Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights

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Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights

We are civil rights lawyers and advocates working to secure racial equity and economic opportunity for all. We identify and disrupt patterns of discrimination.

We provide legal representation through partnerships with the private bar, and we collaborate with grassroots organizations and other advocacy groups to implement community-based solutions that advance civil rights. We are committed to the unfinished business of our nation’s civil rights movement. Our vision is to root out and dismantle deeply entrenched systems of discrimination, racism, and economic oppression. We believe in the power of the law to uplift and give voice to those individuals, organizations, and communities most impacted by poverty and racial disparity, including racial and ethnic groups, religious minorities, women, immigrants, LGBTQ people, and people with disabilities. Through longstanding partnerships with member law firms, we provide high quality legal assistance to clients and communities in litigation and transactional matters. We collaborate with community leaders, advocacy organizations, and attorneys to craft and implement community-based solutions and policy reform. We use a broad range of advocacy tools that include direct legal services, impact litigation, policy advocacy, community education, and coalition building. Our current legal projects focus on education, housing, voting and civic empowerment, public safety, and community economic development.

10/08/2026

Tiffany and Brian Durlak have filed a formal complaint with the Illinois Department of Human Rights on behalf of their three children, who are students in the Antioch Community Consolidated School District 34 (District 34), for significant racial harassment and discrimination they have endured over seven years from other students and school staff.

Despite repeated efforts from the Durlak family to seek accountability for the treatment their Black children were experiencing in a predominantly white school, District 34 has failed to appropriately respond to or address the ongoing harassment and create a safe and welcoming environment for Black students and their families within District 34.

The complaint also lifts up the experiences of other Black students who were targeted due to their race and were left to handle the matter on their own. This inaction created a culture where staff ignored the widespread use of racial slurs, stereotypes, taunts, name-calling, and offensive or derogatory remarks and white and non-Black students felt free and unconstrained to racially harass Black students. In some cases, White administrators even failed to acknowledge that the racial slurs being used were in fact racial slurs. Black students and their families were left feeling helpless and without recourse as their reports of racial harassment were consistently dismissed or ignored.

The Durlak family is represented by Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and the complaint alleges violation of the Illinois Human Rights Act and is also believed to be one of the first cases to be filed under the Racism Free Schools Law.

🔗 Read more about the case here: https://www.clccrul.org/press/family-files-complaint-alleging-racial-discrimination-and-harassment-in-school-district-34

10/07/2026

John Mulaney recently visited the Supreme Court to see Neal Katyal, acclaimed lawyer and former Acting Solicitor General of the United States, deliver oral arguments. He said Mr. Katyal argued the case “brilliantly.”

Mr. Katyal will be this year’s featured speaker at Chicago Lawyers’ Committee’s annual Good Trouble Gala on Nov. 4, where he will speak about the importance of voting rights and our urgent fight to protect and grow this essential work across the Midwest.

Mr. Katyal has argued 54 cases before the Supreme Court of the United States, including the recent landmark 6-3 win in Learning Resources v. Trump (which John Mulaney had the privilege of seeing argued in person!). This historic decision, which struck down presidential tariffs, was hailed by the New York Times as the most important ruling by the Supreme Court this century.

Join us at the 2026 Good Trouble Gala — our chance to come together, raise the resources needed to defend democracy, and recommit to the principle that access to the ballot is the foundation of every other right.

🗓️WHEN: Nov. 4, 2026, 5:30 - 9:00 PM
📍WHERE: Hilton Chicago (720 South Michigan Ave.)

🎟️ Get your tickets today: https://aesbid.com/ELP/CLCCRUL26/Tickets

10/05/2026

Election Day is almost here!

Please join us on Oct. 22 for a vital conversation between Janai Nelson, President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF), and Venu Gupta, Executive Director of Chicago Lawyers' Committee, where we'll be discussing what's at stake for voters and how all of us can protect the vote—now and after the polls close.

Ms. Nelson is one of the country's leading voting rights advocates. She argued Louisiana v. Callais before the U.S. Supreme Court and was lead counsel in Veasey v. Abbott, which successfully challenged Texas's discriminatory voter ID law. She sees what voters are facing nationwide.

During this virtual event, you'll hear:
➡ What voters need to know and do before Election Day
➡ How to be prepared at the polls and know your rights
➡ What the legal community needs to do after the election
➡ How you can help protect the vote in Illinois and beyond
➡ A clear call to action for the days ahead

DATE: Oct. 22, 2026
TIME: 12:00 - 12:30 p.m. CT
REGISTER HERE: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/kI74ZNvSSLaOKbz_-AiQTQ?_x_zm_rtaid=qy9fOMZDS5mJK0KFD-vWsg.1791212368019.ddb170fbd89ccb1811a82f61e509ca49&_x_zm_rhtaid=798 #/registration

10/01/2026

Illinois voters: Early voting for the midterms starts today, Oct. 1, in Chicago at two downtown locations: the supersite at 137 S. State St. and the sixth floor of the Board of Elections office at 69 W. Washington St.

Races on the ballot include Illinois governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, Illinois attorney general, Illinois comptroller, Illinois treasurer, and Cook County Board president. 🗳️

Make sure your voice is heard this election season by saving these critical 2026 deadlines:

‣ Oct. 18: Last day to register to vote online (you can still register by mail or in person!) ‣ Oct. 19: Early voting expands to all 50 Chicago wards
‣ Oct. 29: Last day to request a Vote By Mail ballot.
‣ Nov. 3: Election Day!

On Election Day, polls are open from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Remember: If you are in line by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day, stay in line until you cast your ballot!

