Child Support Enforcement and the Function of Family Courts

This week, the New York Times published a story about how the child support enforcement systems and policies in U.S. court create a cycle of non-payment by middle and low income parents: Skip Child Support. Go to Jail. Lose Job. Repeat. Unpaid child support became a big concern in the 1980s and ’90s...

Amy Campanelli To Be Confirmed As New Cook County Public Defender

On March 11, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle nominated Amy Campanelli to serve as the new Cook County Public Defender. Campanelli, a 23-year veteran of the Cook County Public Defender’s Office, is currently serving as the Deputy of Suburban Operations for the Law Office, where she manag...

2014 Program Report Now Available

Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice does some of our social justice work through the Collaboration for Justice, a cooperative effort between Chicago Appleseed and the Chicago Council of Lawyers, a public interest bar association.  For a report on how this Collaboration works, how you can get involved...

State Farm, Judicial Elections, Integrity and Recusal

In 2011, Chicago Appleseed, with assistance from pro bono attorneys at DLA Piper filed an amicus brief in the Illinois Supreme Court case, Avery v. State Farm. We took no position on the merits of the case, which involved a consumer dispute over replacement parts for insured cars damaged in crashes,...