a brown bag lunch. Click here to RSVP by May 17. Please bring a photo ID.
This forum is sponsored by:
Chicago Council of Lawyers
Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice
American Constitution Society - Chicago Chapter
Citizens Alert
Transforming Cook County's Criminal Justice System: The Role of Probation
The Chicago Council of Lawyers and Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice are sponsoring the following event:
Transforming Cook County's Criminal Justice System: The Role of Probation
Date: Wednesday, May 27
Time: 2:30-- 5pm (2.5 hours MCLE credit)
Location: Kirkland & Ellis LLP, 300 N. LaSalle, Chicago IL 60654
Moderator: Randolph N. Stone, Clinical Professor of Law, The University of Chicago Law School
Confirmed Speakers:
Paula Wolff, Senior Executive at Chicago Metropolis 2020
Michael Bacula, Cook County Adult Probation Department
Charles Loeffler, PhD candidate, Harvard University (Research consultant to Chicago Appleseed and the Chicago Council of Lawyers)
Please RSVP for this forum by Friday, May 22 by emailing Andrew Halterman at andrewhalterman@chicagocouncil.org or by calling 312-988-6614. Bring a photo ID.
agrant@chicagoappleseed.org
malcolmrich@chicagoappleseed.org
Phone: 312-988-6565
Fax: 312-654-8644
http://www.chicagoappleseed.org
http://www.chicagocouncil.org