Craig B. Futterman

Craig B. Futterman

Clinical Professor of Law

Craig B. Futterman is a Clinical Professor of Law at the University of Chicago Law School and a Resident Dean in the College. He founded and has served as the Director of the Civil Rights and Police Accountability Project of the Mandel Legal Aid Clinic since 2000. He was elected to a Simon Visiting Professorship in the School of Law at the University of Manchester, UK, in 2018/2019. Before his appointment to the Law Faculty, Professor Futterman was a Lecturer in Law and Director of Public Interest Programs at Stanford Law School. He previously joined Futterman & Howard, Chtd., a boutique law firm concentrating in complex federal litigation. There, Futterman specialized in civil rights and constitutional matters, with a special focus on racial discrimination, education, and police brutality. Before that, he served as a trial attorney in the Juvenile Division of the Cook County Public Defender’s Office.

Professor Futterman received his JD from Stanford Law School in 1991 and graduated with the highest distinction from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Economics.

Education

Stanford Law School

JD, 1991

  • Lawyer for Social Change Program
  • East Palo Alto Community Law Project
  • Stanford Public Interest Law Foundation

Northwestern University

BA in Economics and Sociology, 1988

  • Honors: Graduated with Highest Distinction, Honors in Sociology, Phi Beta Kappa
  • Academic Research
    • Comparison between Public & Private Criminal Defense Attorneys, 1987-1988
    • Efficiency of the Criminal Justice System, 1988
    • Plea Bargaining in the Chicago Felony Courts, 1987
    • Residential Segregation by Race, 1987

Experience

The University of Chicago Law School

Clinical Professor of Law, 2006-present
Associate Clinical Professor of Law, 2003-2006
Assistant Clinical Professor of Law, 2000-2003
Founder and Director of Civil Rights & Police Accountability Project, 2000-present

University of Chicago

Resident Dean, 2016-present

Chicago Mayor Elect Brandon Johnson

Senior Advisor, 2023

University of Manchester

Simon Visiting Professorship in the School of Law, Faculty of the Humanities, Manchester, United Kingdom, 2019

Public Agency Training Council

Consultant/Trainer, Indianapolis, IN, 2013-2016

Lake County Sheriff’s Department

Consultant, Crown Point, IN, 2007-2008

Stanford Law School

Director of Public Interest Programs and Lecturer in Law, Stanford, CA, 1999-2000

Futterman & Howard, Chtd.

Of Counsel, Chicago, IL, 1999-2012
Associate, Chicago, IL, 1994-1999

Trial Attorney, Office of the Cook County Public Defender

Juvenile Delinquency Division, 1993-1994
Early Entry Unit, 1991-1994
Abuse and Neglect Division, 1991-1993

Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia

Assistant, summer 1990

Stanford Law Professor Eric Wright

Assistant, 1989-1990

East Palo Alto Community Law Project

Student Steering Committee, 1988-1990

East Palo Alto Council of Tenants

Assistant, 1989-1990

Menlo-Atherton High School Mediation Program

Staff, Atherton, CA, 1989-1990

Public Advocates, Inc./Homebase

Staff, San Francisco, CA, summer 1989

Homeless Advocacy Project

Staff, San Francisco, CA, summer 1989

Attorney Sam Adam

Assistant, Chicago, IL, 1988

Genson, Steinbeck & Gillespie

Assistant, Chicago, IL, 1988

Office of the Cook County Public Defender

Assistant, Chicago, IL, 1987

Journal Articles

  • "Youth/Police Encounters On Chicago's South Side: Acknowledging The Realities," 2016 University of Chicago Legal Forum 125 (2016) (with Chaclyn Hunt & Jamie Kalven). cu
  • "Settlements You Can't Sign: Ethical Implications of Chicago's Machinery of Denial," 9 Police Misconduct and Civil Rights Law Report 1 (2009) (with Jason Huber & Pier Petersen). cu
  • "Use of Statistical Evidence to Address Police Supervisory and Disciplinary Practices: The Chicago Police Department's Broken System," 1 DePaul Journal for Social Justice 251 (2007) (with H. M. Mather & Melanie Miles). cu

Book Sections

  • "Racism in Law Enforcement," in The Street: A Photographic Field Guide to American Inequality, Naa Oyo A. Kwate ed. (Rutgers University Press, 2021) (with Chaclyn Hunt & Jamie Kalven). www
  • "A Crack in the Wall of Denial: Challenging Chicago's Unethical Settlement Practices," in Civil Rights Litigation and Attorney Fees Annual Handbook, Steven Saltzman ed. (Thomson West, 2009). cu
  • "The Use of Statistical Evidence to Address Police Supervisory and Disciplinary Practices: The Chicago Police Department's Broken System," in Police Misconduct and Civil Rights Law Report (Thomson West, 2008) (with H. M. Mather & Melanie Miles) (shortened version). cu
  • "The Use of Statistical Evidence to Address Police Supervisory and Disciplinary Practices: The Chicago Police Department's Broken System," in Civil Rights Litigation and Attorney Fees Annual Handbook, Steven Saltzman ed. (Thomson, 2007) (with H. M. Mather & Melanie Miles). cu
  • "Chapter 12," in Civil Rights Litigation and Attorneys' Fees Annual Handbook (Clark Boardman Callaghan, 1996). cu

Working Papers

  • "'They Have All the Power': Youth/Police Encounters on Chicago's South Side," University of Chicago Public Law & Legal Theory Paper Series, No. 573 (2016) (with Chaclyn Hunt & Jamie Kalven). ssrn cu

