APPLICATIONS FOR FJLOC 2025 ARE NOW OPEN!
Fill out this form to apply. The application is due December 19, 2024. If you have questions regarding FJLOC 2025, reach out to futurejusticelawyers@chicagoappleseed.org.
We are hosting a virtual information session on October 30, 2024! Fill out this form is you plan on attending.
The Future Justice Lawyers of Chicago (FJLOC) program is for students who are interested in becoming lawyers dedicated to serving justice in some way.
FJLOC members are students who are interested in:
- Confronting existing injustices;
- Having practical experiences with our justice system;
- Learning from members of well-respected Chicago-based legal organizations that have a combined history of more than 75 years of tackling systemic injustices;
- Networking with lawyers, law students, and other students interested in addressing issues of injustice;
- Getting a deeper understanding of our legal system; and
- Deciding whether law school is the right choice.
Click here to download the FJLOC flyer.
Please email futurejusticelawyers@chicagoappleseed.org if you have any questions or would like further information. Go to ChicagoAppleseed.org/Get-Involved to learn about other ways to get involved with our work.
GENERAL PROGRAM INFORMATION
PURPOSE
The Future Justice Lawyers of Chicago (FJLOC) program is for college students attending school full-time in the Chicago area who have a serious interest in becoming lawyers dedicated to serving justice in some way. The FJLOC will help such students see and understand how they can pursue careers as lawyers and work to make our justice system more fair, equal, impartial, accessible, and just. The FJLOC will deepen each member’s understanding of the law, connect members with lawyers and other students interested in serving justice, provide members with practical experiences in our existing justice system, and help members develop skills essential for practicing law.
MISSION
FJLOC members will do individual and group projects that address issues of injustice in our community and will engage in other enrichment opportunities relating to issues of law and justice. FJLOC will have sessions to help members better understand the ideas of law and justice and how they work together. Likewise, FJLOC will provide training sessions for skills that will help members do their project work, and that will be valuable in pursuing a career as a lawyer. Each FJLOC member will work with a specific licensed lawyer who will provide advice and guidance to the member in developing their skills and doing their project work.
VISION
The FJLOC will operate in support of the missions of the Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts and the Chicago Council of Lawyers. FJLOC members will produce work approved by Chicago Appleseed and The Chicago Council that leverages the resources of both organizations. Over time, the FJLOC will increase the number of lawyers working to confront issues of systemic injustice in our community and working to improve our justice system.
FJLOC MEMBER BENEFITS
- Working on individual and group projects with guidance, advice, and oversight from Chicago Appleseed and Chicago Council members.
- Getting support from Chicago Appleseed and the Chicago Council on individual and group projects, including with one-on-one meetings.
- Networking with lawyers, law students, and other students interested in addressing issues of injustice.
- Engaging with students attending a wide variety of schools in the Chicago area who are also interested in the law and in confronting systemic injustices.
- Attending speaker panels with lawyers on specific justice issues.
- Presenting completed projects with the endorsement and backing of Chicago Appleseed and the Chicago Council.
SAMPLE PROJECTS
FJLOC members work on individual and peer group projects with guidance and oversight from advisors from Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts and the Chicago Council of Lawyers.
- Court-watching proceedings in civil and criminal courts to collect case outcome data, observe judicial behavior and culture, and to understand general court functioning.
- Working with a law professor to research and help draft legislation.
- Drafting letters to the editor of local publications about justice/injustice issues.
- Making statements at local jurisdiction board meetings during public comment periods.
- Drafting letters about justice/injustice issues to local elected officials or federal officials located in Cook County.
- Create and complete projects on justice/injustice issues proposed by the FJLOC student.
- Addressing human trafficking in the Chicago area and enforcement of connected criminal laws.
- Researching issues related to DCFS, the Illinois foster care system, and producing a Call to Action statement.
- Addressing retraumatization of victims of sexual assault by Cook County criminal court proceedings.
- Addressing maltreatment of children in foster care in the Chicago area.
- Addressing failures of due process for children in Cook County immigration courts.
- Working to review and monitor the functioning of the domestic violence courts.
- Researching and evaluating the use of restorative justice approaches in courts.
- Create and complete projects on injustice matters proposed by FJLOC students.
2024 FJLOC FINAL REPORT
2023 FJLOC FINAL REPORT
APPLICATION & ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION
The Future Justice Lawyers of Chicago undergraduate applications are now open!
Applications will be submitted online. Use this form to apply. The application portal will close December 19, 2024. Chicago Appleseed & Council staff will notify applicants of acceptance for membership in January 2025. Offers of acceptance will continue until all available spots are filled. Applicants who do not receive an offer of acceptance by email will be notified of their status by the end of January 2025.
Before applying, please review the Important Dates and Frequently Asked Questions below.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
- Be enrolled as a full-time student at a college or university in the Chicago area.
- Reside in the Chicago area from January through July of 2025.
- Be able to attend monthly in-person meetings in the Chicago Loop on Saturday from January through May 2025 and attend weekly in-person meetings in the Chicago Loop between June and July 2025.
- Commit to completing before the end of June 2025, at least one individual project that is overseen by Chicago Council and Chicago Appleseed members. Please review the list of sample individual projects.
- Commit to making meaningful contributions to a project to be completed by the FJLOC chapter before the end of June 2025, and join with the other FJLOC members in committing to completing such project at such time. Please review the list of sample group projects.
- Have an interest in pursuing a career as a lawyer.
- Have a genuine interest in confronting systemic injustices in our community.
IMPORTANT DATES
Here is an outline of the 2025 timeline to give applicants a general idea of the program.
October 22, 2024 – Application open date.
October 30, 2024 – Zoom informational session. Link and time TBD.
December 19, 2024 – Application close date.
January 2025 – Acceptance notifications, first group meeting, and meetings with lawyer advisors.
February 2025 – Secondary Research workshop and research potential group projects.
March 2025 – Interview and “First-Year Law School Classes” workshops and group project selection.
April 2025 – Writing and “Legal Writing” workshops and begin formal research.
May 2025 – “Key Words and Phrases in Law” and “What does a research report look like?” workshops.
June 2025 – Finish research; first and second drafts are due by the end of the month.
July 2025 – Finish final draft and “call to action.” The Capstone Event will take place in late July.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
I’m a freshman in college, can I apply?
Yes!
I’m a senior in college, can I apply?
Yes, all levels are welcome to join the program.
Can FJLOC members have jobs during the summer?
Yes, so long as they can justify their internship and commit to fulfilling all FJLOC obligations, such as the individual and group projects.
The FJLOC weekly meeting schedule starts before the end of the semester at my school. If selected, can I still participate?
Yes!
When can I expect to hear back about the status of my application?
January 2025.