Category Archives: Access to Justice

The Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County (“Court Clerk”) has unique responsibilities that directly impact access to the courts; the Court Clerk is in a position to create or remove many barriers to justice. The Court Clerk answers to a number of constituencies: judges, attorneys, litigants, jur...

Chicago Appleseed has long been a vocal critic of the Office of the Clerk of the Court, advocating for a higher level of professionalism, accountability and better data management. We believe that the office has a duty to the public—both litigants and non-litigants alike—to share general information...

Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts and the Chicago Council of Lawyers’ report on civil asset forfeiture (CAF) highlights some of the horrors around property (cash and cars mostly) seized from citizens who have little to no connection with any crime. One outcome of this nefarious practice is th...