Other Publications

  • "Letters: Mayor’s remarks are anti-justice. Here’s why the presumption of innocence matters," Chicago Tribune, June 13, 2022 (with Herschella G. Conyers). www
  • "Opinion A Public Letter to Mayor Lightfoot: A Call for Leadership," Chicago Sun-Times, October 15, 2020. www
  • "Opinion: Communities Need Control Over Police if Justice Is to Prevail," Chicago Sun-Times, March 9, 2020. www
  • "To Truly Reform Police, Give IPRA the Boot," Chicago Sun-Times, April 6, 2016 (with Sheila A. Bedi). www
  • "Police Abuse Allegations Finally Go Public," Chicago Sun-Times, July 18, 2014 (with Jamie Kalven, Jon Loevy & Flint Taylor). www
  • Speaker, The Kids are not Alright: What are we going to do about it? National PoliceAccountability Project (May 2023).
  • Faculty Trainer, Civilian Office of Police Accountability Academy, Six Durations of aSplit Second, Chicago (May 2023).
  • Speaker, Data Diving for Defense Lawyers, Illinois Association of Criminal DefenseLawyers (Apr. 2023).
  • Speaker, Conversations on Race and Policing, California State University, SanBernardino (Apr. 2023).
  • Speaker, Speaking of Justice, International House, University of Chicago (Apr. 2023).
  • Speaker, Policing and Community Violence, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine Civil Discourse Event (Apr. 2023).
  • Speaker, A Photographic Field Guide to American Inequality, University of Chicago Law School, Diversity and Inclusion Reading Group (Apr. 2023).
  • Lecture, Justice Lessons for Law Students, University of Chicago Law School (Apr.2023).
  • Guest, Chicago Speaks iHeart Radio,, The Stakes in the Chicago’s Mayoral Election–Safety and Policing (Apr. 2023).
  • Speaker, Creating Office-Wide Systems to Recognize and Share Stories of Injustice, National Association of Public Defenders (March 2023).
  • Lecture, Change is not Self-Executing, Notre Dame Law School (Nov. 2022).
  • Speaker, Fundamental Changes to the Chicago Police Department’s Use of Force Policies Brought about by the Use of Force Community Working Group, Chicago Council of Lawyers (Oct. 2022).
  • Guest Lecturer, The State of Police Reform under the Chicago Police Consent Decree, Lake Forest College (Oct. 2022).
  • Trainer, Chicago Office of Police Accountability, The Sanctity of Life: Chicago’s New Policies on De-escalation and the Use of Force (Oct. 2022).
  • Commentator, Patient or Prisoner: Hospitals as Carceral Settings by Ji Seon Song, Culp Colloquium, University of Chicago Law School (June 2022).
  • Plenary Panel, Curbing Police Violence: Stories and Science from Chicago; Association of Psychological Science 2022 Convention (May 2022).
  • Interview, The Legality and Wisdom of Chicago’s Executive Orders Closing Millennium Park to Children and Juvenile Curfew, Fox Good Day Chicago (May 2022).
  • Keynote Speaker, Making Miranda Real: Ending Incommunicado Detention in Police Stations, University of Chicago Law School 50-Year Reunion (April 2022).
  • Speaker, My Path to Justice, Black Law Students Association, University of Chicago Law School (April 2022).
  • Panelist, Qualified and Tort Immunity: Effects of Proposed Illinois Legislation that would Create a Cause of Action State Constitutional Violations by Police, which would not be Subject to Qualified Immunity Defenses; Illinois State Bar Association (March 2022).
  • Speaker, Transforming American Policing: Let’s Explore Solutions; Case Western Reserve University School of Law’s Black and Blue Symposium (March 2022).
  • Trainer, Six Durations of a Split Second: Investigating Police Shootings and Uses of Force, Chicago Civilian Office of Police Accountability (Feb. 2022).
  • Instructor, Legal Aid Chicago Trial Skills Course, National Institute for Trial Advocacy (Nov. 2021).
  • Speaker, Police Accountability and the Chicago Police Consent Decree, Northwest Siders for Racial Equity and Justice (Oct. 2021).
  • Panelist, Clinical Legal Education at the University of Chicago Law School (Sep. 2021).
  • Speaker, Protecting the Rights of Victims of Police Abuse in Disciplinary Investigations against Police Officers, Chicago Chapter, National Police Accountability Project (Aug.2021).
  • Speaker, A View from Minneapolis: The Role of Community in DOJ Civil Rights Consent Decrees, Law Firm Anti-Racism Alliance (Aug. 2021).
  • Lecture, The Road to Community-Led Change: The Need to Revisit the Supreme Court’s Decision in Lyons v. Los Angeles, Akerman Law Firm (June 2021).
  • Graduation Speaker, Your Map, Compass, and Magnetic Force, University of Chicago (June 2021).
  • Host, International House Global Voices Author Program with Reuben Jonathan Miller. Halfway Home: Race, Punishment, and the Afterlife of Mass Incarceration, Alumni Weekend, University of Chicago (June 2021).
  • Inaugural Speaker, Law Firm Anti-Racism Alliance, Strategic Opportunities for U.S. Based Law Firms to Promote Racial Justice in Policing (May 2021).
  • Panelist, George Floyd: One Year Later, University of Chicago Law School (May 2021).
  • Speaker, Town Hall on Anjanette Young Ordinance–Ending Violent and Discriminatory Police Raids in Chicago (May 2021).
  • Lecture, Clinical Legal Education and Police Accountability, Law, Letters, and Society, University of Chicago (May 2021).
  • Guest Speaker, The Historical Significance of the Derek Chauvin Verdict–Race and Policing in the United States and United Kingdom, Matrix Chambers, London (April 2021).
  • Speaker, Criminal Justice Reform in Illinois, Understanding the Illinois Safe-T Act, Illinois Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (April 2021).
  • Expert Analyst, National Public Radio and WGN-TV coverage of the Derek Chauvin Trial (April 2021).
  • Legal Analyst, Derek Chauvin trial, Fox TV News Chicago (April 2021).
  • Guest Speaker, Reflections on the Killing of Adam Toledo by Chicago Police, Race & Criminal Justice Course, University of Chicago Law School (April 2021).
  • Trainer, The Role of COPA in Police Reform in Chicago, Chicago Civilian Office of Police Accountability (March 2021).
  • Panelist, Keeping Campuses Safe: Alternatives to University Police, Illinois Public Media (Feb. 2021).
  • Speaker, The Compass, led workshop with group of acting students at Stevenson High School in preparation for theatrical production (Feb. 2021).
  • Presenter, Report to Chicago on the Chicago Police Consent Decree (Jan. 2021).
  • Speaker, Best Practices on Police Use of Force and Search Warrant Policies, Chicago Council of Lawyers (Jan. 2021).
  • Speaker, Community Oversight of Police, Harris School of Public Policy, University of Chicago (Nov. 2020).
  • Panelist, Reimagining Public Safety, University of Chicago Law School (Nov. 2020).
  • Panelist, Making Black Lives Matter Behind Bars, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law (Oct. 2020).
  • Speaker, Policing and Racial Justice from Chicago and Beyond: Where do we go from Here? DePaul University College of Law (Sep. 2020).
  • Speaker, Civil Rights Lawsuits and Qualified Immunity, University of Chicago Law School Series on Policing (Aug. 2020).
  • Speaker, What Happens Next, Policing and Criminal Justice in the Age of COVID, Stanford University (July 2020).
