06.24.09 Progress Through Partnership
E-Newsletter for members and friends of Chicago Appleseed and the Chicago Council of Lawyers
Assembly Line Injustice
Chicago Appleseed tackles problems in the Immigration Court
Chicago Appleseed and Appleseed released a groundbreaking assessment of the Immigration Court system, presenting a comprehensive slate of recommendations to redress problems at all stages of the adjudicatory process: from court proceedings and staffing, to representation, recordkeeping and even translation.
Based on more than 100 interviews with key practitioners in the immigration court system, as well as more than 100 hours of court observation by trained professionals, Assembly Line Injustice describes the problems encountered everyday by experts in the field. Chief among these problems are: too few judges and clerks; over-reliance on videoconferencing; inadequate access to court records; lack of effective, unbiased translation; and the difficulty of securing representation for immigrants.
Supporting its findings with both anecdotal and statistical evidence, the report lays out many practical solutions, vetted by leading authorities, to these and other issues. In the coming months, Chicago Appleseed, along with its contributing affiliates in Texas and at the national Appleseed office, will advocate for the adoption of the recommendations.
Read the report and key findings here.
2009 Legal Services Directory
Available for free download online
Chicago Appleseed and the Chicago Council of Lawyers is pleased to announce that the 2009 Legal Services Directory is now online for free download. The Legal Services Directory of Free and Low Cost Legal Services is a comprehensive listing of civil and criminal legal assistance agencies in the Chicagoland area that serve mainly low-income persons, persons with disabilities and senior citizens. Designed for low to no income persons, this community publication is a valuable resource for those who need legal services, but do not have the means to pay for advice or representation. Chicago Appleseed, with the assistance of the Chicago Council of Lawyers, has compiled and distributed this information every year since 1974.
Hard copies of the Legal Services Directory of Free and Low Cost Legal Services are available for purchase through the Chicago Appleseed office. Call 312-988-6565 to order your copy.
Download the 2009 Legal Services Directory here.
Chicago Appleseed has a new website
Check it out!
The Chicago Appleseed website has gotten a face lift! We think you'll agree that the new site is easier to navigate and read. Special thanks to Lee, Omar and the team from Loadsys, who worked with us to create this one-of-a-kind website. And a huge thank you to our spring interns from Northwestern: Megan Mitterer, Caitlyn Carpenter and Alison Schaffer. They spent several weeks uploading content, formatting and proofreading the site--their assistance was invaluable.
Take a look at the new Chicago Appleseed website!