Law Professor Dan Coyne Named Independent Reviewer of Burge Torture Claims

On May 6, the Chicago City Council, after years of pressure by community organizations, passed the Budget Reparations Ordinance, a $5.5 million fund to make financial amends to black Chicagoans systematically tortured by former Chicago Police Commander John Burge and his officers between 1972 and 19...
July 1, 2015

Police Accountability Forum

Thanks to everyone who attended the Police Accountability Forum CLE, co-hosted by the American Constitution Society on June 16th. As a follow-up to the forum, we present this editorial from the Civil Liberties Committee of the Chicago Council of Lawyers, our partner in the Collaboration for Justice....
June 29, 2015
Illinois State Capitol, Photo by Daniel Schwen

Drug Field Testing Bill Passes

  Last week, HB0356, a bill establishing a pilot drug field-testing program for the city of Chicago passed both houses of the Illinois legislature. The bill, chiefly sponsored by Representative Zalewski in the House and Senator Harmon in the Senate, was developed in collaboration with Chicago...
June 1, 2015

How Digital Recorders Will Improve Access to Justice

Like other courts across the nation, Cook County is seeing increasing numbers of self-represented parties in the courts. At the same time that litigants are finding it harder to pay for legal services, Cook County has a projected budget deficit of $152 million for 2014, which has resulted in a reduc...
May 28, 2015

The Daily Law Bulletin Covers Judicial Elections in their Law Day Issue

The Chicago Daily Law Bulletin examined the issue of money in judicial elections in their annual Law Day issue last Sunday, April 26th. Staff Attorney Elizabeth Monkus was among the people interviewed for the article, which was framed around the Williams-Yulee case, which was still pending in the Su...
May 11, 2015