  • Expert Witness, Testimony before Chicago City Council on barriers to police transparency and accountability in the proposed police collective bargaining agreements (July 2020).
  • Speaker, Chicago Police Accountability Forum 2020: Use of Force, Accountability, and the Future of Policing in Chicago, Chicago Council of Lawyers (June 2020).
  • Graduation Speaker, We have to Stop before we can Change Directions, Northwestern University, Department of Sociology (June 2020).
  • Speaker, Reflections in the Midst of Mass Protests following the Murder of George Floyd in the Midst of the COVID Pandemic, University of Chicago Law School Colloquium on the Crisis in Policing (June 2020).
  • Graduation Speaker, Challenges for Graduates in the Age of COVID-19, University of Chicago (June 2020).
  • Facilitator, Just Mercy, Black and Latinx Law Students Associations’ Juneteenth Commemoration, University of Chicago Law School (June 2020).
  • Op-ed, Communities Need Control Over Police if Justice is to Prevail, Chicago Sun-Times (Mar. 9, 2020).
  • Expert witness, Testimony before Chicago City Council on enacting legislation to create a community-led body to oversee the Police Department (Jan. 2020).
  • Lecture, Confronting Racism, Common Read Lecture on Bryan Stevenson’s Book, Just Mercy, Harris Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Chicago (Nov. 2019).
  • Guest Speaker, Faculty Briefs, How I Write, University of Chicago Law School Legal Research and Writing Course (Nov. 2019).
  • Lecture, The State of Police Accountability in Chicago–Implications for Federal Defenders, Federal Defender Program for the Northern District of Illinois, Annual CJA Seminar, Chicago (Nov. 2019).
  • Speaker, Smart Talk, What About Human Rights? The Problem with Police, Smart Museum of Art, Chicago (Oct. 2019).
  • Panelist, Criminal Justice at the University of Chicago Law School, Chicago Defenders Association (Oct. 2019).
  • Panelist, Accountability in Partisan Times, Yale Law School (Oct. 2019).
  • Trainer, Police Misconduct Investigations: Manufacturing the Split Second, Chicago Office of Police Accountability (Oct. 2019).
  • Speaker, Policing Reform when the Department of Justice is Missing in Action, NAACP National Convention, Detroit (July 2019).
  • Lecture, Combating Police Impunity: University/Community Partnerships and the Potential Role of Clinical Law Students, Queen Mary University School of Law, London, U.K. (July 2019).
  • Lecture, Police Accountability & the Fight for Independent Community Oversight, Matrix Chambers, Gray’s Inn, London, U.K. (July 2019).
  • Presentation, Legal Strategies to Challenge Police Impunity, An International Perspective, Bhatt Murphy Solicitors, London, U.K. (July 2019).
  • Lecture, Universities, Communities, Law and Social Justice: Perspectives from Chicago and Manchester, University of Manchester Justice Hub, Manchester, U.K. (June 2019).
  • Lecture, Law Clinics, the Chicago Way, University of Manchester, Manchester, U.K. (June 2019).
  • Character/Subject, 16 Shots, Emmy-Award Winning Documentary Film by Rick Rowley on the Killing of Laquan McDonald (June 2019).
  • Moderator and Brief Talk, Civil Rights Roundtable, Civil Rights Litigation: Collaboration Between Non-Profits and the Private Bar, Grant & Eisenhofer, Chicago (June 2019).
  • Speech, Challenging Racism and Injustice on Campus, Black Law Students Association, University of Chicago Law School (May 2019).
  • Lecture, The New Chicago Police Consent Decree, University of Chicago Law School (May 2019).
  • Panelist, Campus Free Speech and Diversity and Inclusion: Are they in Tension? University of Chicago Law School (Apr. 2019).
  • Lecture, Justice for Laquan McDonald? Civil Rights and Police Accountability, Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Center, Howard School of Law (March 2019).
  • Guest Lecture, The Role of Civil Rights Lawyers in Addressing Police Misconduct, Social Justice Lawyering Seminar, Howard School of Law (March 2019).
  • Introductory Remarks, Eyes on Mexico, The Disappeared Students of Ayotzinapa, Pozen Center for Human Rights, University of Chicago (Feb. 2019).
  • Trainer, Police Misconduct Investigations on the Eve of a Consent Decree, Chicago Civilian Office of Police Accountability (Jan. 2019).
  • Panelist, Chicago Police Reform: Perspectives on the Consent Decree, Stanford Law School Alumni Association (Nov. 2018).
  • Featured Guest, NPR Worldview, Police Responses to People Living with Disabilities or Experiencing Crises (Oct. 2018).
  • Lecture, The Proposed Chicago Police Department Consent Decree, Rainbow Push, Chicago (Oct. 2018).
  • Lecture, Civil Rights Enforcement in the Face of a Hostile Federal Government, University of Chicago, International House (Oct. 2018).
  • Panelist, Accountability for Unconstitutional Policing,: Implementing Consent Decrees, Challenging Qualified Immunity, and Reimagining Public Safety, NAACP Legal Defense & Education Fund (LDF), Annual Civil Rights Training Institute, Leesburg, VA (Oct. 2018).
  • Panelist, Campus Conversation on Historic Jason Van Dyke Trial Verdict, University of Chicago (Oct. 2018).
  • Commentator, Provided on-air commentary with news team on WGN-TV on the verdict in the Jason Van Dyke murder trial (Oct. 2018).
  • Panelist, Campus Conversation on the Laquan McDonald Shooting and Jason Van Dyke Murder Trial, University of Chicago (Oct. 2018).
  • Panelist, Police Accountability Experts Discuss CPD Draft Consent Decree, Chicago Public Radio (August 2018).
  • Panelist, Data and Policing Convening, Legal Issues, Invisible Institute, Chicago (July 2018).
  • Lecture, Community-Driven Police Reform, Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, Chicago (July 2018).
  • Panelist, Police/Community Relations, United States Congressional Delegation, Police Strategies Working Group (July 2018).
  • Lecture, Community Lawyering, Racial Justice Institute Network Convening, Chicago (June 2018).
  • Speaker, Indivisible Chicago, Community Forum on Police Reform (June 2018).
  • Speaker, Closing Remarks, University of Chicago College Graduation (June 2018).
  • Panelist, Re-Forming Data in Criminal Justice, University of Pennsylvania Law School (April 2018).
  • Keynote Address, Vision for a Brighter Tomorrow, Justus D. Howell Scholarship Awards, Waukegan, IL (April 2018).
  • Guest Lecture, Crime, Violence, and Public Policy, University of Chicago (Feb. 2018).
  • Trainer, Police Misconduct Investigations: Child Victims and Witnesses, Civilian Office of Police Accountability, Chicago (Feb. 2018).
  • Panelist, Issues in Local Law Enforcement: The Role of Judges and Juries in Police Accountability and Controversial Police Tactics, Federalist Society, Midwest Regional Symposium (Feb. 2018).
  • Lecture, Domestic and International Strategies to Address Police Accountability, Human Rights Law Society, University of Chicago Law School (Jan. 2018).
  • Lecture, Police Accountability and Reform in the Wake of the Department of Justice Civil Rights Investigation in Chicago, Chicago Bar Association (Nov. 2017).
