ACS Panel on Voting Rights

This panel will discuss the current state of voting rights litigation and advocacy, particularly as it relates to the upcoming election. Featured speakers include:

- Cliff Helm. He is a Senior Counsel with Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and works primarily in its Midwest Voting Rights Program. He has worked with community organizations, coalitions, non-profits, and cooperatives across Chicago on issues relating to voting rights, civic engagement, community benefits agreements, and equitable development. Prior to joining Chicago Lawyers' Committee, Cliff ran his own law practice as a member of the Justice Entrepreneurs Project, providing legal services to businesses, social enterprises, non-profits, and cooperatives in Chicago. Cliff received his law degree from the University of Michigan. Cliff has taught undergraduate and law school classes, including a Voting Rights Class at DePaul University and at the Community Enterprise and Solidarity Economy Clinic at UIC Law. He is also a Senior Fellow and Board Member with Chicago United for Equity, leading racial equity-focused projects in Chicago.

- Elizabeth Grossman. She is the Executive Director of Common Cause Illinois. She is an attorney and public policy advocate with over a decade of experience that spans the public and private sectors. Since 2020, Elizabeth worked with a variety of non-profits, candidates, and philanthropists to help them develop policy priorities and strategies. Before coming to Common Cause, Elizabeth was Deputy Director of Policy at State Voices, where she supported twenty-five state affiliates’ policy initiatives to advance a more equitable democracy. Elizabeth graduated from Claremont McKenna College and the University of Michigan Law School and she clerked for J. Curtis Joyner in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.