Defending Justice!
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Courts Matter Illinois is a coalition of diverse organizations and individuals working to ensure a federal judiciary comprised of judges committed to upholding constitutional values. Our judicial systems at the state and federal levels are a vital part of the checks and balances defending people’s rights. Federal and state judges -- appointed and elected -- make decisions about every aspect of our lives. From the quality of the air we breathe and water we drink, to our consumer protections, reproductive rights, and who we can marry: Courts Matter!
We mourn the passing of the Rev. Jesse Jackson
We mourn the passing of the Rev. Jesse Jackson
"I am somebody!" Those words always echo in my head when I think of my early encounters with the Rev. Jesse Jackson. I stood in the cold outdoors in St. Louis as he rallied the crowd, in one of his runs for the US Presidency and shouted those words back to him: "I am somebody!" For me, they were a connection to something much larger, but for so very many who had so much less than me, they were a lifeline. Rev. Jackson built a following not just with his words but with his actions. He lived his beliefs that this nation could be a beacon of justice and equality for all of its people and he served not only the downtrodden, but all of us. And we are all better for this. We mourn his passing and we commit to staying the course to build a nation that is grounded in justice as Reverend Jesse Jackson envisioned – Carole Levine, Co-founder and Chair. (Photo by JB Lacroix/WireImage, courtesy of The Root)
IL US Senate Candidate Forum: What Will Candidates Do For Women & Families
IL US Senate Candidate Forum: What Will Candidates Do For Women & Families
Rainbow PUSH, Chicago, Feb. 21, at 1:15PM CT
Rainbow PUSH, Chicago, Feb. 21, at 1:15PM CT
Supreme Court Hearings 2026 February and March Schedule
Supreme Court Hearings 2026 February and March Schedule
Here's a schedule of upcoming hearings in 2026 that Courts Matter Illinois is monitoring:
ENBRIDGE ENERGY, LP v. NESSEL, Feb. 24
PUNG v. ISABELLA COUNTY, Feb. 25
UNITED STATES v. HEMANI, Mar. 2
Visit our SCOTUS Page for more details. Oral arguments occur at 9AM Central. Listen in here.
Student Scholarships Available for 2026 ACS National Convention
Student Scholarships Available for 2026 ACS National Convention
You can now register at the early bird rate and book your room for the American Constitutional Society National Convention, taking place June 18-20 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC.
To help make ACS Convention available to law students, ACS has limited needs-based convention scholarships to help offset the costs of attendance for qualified students. Scholarships will be awarded on a rolling basis, and can be applied for here.
ACS also is in the process of applying to states for CLE credit. The availability and amount of credit may vary by state. As we receive approvals, we will update the Convention webpage. Please select the state for which you are seeking CLE when you register.
Weekly Wrap Up: Feb. 13
Weekly Wrap Up: Feb. 13
The White House announced new judicial nominees including: Evan Rikhye to the District Court for the District of the Virgin Islands (which is not a lifetime position); Katie Lane to the District Court for the District of Montana; Sheria Clarke to the District Court for the District of South Carolina; and Kara Westercamp to the Court of International Trade. It is noteworthy that Sheria Clarke is the first Black woman to be nominated to the federal court in the second Trump term. These new nominees are likely to get a judiciary committee hearing on March 18. As to the Trump-nominated judges already on the bench, some new analysis indicates that about 80% of those confirmed during this past year have sided with the president in cases before them while only 27% of his first term judges have ruled in his favor.
Headlines
Headlines
(The Conversation) Trump administration losing credibility with judges and grand juries
(Reuters) Trump DOJ seeks examples of ‘egregious’ judges for Congress to review
(USAToday) Judges keep berating ICE. Here are their harshest comments.
(Politico) How ICE defies judges orders to release detainees, step by step
(ABCNews) Trump’s immigration crack down is straining federal courts…
Senate Judiciary Committee
Senate Judiciary Committee
The next hearing is expected to be on March 18 for the new nominees mentioned above. Before that on March 5, the committee is expected to take a vote on approving and sending to the full Senate the following nominees: Anna St. John to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana (opposed by NCJW), John Thomas Shepherd to the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, and Andrew Davis and Chris Wolfe to the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas.
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