  • Speaker, The New Law and Order: Working toward Equitable and Community-Centered Policing in North Carolina, Community Policing in the 21st Century, Wake Forest University School of Law, Wake Forest Journal of Law & Policy, Winston-Salem, N.C. (Nov. 2017).
  • Panelist, Now or Never: Forcing the Issue of Police Reform, Cook County Bar Association, Progressive Baptist Church, Chicago (Oct. 2017).
  • Speaker, NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Annual Civil Rights Training Institute, Maintaining the Momentum for Police Reform, Warrenton, VA (Oct. 2017).
  • Lecture, How Academic Research can Inform and Impact Policy, Strategic Scholars Network, Inaugural Meeting of Chicago Chapter (Oct. 2017).
  • Trainer, Investigating Police Misconduct: Issues of Race and Class, Civilian Office of Police Accountability, Chicago (July 2017).
  • Graduation Speaker, Closing Remarks, University of Chicago, The College, International House (June 2017).
  • Trainer, Police Misconduct Investigations involving Minor Witnesses and Victims, Civilian Office of Police Accountability, Chicago (May 2017).
  • Speaker, Congressional Briefing, Police and Community Relations: Fostering a shared Vision for Safe Communities by Applying Principles from Prevention Science, National Prevention Science Coalition, Washington D.C. (May 2017).
  • Plenary Speaker, Pushing on and Pushing through Tumultuous Times, Association of American Law Schools, 40th Annual Conference on Clinical Legal Education, Denver (May 2017).
  • Panelist, Clinics Promoting Police Accountability, Association of American Law Schools, 40th Annual Conference on Clinical Legal Education, Denver (May 2017).
  • Speaker, Public Policy and the Rule of Law, University of Chicago (April 2017).
  • Speaker, The University of Chicago’s Community and Global Impact, Admitted Students Weekend, University of Chicago Law School (April 2017).
  • Speaker, Checks and Balancing Acts: Consensus, Constitutionality, Rule of Law, School of the Art Institute of Chicago (April 2017).
  • Presenter, Strategic Planning Meeting of Police Reform Experts, Legal Defense Fund, Washington D.C. (March 2017).
  • Lecture, Black Chicago Course, Professor Carla Shedd, Columbia University (March 2017).
  • Guest, NPR, Will Jeff Sessions Make Good on the Federal Government’s Commitment to Address a Pattern of Civil Rights Violations in Chicago? To the Point, Public Radio International (March 2017).
  • Speaker, The Assassination of Fred Hampton, and its Relevance to the Trump Era, Black Law Students Association, University of Chicago Law School (March 2017).
  • Guest, Wake Up with Solomon Jones at WURD in Philadelphia, The Department of Justice Investigation of the Chicago Police (March 2017).
  • Speaker, The Chicago Justice Report, Institute of Politics’ News and Views, University of Chicago (Feb. 2017).
  • Panelist, Chicago in the Crosshairs, MSNBC’s Chicago Town Hall with Chris Hayes (Feb. 2017).
  • Guest Lecture, Crime, Justice, and Inequality, University of Chicago (Feb. 2017).
  • Speaker, University of Georgia Law Review Symposium, Protect and Serve: Perspectives on 21st Century Policing, University of Georgia School of Law (Jan. 2017).
  • Keynote Speaker, International Symposium on Police Accountability, University of Manchester, U.K. (Jan. 2017).
  • Speaker, Clinical Legal Education and Access to Justice Seminar, University of Manchester, U.K. (Jan. 2017).
  • Speaker, Why Must We Continue to Sing this Song? 27th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, Rockefeller Memorial Chapel, University of Chicago (with Bryan Stevenson) (Jan. 2017).
  • Speaker, Presenting a Collaborative Model of Public Interest Lawyering, Public Interest Law Society and American Constitution Society, University of Chicago Law School (Dec. 2016).
  • Speaker, Opening Police Departments to the People, Arthur Kinoy People’s Law Award, National Lawyers Guild (Nov. 2016).
  • Speaker, Unconscious Bias: How Race Alters Our Perceptions, Stanford University-Chicago event (Nov. 2016).
  • Speaker, Piercing the Blue Wall of Silence, Defenders Association, University of Chicago Law School (Nov. 2016).
  • Panelist, The Future of Policing in America, Chicago Ideas Week, Museum of Contemporary Art (Oct. 2016).
  • Speaker, Why I Do What I Do, Fenger Academy High School, Chicago (Oct. 2016).
  • Panelist, Disseminating Our Message: Law School Communications, Visiting Committee, University of Chicago Law School (Oct. 2016).
  • Special Guest, The Revival Improvisational Theater, The Hutchins Plan, Chicago (Oct. 2016).
  • Lecture, How Law Enforcement Earns Public Trust, University of Chicago Undergraduate Law Review (Oct. 2016).
  • Lecture, The Legitimate Use of Police Force? A Dialogue of Law and Practice, Illinois Programs for Research in the Humanities, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana (Oct. 2016).
  • Lecture, 21st Century Policing: A Comprehensive Model to Rebuild Trust between Law Enforcement Agencies and the Communities They Protect and Serve, Federal Bureau of Investigation (Sep. 2016).
  • Harper Lecture, The National Agenda for Police Reform: Acknowledging the Realities, University of Chicago Harper Lecture, San Diego, CA (Sep. 2016).
  • Expert Subject Matter Witness, Police Oversight in Chicago, A Plan for Change, Chicago City Council (Aug. 2016).
  • Lecture, The Agenda for Police Reform: Lessons Learned from Youth/Police Encounters, The Lawyers Club of Chicago (May 2016).
  • Moderator, Criminal Investigations into Official Misconduct, National Police Accountability Project, Chicago (May 2016).
  • Moderator, Transgender Bathroom Bills: Exploring the Legislative Landscape, University of Chicago Law School (May 2016).
  • Lecture, The Politics of Policing, University of Chicago Democrats, Chicago (May 2016).
  • Lecture, Police Accountability as a Public Health Issue, Rush Medical College, Chicago (May 2016).
  • Panelist, The City as Health Policy, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ (May 2016).
  • Guest Lecture, Remaking Chicago: The City that Works on Social Change, University of Chicago (April 2016).
  • Lecture, Clinics in Action: Police Reform in Chicago, University of Chicago Law School (April 2016).
  • Harper Lecture, They Have All the Power: Youth/Police Encounters on Chicago’s South Side, University of Chicago Harper Lecture (April 2016).
  • Presentation, The Need for Independent Investigations of Police Misconduct: The Role of Community Oversight, Aldermanic Black and Latino Caucus, Chicago City Council (April 2016).
  • Interview, How do High School Students View their Relationship with the Police?, WGN Radio, The Download (April 2016).
  • Keynote Address, Dismantling Institutional Racism, KAM Isaiah Israel, Chicago (April 2016).
  • Speaker, No Bonfires–Preserving Evidence of Patterns of Police Misconduct, NAACP Community Forum, Chicago (March 2016).
  • Speaker, Representing Children and Youth in Police Misconduct Cases–Asking for More than Money, National Police Accountability Project, New York City (March 2016).