If you have any questions or run into any roadblocks while registering or casting your vote, call or text our nonpartisan Election Protection Hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE for assistance. ☎️

📲 Save this post and share it with a friend to help them stay informed!

09/29/2026

Election Protection volunteers like Elizabeth always make sure voters feel respected and heard. 🤝 ️

Navigating the voting process can be hard, especially when unexpected challenges pop up. But our Election Protection team is here to help you through it. If you or anyone you know runs into issues registering or casting a ballot, call the Election Protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE.

🗳 Interested in serving as an Election Protection volunteer? There are two opportunities to help Illinois and Indiana voters on Nov. 3:

1. Serve virtually as a nonpartisan call center volunteer, answering calls to the 866-OUR-VOTE hotline. Hotline volunteers answer voters’ questions and help them work through problems at the polls to ensure they can vote and have that vote counted.

2. Serve in person as a nonpartisan field volunteer. As a field volunteer, you will support community partner programs working on protecting access to the ballot on Election Day.

Beyond answering questions and addressing problems at the polls, nonpartisan Election Protection volunteers contribute to a pro-voter environment on Election Day and can help to ease tensions and problem-solve in a way that centers the voter’s experience.

SIGN UP AS A FIELD VOLUNTEER: https://airtable.com/app6eKTqkq1Ihpaoq/pagbfzm4SAJ6MBfzb/form
SIGN UP AS A HOTLINE VOLUNTEER: https://lawyerscommittee.volunteermatters.org/project-catalog/33?mc_cid=8ab7db0de6&mc_eid=6a2cd1931c

Contact Kiana Henley ([email protected]) with any questions.

09/28/2026

Indiana voters: the deadline to register for the upcoming midterm election is Monday, October 5!

Swipe through this guide to make sure you're ready to make your voice heard. There are three ways to register to vote — online, in person, or by mail. Remember, you are eligible to register to vote if you are a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years of age on or before the general election, and not currently incarcerated after conviction of a crime.

If you run into any roadblocks while registering, or if you have any questions about the process, we're here to support you. Call or text our nonpartisan Election Protection Hotline for assistance:

☎️ English: 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)
☎️ Spanish: 888-VE-Y-VOTA (888-839-8682)
☎️ Arabic: 844-YALLA-US (844-925-5287)
☎️ Asian languages: 888-API-VOTE (888-274-8683)

Register today, and share this post with your friends! 🗳️

09/25/2026

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court decided the Trump administration can move forward with use of an unreliable voter database ahead of the midterm elections that could disenfranchise many eligible voters.

This decision allows the Trump administration to continue efforts to create a federal database using Department of Homeland Security data to cross-check voter information against citizenship and social security records in their efforts to verify the eligibility of voters on state rolls. It's unclear how this will impact voters ahead of Election Day given it is voluntary for states to participate, and existing laws block systemic voter purges within 90 days before an election.

The most important thing YOU can do right now is exercise their right to vote! Make a plan to vote, vote early, and follow your local election officials' direction closely.

Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights will continue to monitor this issue closely to ensure voters do not face barriers to civic participation. If voters have any questions or concerns, they can call the nonpartisan Election Protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE for assistance.

09/22/2026

A vote this week could significantly disrupt the entire legal profession.

Beginning on Sept. 23, a federal advisory committee will decide whether the American Bar Association (ABA) will retain its status as the official national law school accreditor. Law school accreditation is an official review process that ensures a law school meets established standards of quality in legal education.

This vote comes just two weeks after the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar (Section) – the independent law school accrediting arm separate from the broader ABA – repealed its diversity mandate (Standard 206), despite the ABA’s House of Delegates voting against its elimination. The Section made this call as an appeal to the Trump administration in hopes of preserving its status as the national accreditor. In doing so, the Section abandoned one of the ABA’s four core values: to “eliminate bias and enhance diversity.”

We were featured in Crain's Chicago Business this morning arguing that the ABA losing its accreditation status puts the entire legal profession at risk. The op-ed is co-authored by Chicago Lawyers’ Committee executive director Venu Gupta and past ABA president Mary L. Smith.

Swipe through to read a few key quotes pulled from the piece.

🔗 Read the full op-ed: https://www.chicagobusiness.com/opinion/commentary/ccb-aba-accreditation-legal-education-20260922/

09/21/2026

The fight for access to the ballot is far from over. 🗳️

Swipe through for a brief history of voting rights in America, from early constitutional exclusions and the hard-fought 15th Amendment, to the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Today, as attempts are made to weaken federal voting rights protections, state-level action is more critical than ever. Chicago Lawyers' Committee is proud to be working alongside a statewide coalition to pass an Illinois Voting Rights Act to ensure every voter in our state is protected from discrimination at the polls.

09/18/2026

This week, we celebrated Disability Voting Rights Week!

Disability Voting Rights Week is about advocacy, celebrating community, and building power. 💪

Across the country, voters continue to experience barriers that make it harder, and sometimes impossible, to participate in our elections, including inaccessible polling places, strict voter ID laws, and frustrating eligibility laws for mail ballots in some states.

At the same time, we’ve seen the power of community: people helping each other make a plan to vote, sharing resources, and advocating for change. There is power in collective action — even small actions can make a big difference.

The best thing YOU can do to ensure your voice is heard is to make a plan to vote! If you have any questions leading up to Election Day about how to register or cast your ballot, call or text 866-OUR-VOTE for assistance 📞

Address

25 E. Washington Street
Chicago, IL
60602

Telephone

(312) 630-9744

Website

http://www.clccrul.org/

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