On behalf of the Chicago Lawyer Chapter of ACS, welcome to our website.

Our Chapter was founded in 2003 and is one of ACS' largest and most active lawyer chapters. In 2006 alone, we held approximately two dozen programs and discussions drawing as many as 200 people. These events include monthly substantive programs, a monthly discussion group, and quarterly social activities.

Speakers and discussion leaders in 2006 included notable judges, lawyers, and scholars in the local and national legal and policy community, including Judges Ann Claire Williams and Abner Mikva, nationally-recognized attorneys including Nan Aron of Alliance for Justice, Rob Warden of the Northwestern Center on Wrongful Convictions and Evan Wolfson of Freedom to Marry, and Professors Susan Bandes of DePaul University College of Law, Spencer Overton of George Washington University, Kermit Roosevelt of the University of Pennsylvania, and Geoffrey Stone and Cass Sunstein of the University of Chicago. Our chapter is also connected with law student ACS chapters at the University of Chicago, Chicago-Kent, DePaul, John Marshall, and Northwestern.

We regularly work with other progressive organizations to co-sponsor programs and discussions, including Chicago Council of Lawyers, the Public Interest Law Initiative, and Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Our wide support among the Chicago legal community includes financial sponsorship by many of Chicago's leading law firms.

The Chicago Legal Legends lunch is our annual event honoring the leaders in the Chicago legal community. Last year’s honorees included Judge Abner Mikva, Professor Dawn Clark Netsch, Judge George Leighton, and Newton Minnow. Professor Geoffrey Stone emceed the luncheon, and Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky was the keynote speaker. Details about this year's luncheon will be released very soon.

There are many ways to be involved in the Chapter, from registering as an ACS dues-paying member and attending programs, discussions, and/or socials, organizing other attorneys at your firm or organization, or joining our Board of Directors. Please email us at Chicago@ACSLaw.org to let us know how you'd like to be involved.

Thank you for your interest, and we look forward to seeing you soon!

Sincerely,
Amy Gardner