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Naomi Johnson, Co-Executive Director of Chicago Appleseed and the Chicago Council of Lawyers, delivered the following remarks at the Collaboration for Justice’s June 12th event celebrating the 55th anniversary of the Fund for Justice (now Chicago Appleseed).

What a great video! Thank you, Ali, for putting that together—it was so powerful to see so many familiar faces and be reminded of the community that has carried this work forward for over 55 years. For those of you I haven’t met yet: Hi, my name is Naomi, and I’m proud to serve as Co-Executive Director of Chicago Appleseed and the Chicago Council of Lawyers.

As the video just highlighted, we are standing on the shoulders of giants. The Council and Chicago Appleseed have a legacy of fighting for fairness, equity, and accountability in our legal system. And tonight, we celebrate that legacy—and the path ahead. Some of the work we’re especially proud of includes:

• In 1970, we successfully petitioned the court to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the killings of Black Panther leaders Fred Hampton and Mark Clark by Chicago Police Department officers.
• In 1990, we published the “Tenant-Landlord Handbook” (one of the most stolen books from the Chicago Public Library system) with the Legal Assistance Foundation, now known as Legal Aid Chicago, to help tenants in disputes with landlords and provide resources to protect their rights.
• We created Cook County’s first court-watching program in 2005, which has collected over 5,000 observations in the past 3 years alone.
• We are a founding member of the Coalition to End Money Bond, which successfully advocated for the abolition of the cash bail system in Illinois which went into effect in 2023.

These are just a few examples. Each one was the product of dedicated research, legal analysis, and deep partnership with community organizations and advocates.

The mission of the Chicago Council of Lawyers is, and always has been, to promote equal justice for all and support the rule of law. Since 1970, Chicago Appleseed, formerly known as the Fund for Justice, and the Council have worked together to fight for decarceration, economic accessibility, community autonomy, and court transparency—working to create the least harmful courts possible, to fight for racial justice, and to bring accountability to the legal system.

Today, we find ourselves at a critical moment in our country’s history. A moment marked by rising fascism, unprecedented attacks on the independence of our judiciary, and relentless targeting of our most vulnerable neighbors. Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen images and videos of deportations—people torn from their homes, their communities, their children. These aren’t just headlines. This is real. And it affects us all. When our legal systems are used as tools of oppression rather than tools for justice, we all lose. We lose safety, we lose trust, and we lose the very values our legal institutions are supposed to protect.

That’s why our work is more important than ever. The national conversation may feel overwhelming, but for us, the fight starts locally. Right here in Chicago. Let us not forget that the principal catalyst for the founding of the Chicago Council of Lawyers was the state-sanctioned violence at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago—a time of similar unrest and concern. Together, we are not only holding the line—we’re pushing forward. We are meeting this moment by showing up where the needs are greatest and where our impact can be most powerful.

In the next year, we are working to increase transparency in our court system through judicial FOIA; continue our work of reducing the Cook County jail population, which has been climbing since a new State’s Attorney has taken office; disrupt the civil legal systems that criminalize poverty and disrupt families; and advocate for the expansion of pre-plea diversion opportunities.

But we can’t do it alone. In order to make all of this possible, we need your help. Let’s me be frank: We need financial support to continue this work with the urgency and depth it requires. Please consider donating tonight. There are QR codes throughout the room and on these screens, and a box for your checks over there. Every dollar helps us stay independent, principled, and focused on systemic change. And to make it fun, we’ve got some great raffle prizes—including a handmade piece of jewelry by yours truly—as well as other awesome surprises.

Thank you—truly—for showing up, for believing in this work, and for investing in a better legal system. We have the space until 9pm, so please stay, enjoy the food, drink, and good company!