A Message from the NLG Chicago Board

As 2023 comes to an end, we think of the lives lost in Palestine and the large numbers of people facing state repression for their support of the Stop Cop City movement. While our hearts are heavy, there is so much giving us hope as we move into 2024. 

Across the world, we have borne witness to massive demonstrations in solidarity with the Palestinian people. Throughout the U.S., environmentalists and abolitionists have joined together to resist the destruction of the Atlanta forest and construction of Cop City. And right here in Illinois, we have seen the number of people incarcerated pretrial drop dramatically with the implementation of the Pretrial Fairness Act. 

We hope you enjoy our review of the work NLG Chicago engaged in this year and that you will consider making a donation as we build towards our efforts to provide legal support for those protesting the Democratic and Republican Presidential conventions next summer. 

In solidarity,

The NLG Chicago Board 

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Mass Defense Program

Chicago’s movements for social justice kept us busy this year! NLG Chicago’s legal observers covered more than 70 actions in 2023. More than a quarter of those actions were in solidarity with the Palestinian people. We also covered a large number of climate and reproductive protests as well as Stop Cop City events. 

Our Mass Defense members provided action consults to numerous organizers and have assisted in coordinating legal support for more than 200 people arrested at protests this year. Over the summer, we published a Know Your Rights Guide for Chicago Activists and have provided trainings at the PO Box Collective and Community Books.

Advocacy & Solidarity Efforts

Throughout 2023, NLG Chicago stood in solidarity with justice movements by drafting and signing on to amicus briefs, campaigns, letters, as well as partnering in research. Here are just a few of those efforts.

Amicus for Mike Brown and Rekia Boyd IACHR Cases

On the ninth anniversary of Michael Brown’s murder, NLG Chicago filed an amicus brief in support of petitions filed by Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights and the Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Center at Howard University School of Law. The brief and petitions were filed with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in support of the families of Mike Brown and Rekia Boyd seeking justice for the police murders of their loved ones through international law.

NLG Chicago has supported actions demanding justice for the murder of Rekia Boyd for over a decade. We were honored to have the opportunity to file this brief in support of that fight as we continue to stand in solidarity with Rekia’s family and all those demanding accountability from the Chicago Police.

Palestine Solidarity

In addition to providing legal support for protests, NLG Chicago has signed onto a number of letters in solidarity with the Palestinian people. NLG Chicago signed onto letters to Sen. Durber and Sen. Duckworth demanding a ceasefire, a letter from more than 600 legal advocates demanding action to stop the unlawful and racist targeting of Palestine advocates, as well as a letter to the ABA urging them to combat the censorship and discrimination against those voicing solidarity with Palestine.

On Saturday, November 18th, thousands of people gathered in Grant Park for a rally organized by Coalition for Justice in Palestine. After a group of demonstrators shut down DuSable Lake Shore Drive in an act of civil disobedience, Chicago Police brutally attacked attendees. NLG Chicago issued a statement condemning the excessive use of force.

Since October, we have dispatched legal observers to more than 20 Palestine solidarity actions across Cook County and coordinated legal support for more than 200 people facing charges stemming from these demonstrations.

Partnership with the International Human Rights Clinic (IHRC) at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law.

NLG Chicago is working with the International Human Rights Clinic (IHRC) at the University to write a report documenting the human rights violations caused by the implementation and use of the CBP One Mobile Application. We are currently collecting information about issues and concerns of legal advocates and social service workers with this survey which we are asking for NLG members to help circulate. 

Public Education

In 2023, NLG Chicago helped organize five public education events and spoke to more than 100 people. We hosted CLEs on the book ban at Cook County Jail, the Pretrial Fairness Act and how attorneys can advocate with their incarcerated clients. We hosted two know your rights trainings and participated in a teach-in on the Stop Cop City prosecutions organized by the NLG chapter at Loyola University.

2023 Annual Celebration Honorees

More than 100 NLG Chicago supporters came together at Haymarket House for our annual celebration. 

We marked the implementation of the Pretrial Fairness Act by honoring Cook County Public Defender Sharone R. Mitchell, Jr., Sharlyn Grace, and Sarah Staudt with the Arthur Kinoy People’s Law Award. Working alongside dozens of community organizations in the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice, these three movement lawyers led the policy team made Illinois the first state in the country to end the use of money bond!

