Paul Haidle named a recipient of the Hon. Abraham Lincoln Marovitz Public Interest Law Award

Our very own Paul Haidle, Staff Attorney in our Criminal Records program, was recently named a recipient of the Hon. Abraham Lincoln Marovitz Public Interest Law Award.  This annual award is given to Chicago-Kent alumni who have graduated in the last 15 years, have demonstrated outstanding public interest leadership, and who most reflect "the character, life and work of the Honorable Abraham Lincoln Marovitz."  Judge Marovitz served as a Senior Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois for almost 40 years.  These endowed awards in memory of Judge Marovitz include monetary stipends to assist the recipients with their educational debt as they work to benefit the public good. Paul was nominated by a former CGLA criminal defense intern, Kaitin Powell, who also graduated from Chicago-Kent and is now an assistant public defender in Will County.  Paul will be presented the award at a ceremony at Chicago-Kent on April 26 at 5:00 pm.  Congratulations on this well-deserved award, Paul!

CGLA's Fifth Annual Wine Tasting Event in March!

Join CGLA & Our YPB on March 22!



Tickets available on-line at www.cgla.net/event-list
$45/person through February 29
$50/person after March 1

"Workshop debunks legal system, reveals expungement" - in Roosevelt Torch

Recently, Roosevelt University held a workshop for its students featuring a panel of several local attorneys knowledgable on current issues on sealing criminal records.  CGLA's Beth Johnson was among the panelists who educated the students on what qualifies as a sealable offense and how a background can impact chances for employment and housing.  Attendees were encouraged to know their rights, help change unfair legislation that can lead to housing and employment discrimination, and educate their peers on the issue.  Read the full story HERE.

Check out our new E-newsletter!

We are happy to announce CGLA's first-ever electronic newsletter which hit mailboxes of our subscribers last Tuesday.  This new format (changed from our old archaic ways of printing and mailing hardcopies) will significantly cut costs and our carbon footprint, while making it easier and faster for our friends and supporters to get all the latest CGLA news.

Didn't get the e-mail?  Be sure to visit our website and join our mailing list (at the bottom of the homepage) - it's that easy!  Get in the know about upcoming events, hot topics that impact CGLA and our community, and what's new at CGLA.  Hear inspiring stories about our clients fighting for justice, and our dedicated volunteers.  Find out what specific donations will currently have a big impact on CGLA and our ability to serve our clients.  In the Winter 2012 issue, also read a special interview with CGLA's co-founder Chuck Hogren as he reflects on the beginning of CGLA as we are coming up on our 40th anniversary, and a recap of our most successful Annual Benefit to date.

To view the full newsletter, click Here.  Enjoy!

"Elected officials, activists working to revise state’s criminal record law" - in Austin Talks

CGLA continues to be a leader in helping low-income Chicagoans seal their records for nonviolent crimes and an advocate for changing state legislation to allow more nonviolent crimes be considered for sealing.  CGLA's Director of Criminal Records, Beth Johnson explains the negative impact the current legislation has on the lives of many individuals and our community, and why it is essential that changes are made.

Read the full article HERE.

Giving Back

By Gretchen Slusser, CGLA Executive Director

Giving back to the community where we live is important and I believe that this idea should also translate to corporations that do much of their business locally.  For years I found myself donating to causes abroad or in poorer areas of the United States.  Those guys on State Street got me just about every time with their pictures and stories of those less fortunate around the world and in our country.

It was not until I started a business in 2007 that I turned around my thoughts on giving.  The city of Chicago was where my company hung its hat, our employees were Chicago-based, our clients were Chicago-based and many of those clients were education and government focused organizations, the same organizations that were providing services to the people of Chicago.  It made me think, “What are we doing to help the people of Chicago,” the people that live in the city that provides me with my livelihood?

I decided that thredpartners would become intentional in its giving back to the community and we started setting aside a percentage of profits each year to be distributed as we saw fit to Non-Profit agencies that helped the people of Chicago. 

Sound like an idea worth exploring?  I would recommend spending some time volunteering with the organization you choose, familiarizing yourself with their mission and understand the impact that they can have in the community.  When supporting a cause, it is important to believe in them and to be able to explain that belief to others.  This helps you indirectly support them through advocacy.

A key to giving back locally is being able to see the contribution in action, seeing the affect that you are having in the community in person rather than through a newsletter or postcard.  Take time to go and see what your support is doing in the community, it is your money in action and it feels great to know that you are contributing to your community, the community that has been so good to you and your business.

If all Chicago-based businesses would decide to take a percentage, whatever number that may be, and set it aside for distribution to a local community service non-profit, imagine the good we could do for the people of our great city. 

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