Notes from Adam Salzman

GCLC’s monthly newsletter features a note from our Executive Director, Adam Salzman.

December 2023

In this season of gratitude, we at GCLC are especially grateful to our partners at Cook County and the Chicago Bar Foundation for the opportunity to participate in CCLAHD (Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt) a network of supportive services for Cook County residents facing housing and financial instability. 

GCLC has been active in the arena of housing for decades and we are proud of Jamie Davis-Maxfield, Supervisory Attorney, for her leadership of our Mortgage Foreclosure Defense and Eviction and Consumer Defense projects. Under the umbrella of CCLAHD, Jamie and her team have helped thousands of people facing the frightening prospects of homelessness and ongoing threats to their financial solvency. 

While these matters may not be the most high profile cases in the legal aid space, the most meaningful strides toward economic justice and fairness are often taken out of the spotlight, through the provision of a single, well-timed piece of advice, or a routine court appearance. 

It's in that space that our attorneys are making a difference, day in and day out. We are grateful for your ongoing engagement with this critically important work, and we wish you the happiest of holiday seasons. 

November 2023

For those of us in the legal aid space—especially at Greater Chicago Legal Clinic—it has been a very busy time.

In addition to the usual press of business, we have been assisting with an unprecedented migrant crisis in Chicagoland, with undocumented individuals and families (including children) arriving weekly by bus—often by the hundreds.

This influx has strained every aspect of the safety net, especially legal aid services, and we are grateful to our partners at the State of Illinois, our funders, and supporters for helping to provide the resources for our outstanding attorneys to meet a demand for legal counsel that is increasing exponentially.

Kudos to our immigration team, led by Ina Winston and Joel Stopka, for handling both the representation of migrants seeking asylum and educating governmental and philanthropic decision makers on the urgency of the crisis.

Heading into the holiday season, we want you to know that we are deeply grateful for your engagement with the Clinic's work and your belief in our mission. Thank you.