  • Speaker, Justice, Violence Reduction, and Police Practices, The Urban America Forward: Civil Rights National Conference, Washington D.C. (March 2016).
  • Lecture, Pursuing Police Accountability, Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation, Evanston, IL (Feb. 2016).
  • Panelist, Deconstructing Criminal Justice and Race Issues, Black Law Students Association and Minorities in Public Policy Studies, University of Chicago (Feb. 2016).
  • Workshop Leader, Race and Police, “Teach-In” on Racism and Activism, Center for Race, Politics, and Culture, University of Chicago (Feb. 2016).
  • Lecture, An Agenda for Law Reform: Lessons Learned from Youth/Police Encounters on Chicago’s South Side, DLA Piper LLP (U.S.) (Jan. 2016).
  • Lecture, Fighting for Justice: A Conversation with Craig Futterman, Northwestern Law School’s Martin Luther King Dream Week (Jan. 2016).
  • Keynote Speaker, Equal Justice in Law Enforcement Initiative, Atlanta Bar Association (Jan. 2016).
  • Panelist, Covering Criminal Justice Reform in Illinois: From Sound Bites to Solutions, Role of the Media–Just the Messenger?, Robert McCormick Foundation (Dec. 2015).
  • Speaker, Criminal Justice Leadership Meeting of the NAACP (Dec. 2015).
  • Panelist, Truth and Justice for All: Advancing Police and Community Accountability, Chicago Urban League Community Forum (Dec. 2015).
  • Guest, MSNBC All in with Chris Hayes, The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell, CNN Don Lemon Show, CNN New Day Weekend Edition, National Public Radio Morning Edition and All Things Considered, FOX-TV Good Day Chicago, ABC News, CBS News, BBC Television and Radio, Boston, Maryland, Minneapolis, and New York Public Radio, Chicago Tonight on PBS, Fault Lines, WLS-Chicago Radio John Howell Show, Ian Masters Show, WCPT Chicago’s Progressive Talk Radio, WBEZ-Chicago Public Radio Morning Shift, WBAI Radio in New York, 26 North Halsted-WCIU Television, and WVON Radio Matt McGill Morning Show on Police Reform (Nov. 2015-Aug. 2016).
  • Panelist, Simulation on Committee to End Racial Discrimination, University of Chicago Law School’s International Human Rights Seminar (Nov. 2015).
  • Speaker, Citizens Police Data Project, National Police Accountability Project (Nov. 2015).
  • Speaker, Police in America: Ensuring Accountability and Mitigating Racial Bias, Symposium for Northwestern Journal of Law and Social Policy (Nov. 2015).
  • Keynote Speaker (dinner), University of Chicago Legal Forum, Policing the Police, The 2015 Legal Forum Symposium (Nov. 2015).
  • Presenter, University of Chicago Legal Forum, They Have All the Power–Youth/Police Encounters on Chicago’s South Side (Nov. 2015).
  • Panelist, City/Cité A Transatlantic Exchange–Race and Youth in the Twenty-First Century Metropolis: A Comparative Reflection on the United States and France, University of Chicago Urban Network and Institut Francais (Nov. 2015).
  • Guest Expert, BBC Up All Night, Homan Square, Chicago’s Black Site? (Nov. 2015).
  • Speaker and Working Group Leader, Urban America Forward: Civil Rights Roundtable, Police Conduct, Justice, and Over-Incarceration, University of Chicago (Sep. 2015).
  • Lecture, Impeachment of Adverse Witnesses at Trial, University of Chicago Law School (Sep. 2015).
  • Presenter, Perspectives on Race, Communities, and Policing in Twenty-First Century America, American Bar Foundation, Annual Meeting of the American Bar Association (July 2015).
  • Speaker, Beyond Watts and Ferguson: Reconciling Law Enforcement and Communities of Color, Annual Meeting of the American Bar Association (July 2015).
  • Featured Guest, Boston Public Radio, Morning Edition, Officials Consider Appeal in Ruling that a Boston Police Officer Get his Job Back (July 2015).
  • Instructor, Police/Community Relations and Solving Crime, Public Agency Training Council, National Law Enforcement Training, Davie, Florida (June 2015).
  • Moderator, Inside the Justice Department’s Ferguson Probe with Civil Rights Chief Vanita Gupta, Institute of Politics, University of Chicago (June 2015).
  • Participant, Urban America Forward, Civil Rights Roundtable One, Moving Toward a Majority-Minority America, University of Chicago (June 2015).
  • Instructor, Building Police-Community Trust, Public Agency Training Council, National Law Enforcement Training, Rutgers, N.J. (May 2015).
  • Lecture, The Power and Possibilities of a Police Misconduct Data Clearinghouse, University of Chicago Law School (May 2015)
  • Lecture, The State of Police Reform, First Unitarian Church of Chicago (April 2015).
  • Lecture, The Social Meaning and Consequences of Youth/Police Encounters, University of Chicago High School Diversity Club (Feb. 2015).
  • Lecture, Justice for All?- A Campus-Wide Conversation on Race, Emerging Minds Project Community Conversation, University of Chicago (Jan. 2015).
  • Instructor, The Relationship between Police Integrity, Accountability and Effectiveness in Solving Crime, Public Agency Training Council, Internal Affairs Conference, Las Vegas, NV (Dec. 2014).
  • Speaker, Challenges to Students of Color in Law School, Black Law Students Association, University of Chicago Law School (November 2014).
  • Participant, Bending the Arc: Movement Politics Then and Now, Chicago (November 2014).
  • Participant, Arts and Public Life Initiative of the University of Chicago, Strategic Planning Meeting (November 2014).
  • Panelist, The Role of Litigation in the Movement for Police Reform, National Convening on Police Accountability, Open Society Foundations, New York (September 2014).
  • Lecture, The Freedom of Information Act–How to Bring Sunshine to Public Records, National Lawyers Guild Conference, Chicago (September 2014).
  • Op-ed, Police Abuse Allegations Finally Go Public, Chicago Sun-Times, (July 18, 2014).
  • Lecture, Opening Police Departments to the Public. The Freedom of Information Act–Possibilities and Challenges to Building Public Trust, National Police Accountability Project, Chicago (June 2014).
  • Instructor, Police Corruption–The Special Operations Story, Public Agency Training Council, Internal Affairs Conference, Nashville, TN (March 2014)
  • Expert Consultant, Rodgers v. Debboli, attorney malpractice case in Cook County Circuit Court (2014).
  • Instructor, Addressing the Police Code of Silence: Improving Community Perception of Law Enforcement, Public Agency Training Council, Internal Affairs Conference, Las Vegas, NV (Dec. 2013).
  • Lecture, Leading Police Accountability Issues in the United States, Delegation of International leaders from 21 countries hosted by the United States Department of State (Nov. 2013).
  • Lecture, Mass Incarceration and Race in America, Northwestern University, Northwestern Community Development Corps’ Lecture Series (Nov. 2013).
  • Lecture, Clinical Legal Education at the University of Chicago Law School, Black Law Students Association (Nov. 2013).
  • Guest Speaker, Asset Forfeiture, and the United States Supreme Court, University of Chicago Laboratory Schools (May 2013).
  • Expert Panelist, Women in Prison: Causes, Conditions and Consequences Around the World, University of Chicago Law School (May 2013).
