Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts

Election season is hard! We’re sharing resources to make it easier. Chicago Appleseed launched VoteForJudges.org over a decade ago to educate voters about judicial elections in Cook County. It is a tool for voters to elect judges they can trust. buff.ly/fyEzNDv

Back by popular demand...another court-watching training! Sign up at chicagoappleseed.org/coep-training.

Check out our two upcoming virtual court-watching projects, which will be running simultaneously! Court-watching is vital for our research efforts and can be a great learning experience for volunteers. Are you in? Register for a training session at chicagoappleseed.org/coep-training

Join the Civil Disagreements Virtual Program ‘Unitary Executive Theory: Legitimate Constitutional Theory or Path To Dictatorship?’ on January 22, 2026, at 1 pm EST. 1 hour of CLE will be available to Illinois lawyers from the Chicago Council of Lawyers. tinyurl.com/unitaryexecuti…

One year after Chicago Appleseed published a report about rampant criminalization of gun possession in Cook County, we're looking at how certain policies implemented by the Cook County State’s Attorney have exacerbated the issue. Read more on our blog: chicagoappleseed.org/2026/01/06/one…

Join us TOMORROW for a community conversation about eviction in Cook County! We will also be announcing our next court-watching project...watch this space.

“They are taking guns away...but also incarcerating people and continuing cycles of poverty, disconnection and disinvestment in communities," Naomi Johnson, our co-executive director, explained to the Chicago Reporter. Read the article: buff.ly/43pW3qq

Wanna hear what we learned from observing eviction courts? Register for this free January event at chicagoappleseed.org/eviction-event.

We're only one week away from this community teach-in about the Cook County State's Attorney's policies and their impacts. Register for free at bit.ly/SATeach-in!

This #GivingTuesday, consider supporting Chicago Appleseed—an organization that shares your values of government transparency and accountability, equitable and accessible justice, and community self-determination. Turn your values into action at bit.ly/25_GivingTuesd… today.

UPDATE: State’s Attorney Burke announced on Friday that she is expanding this policy citywide, despite the call to end the policy from 130+ organizations and community leaders. Read our statement here: chicagoappleseed.org/2025/11/25/sta…

Join us on Dec. 10 for a teach in on our new state attorney's first year in office: actionnetwork.org/events/communi…

For more on civil asset forfeiture, check out our report on observations from Cook County’s courtrooms. buff.ly/Gj9p851

What happens to your property after an arrest? South Side Weekly covers the difficulty in getting your personal belongings back after an arrest - with a nod to our civil asset forfeiture work. buff.ly/HUqubrq

Join our partners at the Free2Move Coalition and the First Defense Legal Aid for a Traffic Stops: Know Your Rights event on Saturday, November 15, 2025 (2–4PM) at Walls Turned Sideways, 2717 W Madison St. Food will be provided! 🔗 Register now: bit.ly/TrafficStopsTo…

UPDATE: The community teach-in has been moved to December 10. Register now to hear Chicago Appleseed staff and other advocates and researchers talk about the Cook County State's Attorney's policies and their consequences! bit.ly/SATeach-in

Our 2025 Future Justice Lawyers of Chicago (FJLOC) students’ reports on the criminal system, immigration, and healthcare in jails and prisons are out now and available on our website. Read the reports here: chicagoappleseed.org/2025/11/05/202…

Get to know our guest of honor, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, ahead of our event next week! Buy tickets now at chicagoappleseed.org/events

Join us at this community event to learn about our State's Attorney's policies and their consequences!

This is a great read in the New York Times (!!!) about the firearm #HarmReduction work put into practice by our partners at Stick Talk. Check it out: nytimes.com/2025/03/17/us/…