The MacArthur Justice Center is a non-profit organization  focusing on criminal legal system reform and civil rights enforcement through complex civil litigation, primarily in federal court.  MJC is involved in some of the most significant civil rights cases in the State of Illinois, including: wrongful conviction damages actions, the enforcement of a federal consent decree over the Chicago Police Department on behalf of community groups, promoting the rights of transgender prisoners in the Illinois Department of Corrections, class action challenges to Illinois’ unconstitutional parole revocation system, challenges to the use of cash bond to detain people pretrial, enforcement of voting rights, enforcement of protesters’ rights, challenges to solitary confinement, ensuring prisoners’ protection from harm, litigation to protect the medically vulnerable in correctional facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, and challenges to excessive use of force by law enforcement.

PILI Fellows will work closely with the lawyers at the MacArthur Justice Center on a wide variety of projects.   Fellows will gain experience in both criminal and civil litigation, including meeting with incarcerated clients, drafting pleadings, participating in litigation strategy, assisting during trials and engaging in meaningful and challenging research and writing.

This agency is approved to host Graduate Fellows.