News & Commentary

The National Religious Campaign Against Torture has named June as Torture Awareness Month, with a focus on “confronting the culture of torture” in the United States. As part of that campaign, we recognize a significant step in the struggle against torture that occurred June 28, 2010, two years ago today. On that day, here in Chicago, former Chicago Police Commander

Review of The People’s Lawyer: The Center for Constitutional Rights and the Fight for Social Justice, from Civil Rights to Guantanamo, by Albert Ruben By Brad Thomson, legal worker at People’s Law Office The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) is a renowned organization that has been a pioneer in the progressive legal community since the Civil Rights era. Following September

Flint Taylor, founding partner of People’s Law Office has written an editorial which appeared in the Sunday edition of the Chicago Sun-Times yesterday. In the editorial, he describes the legacy of the Chicago Police torture scandal and the fact that there has never been a sincere apology from the City of Chicago for the injustices that have occurred. Below is

On behalf of the International Committee of the National Lawyers Guild, People’s Law Office attorney Jan Susler is presenting at the United Nations Decolonization Committee Hearings on Puerto Rico. The presentation addresses the fundamental colonial relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico, police brutality and the continued incarceration of Oscar Lopez Rivera and other Puerto Rican political prisoners. Download

Last fall, activists and journalists associated with Occupy Chicago founded Occupied Chicago Tribune, a newspaper to share stories and commentary about the Occupy movement and social issues addressed by the movement. The name of the paper was clearly a reference to the Chicago Tribune and chosen to distinguish itself from the Chicago Tribune and other corporate-owned media. Occupied Chicago Tribune

People’s Law Office Obtains “Very Substantial Settlement” in 60 year old torture and Wrongful Conviction Case On June 13, 2012, People’s Law Office lawyers Flint Taylor and John Stainthorp, with the able assistance of pro bono lawyer Peter McCabe of Winston and Strawn, obtained a substantial settlement for 80 year old Oscar Walden who was tortured by Chicago Police and

Brian Jacob Church, Jared Chase and Brent Betterly, referred to by the media and their supporters as the “NATO 3” appeared today in Cook County Criminal Court. The three activists were arrested as part of a midnight raid days before the NATO Summit and were subsequently charged with terrorism-related charges. People’s Law Office attorneys Michael Deutsch and Sarah Gelsomino represent

Chicago City Council Approves Settlement in Vodak v. City of Chicago, class action from 2003 arrests at anti-war protest Earlier this week, we announced that the settlement of the Vodak class action lawsuit over the mass arrests at the March 20, 2003 demonstration to protest the Iraq war was approved by the Chicago City Council Finance Committee.  It then proceeded

PRESS RELEASE June 7, 2012 Attorneys from People’s Law Office File Civil Rights Lawsuit on Behalf of Family of Woman Who Died In Lake County Jail Woman dies in custody due to deliberate indifference to her health and safety, her estate files lawsuit on her behalf Lyvita Gomes, a 52 year old woman from India, tragically died on January 3,

Vodak Class Action Settlement Approved by Chicago City Council Finance Committee The Settlement of the Vodak class action lawsuit over the mass arrests at the March 20, 2003 demonstration to protest the Iraq war was approved by the Chicago City Council Finance Committee on June 4, 2012. The settlement will now go before the full City Council on June 6