Events

April 18-19, 2024

In a moment marked by both retrenchment and hope, the inaugural Racial Justice Initiative Summit served as a platform for bringing together social justice leaders to ignite meaningful conversations on critical issues, including criminal legal reform, the state of racial justice in Chicago and Illinois, and the role of the legal academy in advancing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) amidst broader attacks on DEI across the country. 

• Featured Speakers: Sharone Mitchell, Cook County Public Defender and Ahmadou “Mo” Dramé, Director, Illinois Justice Project

• Distinguished Speaker: Julián Castro, Former Mayor, San Antonio, TX; Former Secretary, Housing and Urban Development, Obama Administration 

January 17, 2024

Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx has been a staunch advocate for reform and change — from exonerations for wrongful convictions, expungement for past marijuana convictions, to bond reform — she encouraged students to stay vigilant in the fight for justice.

October 18, 2023

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is an advocate for gun safety reform, consumer protection, police accountability and environmental justice. The Attorney General regularly coordinates his advocacy efforts with other state attorneys general to defend access to quality healthcare and reproductive health services for all, protect our natural resources, fight for just immigration policies, curb gun violence, and to uphold civil rights for all individuals.

February 15, 2023

The racial Justice Initiative's Kick off event discussed the urgent issues surrounding racial justice in Illinois and the nation.

Special thanks to our esteemed panelists Stephen Blandin, Ami Gandhi, Professor Christina Rivers, Aisha Edwards and Tony Romanucci, who shared their own experiences using law in attempts to further racial and societal equity. Topics ranged from voting rights and felon disenfranchisement to housing inequality and police accountability.

This event was featured in the The DePaulia.