Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts

Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on improving the court system in Cook County and throughout Illinois. Our work focuses on finding anti-racist solutions to systemic injustices and fighting for their implementation to make the civil and criminal court processes equitable, accessible, and less harmful for people with or without legal representation. We promote judicial excellence and work to interrupt cycles of poverty, mass incarceration, and racial injustice perpetrated by all aspects of the legal system.

Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts works in partnership with direct service providers, community organizations, legislators, and the court system itself to identify and remove the systemic barriers to justice that make courts inaccessible. Everything we do is collaborative and guided by community-led initiatives. We are a nonpartisan research and advocacy organization that has built long-standing connections with community members, journalists, academics, and justice system actors to create systemic change.