Good Trouble: Art of Resistance Gala
Sep
27
5:30 PM17:30

Good Trouble: Art of Resistance Gala

Save the date for Good Trouble: Art of Resistance Gala on Wednesday, September 27th at 5:30PM! We are so excited to be joined by three poets laureate as well as Tracie D. Hall, executive director of the American Library Association - the first African American woman to serve in that role since the association's inception in 1876. Tracie was recently honored as TIME100's Most Influential People of 2023. Watch the video of her speech here

We will gather in the Winter Garden at the Harold Washington Library (400 S. State St). Join us to celebrate the wonderful work we have accomplished together in the past year and also reflect on the work that remains ahead.

For more information on tickets, Host Committee, and sponsorship, click here.

If you have any questions, please contact Lisa Torgerson at ltorgerson@clccrul.org.

View Event →
Corporate Governance Check-up for BIPOC-led Nonprofits
Jul
18
to Jul 19

Corporate Governance Check-up for BIPOC-led Nonprofits

Apply Here!

Deadline to apply: July 5, 2023

To support our nonprofit clients and community partners who are working tirelessly to advance race equity, secure economic opportunity, and strengthen their communities, Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights will provide a pro bono legal assessment focused on corporate governance.

During this virtual legal clinic, pro bono attorneys will meet with you and walk through a series of questions aimed at identifying legal areas that your organization may need to address in order to move toward full compliance, follow best practices, and improve operations. Volunteer attorneys walk through a checklist with you to review articles and bylaws, general nonprofit compliance issues, and answer your governance questions. After this clinic, participating nonprofits may request assistance to follow up on legal issues identified during the consultation, such as revising bylaws, applying for sales tax exemption, or reviewing a lease for early termination. Such assistance would be a separate matter and may involve different pro bono attorneys from the actual clinic.

DATE: Consultations to be held on July 18 and July 19, 2023

TIME: Approximately 90 minutes; participating organizations should hold time on July 18 and 19 for consultations

LOCATION: Volunteer attorneys will provide virtual meeting room (Zoom, WebEx, etc.)

WHO SHOULD ATTEND: Board members, officers, and executive directors of BIPOC-led organizations working to strengthen their communities. Participating organizations must have at least their Executive Director and one board member in attendance. Organizations must have 501(c)(3) public charity status, at least one paid employee (for example, a paid Executive Director), and already be in operations and currently conducting activities or providing services. Please note that at least one person from your organization must be using a digital screen during the consultation, since the volunteer attorneys will be using a screen sharing feature in the virtual meeting room, although cameras need not be on. Please contact Angela Dear (adear@clccrul.org) with questions about this requirement or for accommodation requests

To apply, complete this online application. We will follow up with additional instructions and information in a subsequent e-mail, which will include a full list of documents (board list, 990, articles, bylaws, etc.) we must collect for the attorneys prior to the legal assessment. Space is limited—sign up soon!

View Event →
Power of Connection 2023
Jun
1
5:00 PM17:00

Power of Connection 2023

  • Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher, & Flom (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Since 1985, through the Power of Connection, Chicago Lawyers’ Committee has been honored to bring together volunteer attorneys from Chicago’s most prestigious law firms to nonprofits and small businesses in Black and Brown communities in Chicago.

These nonprofits and small businesses are the blood, sweat and tears of people who want to realize their dreams as entrepreneurs or change their neighborhoods for the greater good. With access to free legal services, these dreams become a reality, create jobs, and increase health and wealth in Chicago’s communities of color.

Join us on June 1st to celebrate the Power of Connection! Click here to learn more.

View Event →
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. Presents Virtual Know Your Rights Series
May
24
7:00 PM19:00

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. Presents Virtual Know Your Rights Series

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. Xi Mu Zeta Chapter, Markham, IL, presents the Virtual Know Your Rights Series.

Ami Gandhi, Director of Strategic Initiatives & Midwest Voting Rights Program of Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights will serve as a guest presenter for this voting rights training.

Register here.

View Event →
Shielded: How the Police Became Untouchable
May
18
5:30 PM17:30

Shielded: How the Police Became Untouchable

Join us on Thursday, May 18th and meet the author of the new book, Shielded: How the Police Became Untouchable written by Joanna Schwartz.

Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights will lead a discussion around police accountability and there will be a reception after the discussion. Attendees will have the opportunity to purchase the book on site. 

We hope you can join us for this important conversation.

Register here for the free event!

View Event →
League of Women Voters IL 2023 Issues Briefing
Feb
18
8:45 AM08:45

League of Women Voters IL 2023 Issues Briefing

  • Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Ami Gandhi and Cliff Helm, Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, will be speaking at the LWV of Illinois annual Issues Briefing:

This virtual event brings experts to you, wherever you are! Be informed and prepared so you can advocate for change in your community and state. 

Register

The $30 registration fee is waived for students, and complimentary registration is available upon request. Please click here for complimentary or student registration.

Illinois teachers can receive five Professional Development credits for attending all four sessions of Issues Briefing 2023. Attendance links will be given at the beginning and end of each session.

ASL interpreters and closed captioning will be available for all sessions. Should you have additional access needs to participate in Issues Briefing, please contact communications@lwvil.org.

Schedule

Morning Plenary
8:45–10:15 AM | Defending Democracy: Threats to Elections

Morning Breakout Sessions
10:30–11:45 AM | Choose one of three

Afternoon Breakout Sessions
12:30–1:45 PM | Choose one of three

Afternoon Plenary
2:00–3:15 PM | Empowering Voters: How to Get a Grassroots Bill Passed

View Event →
DePaul University Racial Justice Initiative Kickoff
Feb
15
12:00 PM12:00

DePaul University Racial Justice Initiative Kickoff

  • DePaul University, Lewis Center, Room 341 (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Ami Gandhi, Director of Voting Rights & Civic Empowerment at Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, will participate in a panel discussion on the state of racial justice in Illinois, hosted by DePaul University’s Racial Justice Initiative. Other panelists include:

Stephan Blandin, DePaul Alum and founding partner of Romanucci & Blandin

Aisha Edwards, Executive Director, Cabrini Green Legal Aid 

Craig Futterman, Clinical Professor of Law, Director of the Civil Rights and Police Accountability Project, University of Chicago Law School 

Antonio Romanucci, founding partner of Romanucci & Blandin

Christina Rivers, Associate Professor of Political Science, Director of the Inside-Out Think Tank at Stateville prison, DePaulUniversity 

View Event →
Jan
22
1:00 PM13:00

The Battle of the Ballot—The Institute of Politics at UChicago

Ami Gandhi, Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, will join Dr. Elisabeth S. Clemens, UChicago Professor of Sociology, in a panel discussion as guests of the Institute of Politics’ Women and Other Gender Minorities in Public Service Program (W+) at the University of Chicago.

The discussion will center around voter suppression and barriers to democracy, particularly as they relate to the experiences of women and gender minorities.

View Event →
Dec
15
11:30 AM11:30

Common Cause IN Good Government Seminar: Above Reproach? The Case for a Supreme Court Code of Ethics

Common Cause IN’s Good Government CLE seminar titled, “Above Reproach? The Case for a Supreme Court Code of Ethics,” focuses on adopting a code of ethics for the Supreme Court. Attendees can receive 1.3 CLE credits.

The seminar will be moderated by Ami Gandhi, Senior Counsel at the Chicago Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights. The panelists will include Kedric Payne, Vice President, General Counsel and Senior Director of Ethics at the Campaign Legal Center, and Aaron Scherb, Senior Director of Legislative Affairs at Common Cause.

Topics will include historical background on the issue, possible legislative solutions, and a discussion of what is at stake regarding the current lack of ethics rules.

·  

View Event →
Journal of Human Rights Annual Symposium
Nov
17
12:00 PM12:00

Journal of Human Rights Annual Symposium

  • Northwestern Pritzker School of Law (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Article 21 in the 21st Century: Modern threats to the human right to representation

The Journal of Human Rights (JHR) is hosting a Symposium called “Article 21 in the 21st Century: Modern Threats to the Human Right to Representation,” to investigate the intersection of general threats to American democracy and human rights, specifically the right to representative government. Article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides that “[e]veryone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.” Esteemed speakers will discuss the American democratic process as it does or does not comport with this fundamental right in theory and/or practice. Topics will include legal perspectives on misinformation, contemporary challenges to voting access and adequate representation, health care regulation as an impediment or furtherance to democracy, and how the law silences historically marginalized communities.

