Latest News - Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts

We’re Thankful for our Pro Bono Partners

In the run up to #GivingTuesday, we'll be sharing some thoughts from our staff and pro bono partners about working with Chicago Appleseed. For today, here are some highlights from our Spring Event video: Chicago Appleseed Stories from Our Partners. I do pro bono work for a lot of differen...

Hearing Officers in a Consolidated Domestic Relations Division

Three years after our Constitutionality analysis of the child support courts in the Cook County Domestic Relations Division, Presiding Judge Grace Dickler has issued an operations plan for consolidating the division. We are excited to announce that beginning in January 2017, the Domestic Relations D...

Chicago Appleseed & Other Advocates Prevent Proposed Budget Item That Would Harm Families of People Accused of Crimes

On Tuesday, November 15th, the Cook County Board considered numerous amendments to the county budget, including several amendments designed to provide resources to the Cook County Public Defender’s (PD’s) Office. Prior to the proposed amendments, the PD’s office was allotted $2 million les...

Anticipated Changes to Child Support Enforcement Guidelines

The Obama administration reportedly plans to make changes to regulatory rules governing child support obligations of incarcerated parents. The rule changes are designed to prevent large debt accumulation and ease the re-entry of parents upon release so they can fully meet parental responsibilities a...

Media Advisory: Historic Lawsuit Challenges Practice of Jailing People Too Poor to Pay Bond

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 24, 2016 Press Conference: Tuesday, October 25, 2016, 9:00AM Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law 375 E. Chicago Ave., 8th floor, Chicago, IL 60611 Contacts: Alexa Van Brunt, MacArthur Justice Center: 312-503-1336, a-vanbrunt@law.northwestern.edu Max S...