Chicago Council of Lawyers Articles

Five people stand in a courtroom in front of a judge with clipboards, ready to evaluate him.

2022 Retention, Judges, Judicial Elections, Projects

Is there a better way to evaluate retention judges?

Nearly half of states have public commissions that evaluate judges’ performance. But Illinois, where voters rely on evaluations from bar associations, has historically resisted judicial reforms.

by J. Patrick Patterson November 3, 2022January 29, 2024

Judicial Elections

Ask an expert: Bar association ratings, explained

Judicial bar ratings are complex and important. We asked an expert to explain them.

by John Seasly September 22, 2020June 24, 2025

2018 Primary

Voter conundrum: Bar groups send mixed messages about some judicial hopefuls

Bar association evaluations are one of the few independent sources of information about Cook County judicial candidates, but at times they send voters mixed messages.

by Emily Hoerner and Jeanne Kuang March 5, 2018December 5, 2023

Judges

Chicago lawyer group calls federal judicial nominee “utterly unqualified”

The Chicago Council of Lawyers has joined the debate over a federal appellate court nominee, whom the council called “utterly unqualified.”

by Rick Tulsky January 25, 2018December 5, 2023

Pattern of misstated facts found in opinions of renowned U.S. Judge Easterbrook

When respected law professor Albert Alschuler said renowned federal appeals court judge Frank Easterbrook engaged in “eight whoppers” in a high-profile case, Injustice Watch undertook a review of the judge’s other cases. The result: A pattern of misrepresenting facts: Misstatements, omissions and wrong assumptions.

by Emily Hoerner and Rick Tulsky April 4, 2017December 5, 2023

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