  • Lecture, The State of Police Reform, University of Illinois-Chicago, Dept. Of Criminology (April 2013).
  • Featured Guest, The Legal Standards to Vacate a Federal Judgment on the Police Code of Silence, WVON Radio Cliff Kelley Show, Matt McGill Morning Show, and WLS/ABC Radio (Dec. 2012).
  • Keynote Speaker, Honoring Legacy of Fallen Civil Rights Lawyer, Thomas Peters, University of Chicago Law School (Nov. 2012).
  • Lecture, Discovery and Use of Police Disciplinary Records, National Police Accountability Project, National Lawyers Guild, Chicago, IL (June 2012).
  • Speaker, Elizabeth I. Benson Award Honoring Mary Powers and Citizens Alert, Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ (June 2012).
  • Panelist, My Kind of Town: A Discussion of Police Torture in Chicago, Logan Center for the Arts, University of Chicago (May 2012).
  • Guest Expert, First Amendment Issues: Mass Protest During the NATO Summit, WGN Television (May 2012).
  • Featured Guest, Technology and Police Accountability, Chicago Public Radio, Eight Forty-Eight (May 2012).
  • Working Group Leader, Race and Civil Rights, Association of American Law Schools Conference on Clinical Legal Education, Los Angeles, CA (May 2012)
  • Teacher, Literary Stroll, Led conversation on Donald Barthelme’s short story, Concerning the Bodyguard, University of Chicago Law School (May 2012)
  • Commentator, Illinois State Police Gun Practices, Dane Placko, Fox Television News (April 2012)
  • Commentator, Jailed Cop Speaks Out About Murder Scandal, Carol Marin, NBC Television (March 2012).
  • Commentator, featured in documentary, Compelled into Action, aired on ABC Television (March 2012).
  • Panelist, How I Write, University of Chicago Law School (Feb. 2012).
  • Panelist, Civic Engagement, Martin Luther King Commemoration, Northwestern University (Jan. 2012).
  • Lecture, Race in the Obama Era: Observations from Eight Square Blocks of Chicago’s South Side, Chicago’s Best Ideas Series, University of Chicago Law School (Nov. 2011).
  • Lecture, Police Reform and Anti-Corruption Efforts in the United States, to United States Department of State sponsored delegation of non-profit leaders from Indonesia (July 2011).
  • Commentator, Policing the Police, U.S. Steps Up Enforcement, National Public Radio (June 2011).
  • Lecture, Accessing Justice and Accountability in Policing: The Role of Law School Clinics, Windsor Law School, Windsor, Canada (March 2011).
  • Lecture, The United States Supreme Court and the Constitution, University of Chicago Laboratory Schools (February 2011).
  • Lecture, American Policing and Accountability, U.S. Department of State sponsored delegation of Palestinian law enforcement in the West Bank (November 2010).
  • Expert panelist, Teach In: Knowing Your Rights, University of Chicago, Office of Minority Student Affairs (May 2010).
  • Lecture, “Race, Police, and the Constitution: A View From Eight Square Blocks of Chicago’s South Side,” University of Chicago (March 2010).
  • Martin Luther King holiday lecture, “Changing the World One Person at a Time,” Power of One Program, Solomon Schecter Middle School (January 2010).
  • Featured Guest, WVON Radio, “The Other Side with Charles Butler,” discussing constitutional issues concerning the Illinois property forfeiture scheme (October 2009).
  • Lecture, “The Effective Use of Expert Witnesses in State and Federal Court,” University of Chicago Law School (September 2009).
  • Guest Trainer, Independent Police Review Authority of the City of Chicago around issues of community expectations and awareness (May 2009).
  • Guest on Garrard McClendon Live on criminal prosecution and sentencing of police brutality (June 2009).
  • Featured lecturer, Workshop on Ethical Issues in Settlement Negotiations, National Police Accountability Project (April 2009).
  • Special guest expert, Fox News Investigation into Chicago’s Manipulation of Homicide Statistics (March 2009).
  • Guest expert, WVON Radio Kendall Moore Show, “Should the Identities of the Police Officers Charged with the Most Abuse in the City be Released to the Public?” (March 2009).
  • Lecturer and workshop leader, “Strategies for Combating Police Brutality,” Rebellious Lawyering Conference, Yale Law School (Feb. 2009).
  • Debate with Professor Gerald Rosenberg “Is the Hope Still Hollow: Can Courts Bring About Social Change?” University of Chicago Law School Black History Month Event (Feb. 2009).
  • Guest Lecturer, Race and Criminal Justice Seminar (taught by Prof. Randolph Stone), University of Chicago Law School (Jan. 2009).
  • Public lecture, “Race and Inequality: Chicago Stories,” Inauguration of Stanford Law School’s speaker series on Race, Law, and Inequality (December 2008).
  • Lecture, “Police Accountability in Chicago: Has the Chicago Police Department Fixed its Broken Systems?” Civil Liberties Committee, Chicago Council of Lawyers, (December 2008).
  •  
  • Plenary, “Strategies to Address Prosecutorial Misconduct and Abuse of Power: The Role of the Juvenile Defender,” National Juvenile Leadership Summit, New Orleans, LA. (October 2008).
  • Lecture, “The Machinery of Denial,” Sunday Forum, First Unitarian Church of Chicago (Nov. 2008).
  • Teacher, Section 1983 Civil Rights Litigation seminar, “Systemic Deficiencies in Police Internal Affairs Investigations: The Use of Statistical Evidence to Address Police Supervisory and Disciplinary Practices,” Georgetown Law School (April 2008).
  • Guest, ABC 20/20 investigation into police code of silence. (May 2008).
  • Consultant, CBS 60 Minutes, “Officer Herrera Goes Public,” investigative piece on systemic problems in the Chicago Police Department (aired June 2008).
  • Panelist, “Why is it so Hard to Change the Status Quo: The Forces at Work,” Rebellious Lawyering Conference, Taos, N.M. (June 2008).
  • Faculty panelist, University of Chicago’s Martin Luther King Commemoration: “Injustice Anywhere is a Threat to Justice Everywhere: Examining and Exposing the Continuing Violence and Discrimination of the 21st Century,” (January 2008).
  • Keynote speaker, “Targeted Enforcement: Fair Housing and Law Enforcement,” seminar sponsored by Bay Area Legal Aid and addressed to housing attorneys and community organizers throughout California, San Francisco, CA. (January 2008).
  • Moderator, “Out of the Shadow: Clinical Legal Education, Mandel Clinic’s 50th Anniversary Symposium,” University of Chicago Law School (February 2008).
  • Commentator, CLTV Special Report on Cook County State’s Attorney Election (2008).
  • Speaker, Symposium on Independent Civilian Oversight of Police, Chicago (Feb. 2008).
  • Speaker, organizational meeting to create a student chapter of the National Lawyers Guild at the University of Chicago Law School (Winter 2008).
  • Moderator, “Hate Speech, Hate Crimes, the Klu Klux Klan, and the First Amendment,” Black Law Students Association and the A.C.L.U. chapters, University of Chicago Law School (Winter 2008).
  • Teacher, Seminar on Advanced Issues in Police Misconduct Litigation, “Proving a Monell Claim based on Systematic Deficiencies in Police Internal Affairs Investigations,” National Police Accountability Project, Washington D.C. (November 2007).
