Antiracism in action: Restorative justice for the harm caused by our legal system

Racial Justice

By Claire McFarland

Claire McFarland is a private law practitioner. She founded of Elder Law & Wellness Initiative, NFP, a non-profit organization that works to ensure that seniors have adequate access to the court system. McFarland is also a member of the historic Reparations Committee for City of Evanston and participates in the Catholic Criminal Justice Reform Network.

Posted June 16, 2022 12:14 PM

Commenting on his encounter with the criminal justice system from a Black man’s perspective, comedian Richard Pryor famously quipped, “You go down there looking for justice, and that is what you find — just us.” The Illinois Supreme Court’s Statement on Racial Justice acknowledges that racism “undermines our democracy” and “the fair and equitable administration of justice….”The very nature of our occupation gives legal professionals unique opportunities to view the underbelly of our criminal justice system. One former …

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