About Elizabeth Monkus

Elizabeth Monkus (she/her) is the Senior Attorney & Project Director for Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts. Elizabeth came to Chicago Appleseed in 2010 to manage the Judicial Performance Commission Demonstration project. She currently focuses on domestic relations and judicial elections in her program work.

Associate Judge Process Has Potential but Diversity Still not Optimal

Improving diversity on the bench requires critical assessment of how judges are elected and selected; citizen oversight and participation is necessary. We believe the associate judge process this year is a reminder toward vigilance in improving representation on the bench, but we do not believe it i...

Joint Statement Against Reinstatement of the Death Penalty in Illinois

Following the advancement of House Floor Amendment 1 to SB 2580, a wrong-headed measure to reinstate the death penalty in Illinois, Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice and Chicago Council of Lawyers release the following statement in opposition:   Joint Statement Against Reinstating the Death P...

The Case for Digital Recording in Cook County

Injustice Watch did some great reporting on the consequences to self-represented people when there is no proper court record of their hearings—particularly in eviction court. Chicago Appleseed has been working with LAF, Cabrini Green Legal Aid, CARPLS, Center for Disability and Elder Law, Chicago Vo...

The Domestic Relations Hearing Officer Program is Helping Families

The good reputation of the hearing officer program in domestic relations is growing with its reach in the branch courts. In the branch courts, hearing officers are completing—on average—four divorces a day and hearing over 30 cases (divorce, parentage, IV-D and non-IV-D, parenting time and support i...
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