  • Expert witness, testimony before Chicago City Council concerning the need to create an independent agency to investigate police abuse in Chicago (June 2007).
  • Keynote address, “The Dream or the Broken Promise? African-Americans, the Police, and Our Constitution,” Roger Williams School of Law Martin Luther King Holiday celebration (January 2007).
  • Featured guest, Public Radio, Focus 580, Champaign/Urbana, hosted by David Inge, on University of Chicago Study on the Supervisory and Disciplinary Practices of the Chicago Police (November 2007).
  • Featured guest, WVON-1450, Cliff Kelley Show and Citizens Alert Chicagoland Cable show on University of Chicago study on Chicago Police. (November 2007).
  • Guest expert, Police Leadership, Chicago Speaks, V-103 Radio hosted by Mary Mitchell and Ty Wansley (Fall 2007).
  • Featured commentator, CBS News Special Investigative Report, “Above the Law.” (April 2007).
  • Special guest, KBOO Radio Show, Prison Pipelines, Portland, Oregon (December 2007).
  • Teacher, Seminar on the Use of Statistics in Demonstrating Patterns and Practices of Civil Rights Violations, National Police Accountability Project (January 2007).
  • Featured guest, CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360, concerning Mandel Clinic’s federal civil rights prosecution of Chicago police officers (September 2007).
  • Lecture, “A Portrait of Impunity,” University of Illinois-Chicago’s Criminal Justice Symposium (February 2007).
  • Panelist, “Police Oversight in Chicago: Should the Office of Professional Standards be Changed or Replaced?,” Chicago Council of Lawyers and American Constitution Society of Chicago (June 2007).
  • Commentator on CBS, Fox, NBC, and WGN television news and National Public Radio on the enactment of a Chicago ordinance to establish an independent police monitoring agency. (June 2007)
  • Featured guest, CAN-TV special, “Who should Police the Police?” (March 2007).
  • Featured guest, Chicago Public Radio, police reform (March 2007).
  • Featured guest, “26 North Halsted,” WCIU-TV Chicago, the study of police misconduct in Chicago (April 2007).
  • Speaker, Roundtable on the Future of Police Oversight in Chicago, Citizens Alert (June 2007).
  • Featured Lecture, “Race and Policing: Stories from our Criminal Justice System,” Northeastern University, Center for Inner City Studies (November 2006).
  • Lecture, “Clinical Legal Education in the 21st Century,”DePaul Law School faculty (November 2006).
  • Work in Progress (with Jamie Kalven), “The Regime of Not Knowing,” University of Chicago Law School (2006).
  • Speaker, “Constitutional Law Through the Eyes of Black America: From Dred Scott to >Hurricane Katrina,” American Bar Association (2006 Mid-Year Meeting).
  • Lecture, “The Tie that Binds: Identifying the Roots of Community Consciousness in the Legal Profession,” National Black Law Students Association Convention, University of Wisconsin Law School (2006).
  • Debate, Chicago Public Radio, exploring the culture and accountability of the Chicago Police Department (2006).
  • Guest lecture, “Gerstein, Confessions, and the Exclusionary Rule,” Advanced Criminal Procedure (taught by Prof. Bernard Harcourt), University of Chicago Law School (2006).
  • Guest on CBS and ABC-TV News concerning the phenomenon of false confessions.
  • Guest on Fox, CBS-TV and ABC-TV News and National Public Radio concerning 2006 criminal indictments of Special Operations police officers.
  • Featured guest, “848,” Chicago Public Radio, following the release of the Special Prosecutor’s Report on Police Torture, to discuss conditions that allowed police officers to commit torture without fear of reprisal.
  • Guest Commentator, NBC Special Investigative Report related to Chicago Police Department Practices Concerning the Treatment of Witnesses.
  • Speaker, at University of Chicago Law School Public Interest Law Society event on police torture (2006).
  • Lecture, “Getting Police Accountability on the National Agenda,.” NAACP Annual Convention, Milwaukee, WI. (2005).
  • Keynote address, “Best Practices to Promote Integrity and Accountability and the University Police Department,” Provost’s Initiative on Minority Issues, University of Chicago (Fall 2004).
  • Guest, Chicago Public Radio, discussing the political climate for police reform (2005).
  • Group Leader an organizer of plenary sessions, Association of American Law Schools’ Clinical Legal Education Workshop on Clinical Teaching and Supervision (Spring 2005).
  • Lecture, “Creative Approaches to Juvenile Defense: Police Misconduct and The ‘Drop’ Case,” National Juvenile Defender Summit, Nashville, TN. (2004).
  • Featured guest, National Public Radio, “A Second Look at the Office of Professional Standards.”
  • Lecture, “Policing Public Housing,” Northwestern University School of Law (2004).
  • Keynote address, “Community, Cops, & Culture: A Public Housing Community’s Struggle for Justice & Accountability,” American Constitution Society, Chicago (2004).
  • Commentator, CLTV special, “Beyond Brown: 50 Years Later,” on the contribution of post-Brown I Supreme Court opinions to the Segregated and Unequal State of Education in America (2004).
  • Lecture, The Police Reform Agenda, Justice Coalition of Greater Chicago (2004).
  • Lecture, “When the Police Step Out of Bounds: Issues of Race, Class & Accountability,” First Forum, Unitarian Church of Hyde Park (2004).
  • Guest, CBS Special Investigative Report concerning the Police Department’s Response to Individual Brutality Charges (2004).
  • Awarded grant based on proposal and presentation before the Women’s Board of the University of Chicago Law School to support the work of the Mandel Legal Aid Clinic (2003-04).
  • Featured guest, CAN-TV, Videotaping Police Interrogations, Citizens Alert (2003).
  • Moderated debate on Racial Profiling and the War on Terror between Richard Epstein and the American Civil Liberties Union.
  • Lecture, “Putting Justice in the Criminal Justice System” at inaugural event of American Constitution Society, University of Chicago Law School.
  • Faculty host, Latino Law Student Association, Symposium on Latino Critical Race Theory (2003).
  • Lecture, “Lawyers and Clients’ First Amendment Rights,”Chicago Lunch Box series, University of Chicago Law School (2002).
  • Sponsored and organized lectures on Criminal Interrogations; Police Accountability and Community Justice: The Next Steps for Reform; and Comparative Police Disciplinary Systems, University of Chicago (2000-02).
  • Work in Progress, First Defense Legal Aid v. City of Chicago, University of Chicago Law School (2002).
  • Panelist, Public Interest Careers, University of Chicago Law School (2000-02).
  • Presenter, Clinic-wide meetings regarding the work of the Civil Rights Police Accountability Project.
  • Lecture, Racial Diversity in the Legal Profession, John Marshall Law School (2001).
  • Presenter, University of Chicago Law School’s Visiting Committee, showcasing the work of the Law School’s newest faculty (2000).
  • Participant, Association of American Law Schools Equal Justice Colloquium, Chicago (2000).

