Ascend Justice

06/19/2026

Our offices are closed today, June 19, in honor of Juneteenth.

We will be here to assist you on Monday (June 22) starting at 8:30am.

If you or someone you know needs immediate help, please call the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline at 877-863-6338.

06/17/2026

We are absolutely thrilled for Ascend Justice Staff Attorney, Emory Robertson, for being named a Chicago Bar Foundation and Chicago Bar Association 2026 Pro Bono & Public Service Award Honoree! https://chicagobarfoundation.org/cba-cbf-pro-bono-public-service-awards-luncheon/

Emory, a rockstar attorney on our Family Defense team and all-around excellent person, will receive the Kimball R. Anderson & Karen Gatsis Anderson Public Interest Law Fellowship at the upcoming annual awards luncheon on July 9.

This award is so well deserved. Emory helps people every day who have been wrongly accused in child welfare cases, and our clients benefit greatly from their compassion and expertise. We are so proud and thankful for all the work they do on behalf of our clients!

06/16/2026

Mark your calendars! Ascend Justice will be participating again this year in the Start Anew Clinic! Come down to the UIC School of Law on Friday, September 18, from 10 to 1, and get access to all types of free professional services, including ours! Register today, and pass it on: https://www.startanew.com/clinic/chicago.html

06/15/2026

At our Celebration of Courage last Thursday, we honored two of our immigration clients, Adeya and Musa, whose bravery in breaking away from violence masquerading as tradition and coming to a new country seeking freedom is truly inspiring. And we honored an emergency room doctor turned forensic expert, Dr. Nora Rowley, who provides testimony that helps people fleeing violence.

Learn more about our incredible 2026 Champions of Justice, our immigration services, and some of the issues our clients face, in our new video: https://youtu.be/RdDBwQwBS4E

06/12/2026

Thank you to each and every one of you who came to the Celebration of Courage last night in spite of the weather and made the evening so special! We will share photos and our new video next week, so for now, please know how grateful we are to all of our sponsors, supporters, clients, and colleagues for celebrating courage with us.

06/10/2026

The Celebration of Courage is tomorrow! We can't wait to see you all and celebrate with you. If you haven't already, now is the time to get your last-minute event and raffle tickets! https://secure.qgiv.com/for/2026celebrationofcourage/event/celebrationofcourage/

06/09/2026

There's still time to get your raffle tickets before the Celebration of Courage! We'll be selling tickets through Thursday at midnight, and you don't have to attend to play (but we hope you do)! Get your tickets: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/2026celebrationofcourage/event/celebrationofcourage/

06/08/2026

If you caught the CBS Chicago morning show this morning, you probably saw a familiar face! Our Executive Director, Margaret Duval, was on with 2026 Champion of Justice, Dr. Nora Rowley. Marissa Perlman, reporter extraordinaire and Celebration of Courage MC, interviewed them this morning about gender-based violence, the immigration system, and Dr. Rowley's work as a forensic expert. Check it out:

This Thursday, leading Chicago advocacy organization Ascend Justice...

06/03/2026

We are one week and one day away from our 2026 Celebration of Courage! Tickets are going fast, so if you haven't gotten yours yet, now is the time: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/2026celebrationofcourage/event/celebrationofcourage/

And while you're getting event tickets, don't forget the raffle! We are selling raffle tickets now through midnight on June 11, and we'll draw winners on Friday, June 12. (You don't have to attend the event to play, but we'd love to see you there!)

06/02/2026

Have you all seen this year's awesome raffle packages? Tickets are on sale now — tell all your friends! You don't have to attend the Celebration of Courage on June 11 to play, but event tickets are on sale too, so why not join us? https://secure.qgiv.com/for/2026celebrationofcourage/event/celebrationofcourage/