Jennifer Soble of Illinois Prison Project was honored with the Trailblazer award for her amazing work as the founder and Executive Director of the Illinois Prison Project! Since starting the organization in 2019, Jennifer has led IPP’s work in freeing more than 100 people from the Illinois Department of Corrections, saving these individuals from more than 1,000 years of incarceration.

Our annual event is our biggest fundraiser of the year. Thanks to your support, we were able to raise more than $11,000! We’ll be back at Haymarket for our 2024 annual event on September 28th. Save the date!

Looking Ahead

As 2023 comes to a close, we are resting up and getting ready for what is sure to be an action packed 2024. Next year, Chicago will host the Democratic National Convention and Milwaukee will host the Republican National Convention. Our members are currently working to create the infrastructure needed to provide legal support to protesters in Chicago and working with NLG members in Wisconsin to do the same. We’re also gearing up to host our first midwest NLG convention since the pandemic. 

To make all this possible, we need your support. Your donations will help pay for our part-time staff, office space, more green hats for our legal observers as well as covering the cost of the travel and infrastructure needed to support demonstrators at the 2024 conventions.

Please consider becoming a sustaining donor or making a one time donation to help ensure we can continue our work throughout 2024.

Make a Tax Deductible Donation to NLG Chicago

The National Lawyers Guild (NLG) was formed in 1937 as the country’s first integrated national bar association. The NLG is dedicated to the need for basic change in the structure of our political and economic system. We seek to unite the lawyers, law students, legal workers and jailhouse lawyers to function as an effective force in the service of the people, to the end that human rights shall be regarded as more sacred than property interests.

The Chicago Guild is hiring a part-time Director of Operations. We are looking for an organized and dedicated advocate who can support the Guild’s critical work providing legal support to Chicago’s social justice movements. The person who fills this position will be tasked with managing day-to-day operations and supporting continued capacity-building efforts alongside the efforts of NLG Chicago’s Board. Our ideal candidate would bring experience and enthusiasm for providing administrative and logistical support to projects and organizations, along with a deep knowledge of movement work in the Metro Chicago area, and current issues regarding state repression of Chicago’s contemporary social movements. Legal experience is not required for this position.

This position requires someone who is self-directed and can work independently; the Director of Operations will report directly to the Board of Directors.This position will be scheduled for 10 hours a week at $20.00/hour, with a $4.25 hourly health and wellness benefit, and will include 36 hours of paid sick leave  and 72 hours of paid time off each year. The Director of Operations position is covered under a Collective Bargaining Agreement with National Organization of Legal Services Workers, United Auto Workers Local 2320.

This position includes the following duties:

• Providing administrative and logistical support to members of the NLG Chicago Board, including scheduling Board meetings, logistically coordinating the annual election process, and coordinating Board input on day-to-day chapter decision making.
• Performing office administrative duties, including responding to phone calls, email, and receiving postal mail in the Guild Office (located in downtown Chicago)
• Coordinating and facilitating chapter wide events with the support of the NLG Chicago Board, including NLG Chicago’s annual fall fundraising dinner and spring May Day party
• Providing administrative support for Board efforts regarding fundraising and pursuing grant opportunities and coordinating finances and operations needs with the Board Treasurer
• Coordinating external promotions of Guild activities on the chapter website, email list, and social media
• Producing and publishing the quarterly Chapter Newsletter
• Supervising occasional office volunteers and interns
• Other duties as assigned

The position will begin as soon as possible and require 10 hours per week, with regular office hours and some flexibility depending on the Chapter activities each month. This position will be a hybrid position with some tasks needing to be completed in the NLG Office. Although most work can be completed remotely, in person tasks do require that the candidate’s residence is in the metro Chicago area. 

NLG Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and people from historically marginalized groups and people who have been directly impacted by the criminal legal system are encouraged to apply. 

To apply, please email a resume, cover letter (in the body of the email), and three references, to chicago@nlg.org, with the subject line “NLG Director of Operations Application.”Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Interviews will be conducted via Zoom with members of the NLG Chicago Board.  Interviews will be held on a rolling basis until the position is filled. We will ask the Director of Operations to begin work as soon as possible. No phone calls please.