Memberships and Professional Affiliations

  • Association of American Law Schools, Clinical Legal Education Section
  • Clinical Legal Education Association 
  • National Lawyers Guild
  • National Police Accountability Project
  • American Civil Liberties Union
  • American Bar Association
  • Bar Memberships: Illinois, United States Supreme Court, United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, Federal Trial Bar for the Northern District of Illinois

Awards and Honors

  • Award for Excellence in Clinical Teaching, University of Chicago Law School (2022)
  • Awarded $1 million dollar grant from Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention for Hospital-Based Violence Intervention and Legal Aid Program for Young Survivors of Gunshot Trauma and their Families in collaborative project with University of Chicago’s Trauma Center (2022)
  • Abner Mikva Legal Legends Award, American Constitution Society (2021)
  • Mellon Grant, Transdisciplinary Research Ideas Incubator-Archiving Political Protest (2020)
  • Emmy Award for Showtime Documentary, 16 Shots (2019)
  • Simon Visiting Professorship, University of Manchester
  • American Bar Association's 2016 Human Rights Hero
  • Silver Medal, Chicago Reader Poll, Best Lawyer in Chicago 2016
  • United States District Court's 2016 Excellence in Pro Bono and Public Service Award
  • 2016 Arthur Kinoy People's Law Award from the National Lawyers Guild
  • Clinical Legal Education Association's Award for Excellence in a Public Interest Project (2004)
  • Grant from The Women's Board of the University of Chicago to support work of the Mandel Legal Aid Clinic (2004-2005)
  • Appreciation Award from Stateway Gardens community (2004)
  • Justice Coalition of Greater Chicago's Campaign of the Year Award for advocacy to appoint Special Prosecutor to investigate police torture in Chicago (2002)

University of Chicago and Law School Committees

  • Working Group on Development of University’s Civic Leadership Center (2021)
  • Public Interest Law (2019-present)
  • Faculty Affiliate, University of Chicago Urban Network (2015-present)
  • Faculty Affiliate, Center of the Study for Race, Politics, and Culture (2012-present)
  • Clinic Governance Committee (2000-present)
  • Moot Court (2014-2019)
  • Clinical and Experiential Learning Committee (2011-2014, 2017-18)
  • Admissions, Public Interest, and Career Services Committees (2003-2011)
  • University Security/Independent Police Review Committees (Chair 2007-2011) (Vice-Chair) (2005-2007)

Service

  • Illinois Legislative Task Force on Constitutional Rights and Remedies (2021)
  • Law Firm Anti-Racism Alliance (2021)
  • Use of Force Working Group, Chicago Police Department (2020-2023)
  • Advisory Board, The Chicago Maroon (2019-present)
  • Diversity and Inclusion Committee Member, Seventh Circuit Bar Association (2016-present)
  • Citizens Police Data Project (CPDB.co) (2014-present)
  • Vice Chair, Illinois Racial Profiling Prevention and Data Oversight Board (2012-present)
  • Invisible Institute, Fellow (2011-present)
  • Youth/Police Project (2010-present)
  • Advisory Board, Strategies for Youth (2010-present)
  • Chicago Coalition for Police Accountability (2006-present)
  • Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (2005-present)
  • Advisory Board, Positive Anti-Crime Thrust (2003-present)
  • Advisory Board, First Defense Legal Aid (2000-present)
  • Illinois Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission (2013-2020)
  • Mayor Emanuel's Police Accountability Task Force, Community Police Relations Working Group (2016)
  • Justice Coalition of Greater Chicago, Steering Committee, Police Accountability Reform Committee (2000-2009)
  • Co-creator, View from the Ground (2001-2008)
  • Founder, Stateway Civil Rights Project (2000-2007)
  • Community Police Relations Information Center (2000-2007)
  • Governor's Task Force on Racial Profiling (2005-2006)
  • Host Committee Member, Midwest Leadership Summit on the Voting Rights Act (2005-2006)
  • Advisory BoardFresh Start Academy for Ex-Offenders (2004-2006)
  • Founding Board member, Family Dynamics, Inc. (1996-1999)
  • N.A.A.C.P., Operation Rainbow PUSH, Citizens Alert, and the American Civil Liberties Union
  • Cook County Public Defender's Speaker's Bureau

Events

  • Organizer, speaker, and panelist, National Youth/Police Conference, University of Chicago Law School (April 2015).
  • Organizer, a series of lectures and events with the University of Chicago Law School, the Invisible Institute and Chicago Public Radio featuring Michelle Alexander and her book, “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness,” (Feb 2010).
  • Organizer, meeting between Chicago Civil Rights Lawyers and Director of Independent Police Review Authority for City of Chicago (Nov. 2008).
  • Organizer and conference leader, “The View From the Ground: Issues and Inquiries Arising From Eight Square Blocks of Chicago’s South Side,” academic conference, University of Chicago Law School (April 2007).
  • Organizer, Town Hall Meeting, “The End of the Nightstick Then and Now-- A History of Police Brutality in Chicago,” University of Chicago (2003).
  • Organizer, Seminar on Defending Against Section 1983 Police Misconduct Lawsuits-- The Police Perspective, University of Chicago Law School (2003).
  • Organizer and moderator, Panel of Police Accountability, Chicago Law & Society, University of Chicago Law School (2001).
  • Organizer, panel of public housing residents on public safety and police accountability, University of Chicago Law School (2001).

Other Activities

  • Speaker, Coalition to End Police Torture and Brutality 
  • Cycle Tutoring Program