Child Support Enforcement and the Function of Family Courts

This week, the New York Times published a story about how the child support enforcement systems and policies in U.S. court create a cycle of non-payment by middle and low income parents: Skip Child Support. Go to Jail. Lose Job. Repeat. Unpaid child support became a big concern in the 1980s and ’90s...
April 22, 2015

Amy Campanelli To Be Confirmed As New Cook County Public Defender

On March 11, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle nominated Amy Campanelli to serve as the new Cook County Public Defender. Campanelli, a 23-year veteran of the Cook County Public Defender’s Office, is currently serving as the Deputy of Suburban Operations for the Law Office, where she manag...
April 1, 2015

The Search for Cook County’s New Public Defender

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle has started a search process for the new Public Defender in Cook County. On March 31, 2015, Abishi Cunningham’s six-year term as Public Defender for Cook County will end. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle has elected to replace Cunningham with...
January 13, 2015

Innovations in Family Courts

The Domestic Relations Division of the Cook County Court is carefully examining ways to make some significant changes which will improve the level of service for everyone needing to establish parentage of a child, get child support for a child or come to a shared agreement for parenting.  Chicago Ap...
June 11, 2014

Courts and Public Accountability

“Judge Sullivan, Take Note”, an editorial in the Chicago Tribune Monday, June 9th, reminds us that the courtrooms do not belong to the judges, they belong to the people. The editorial references two recent steps by courts administrators to make Illinois’ courts more open and transparent: the Illinoi...
June 10, 2014