Introducing Rachel Lyons as Chicago Appleseed’s New Executive Director

Rachel Lyons (she/her), Executive Director The Board of Directors of Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts is excited to introduce Rachel Lyons as the organization’s new Executive Director, effective today, Monday, April 13, 2026. Rachel will take over from immediate past co-executive director...
April 13, 2026

Domestic Violence Court in Cook County: Innovation Without Integration

Written by Elizabeth Harris, University of Michigan, and Elizabeth Monkus, Senior Attorney & Project Director at Chicago Appleseed. Cook County's Domestic Violence Division was created in 2010 to make the domestic violence courthouse—opened in 2005—more responsive to survivors of domestic...
April 1, 2026

How to vote for judges this 2026 Primary Election

VoteForJudges.org is your resource for researching judges. We are pleased to announce that VoteForJudges.org is ready and available as a resource for Cook County voters in the 2026 primary election. Early voting is already underway, and with a day left for the primary election, we expect that thi...
March 13, 2026

What We’re Supporting This Legislative Session—Spring 2026

As the Illinois Legislature settles into its spring session, advocates have begun sharing legislative priorities and asking for individuals and organizations to support pending legislation. Chicago Appleseed is supporting a number of bills, listed below, focused on court transparency, family courts,...
February 25, 2026