View Event →
Chicago Bar Association & Chicago Bar Foundation Pro Bono Fair: Voting Rights & Election Protection
Oct
25
12:00 PM12:00

Chicago Bar Association & Chicago Bar Foundation Pro Bono Fair: Voting Rights & Election Protection

Register for the event on 10/25 on Voting Rights and Election Protection! Our Program Counsel, Cliff Helm, will be speaking about the challenges and opportunities we can expect in the upcoming election and he will also share about volunteer opportunities.

View Event →
Let the Little Light Shine Documentary Screening
Aug
18
6:30 PM18:30

Let the Little Light Shine Documentary Screening

Join us on Thursday, August 18th at 7:30PM for an official screening of the Let the Little Light Shine documentary at Gene Siskel Film Center. 

This film tells the story of a thriving, top-ranked African American elementary school in danger of being replaced by a new high school that would serve the neighborhood’s wealthier residents. Parents, students, and educators fought for the elementary school’s survival alongside attorneys from Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, Legal Aid Chicago, and Eimer Stahl. Join us to learn more about what community lawyering looks like and how the power of the people can create real change.  

There will be a reception starting at 6:30pm and a panel discussion after the screening. A huge thank you to Eimer Stahl for underwriting this event and being a wonderful partner and advocate of our work.  

It will certainly be an inspiring night! Watch the trailer here for a sneak peek.  

Free tickets are on a first come first serve basis - please RSVP by emailing Zindy Marquez at zmarquez@clccrul.org or 312.772.3533. You can also purchase your ticket here!

View Event →
Preserving Democracy by Protecting the Vote: Election Laws & Voting Rights
Jul
21
4:00 PM16:00

Preserving Democracy by Protecting the Vote: Election Laws & Voting Rights

In the last decade, people eligible to vote in U.S. elections have faced increasing barriers to participating in a central aspect of democratic governance. In conversation, this panel of voting rights and election law lawyers will unpack “how we got here” on the voting rights front and explore what all of us can do to ensure the right to vote is protected.

Moderator:

Kristen Johnson, Pro Bono Counsel, Cooley LLP

Panelists:

Ami Gandhi, Senior Counsel, Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights

Anne Houghtaling, Deputy Director, Thurgood Marshall Institute, NAACP Legal Defense Fund

Melina M. Meneguin, Associate, Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP

To learn more and/or to register for this important event, please visit the National Association of Women Lawyers’ website.

View Event →
Chicago Local School Council Elections
Apr
20
to Apr 21

Chicago Local School Council Elections

Your Community.  Your School.  Your Vote.. Chicago Local School Council Elections are on April 20th & 21st.  These elections give you the decision making power over things like school budgets, annual improvement plans and the selection and evaluation of the school principal. 

 

Local School Council Elections are a powerful way to make a difference in your community.  Vote. 

Get the FAQ here and make your voice heard

View Event →
Apr
19
6:00 PM18:00

2022 Local School Council Know Your Rights and Candidate Meet & Greet

  • Chicago Lawyers' Committee For Civil Rights Under Law, Inc. (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

With the LSC election just 5 days away, this is the opportunity to determine how CPS schools are governed locally. Join us for an event for you to know your rights, meet and support other candidates, and sharpen your GOTV skills for day-of elections and canvassing. 

Tuesday, April 19, 2022 at 6pm - 7:30pm

An event hosted by Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and Raise Your Hand


To join us, register on Zoom: bit.ly/2022LSCElections

View Event →
Apr
14
10:00 AM10:00

HOPE's Annual Conferen

  • Chicago Lawyers' Committee For Civil Rights Under Law, Inc. (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

HOPE's Annual Conference is back! The 2022 conference will focus on Appraisal Bias as well as other important fair housing issues.

HOPE Fair Housing Center is bringing together legislators, top real estate professionals, community leaders and nonprofit professionals to discuss common roadblocks on our path to Fair Housing and how we move forward. Be sure to check out Program Counsel Micaela Alvarez as she talks about Source of Income Discrimination & Arrest and Conviction Records!

View Event →