BUILDING DEMOCRACY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY EVERYDAY DEMOCRACY A NEWSLETTER FROM THE CITIZEN ADVOCACY CENTER

BUILDING DEMOCRACY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY EVERYDAY DEMOCRACY A NEWSLETTER FROM THE CITIZEN ADVOCACY CENTER INTERN EDITION S FALL 2017 ummer at CAC is the place to be if you are a high school, college, or law student looking for hands-on experience in learning the law and developing the civic and community organizing tools that build democracy and impact government decision-making. Interns work under the supervision of CAC's community lawyers. They answer community intake questions, investigate complaints of anti-democratic activity, conduct policy research and analysis, participate in litigation, and more. In the pages that follow, interns share their SUMMER INTERN NIGHT The Citizen Advocacy Center recognized its 2017 thoughts about CAC, the projects they summer interns at its annual Democracy Night that was held at the Wilder Mansion in worked on, and what they learned from the Elmhurst. Front row from left: Leah Lopez, Warisha Aslam, Bella Costanzo, Executive experience. Thank you to our 2017 summer Director Maryam Judar. Back row from left: Jonathan Stone, Community Lawyer Ben interns, their academic institutions, and the Silver, Adrienne Arlan, Dominic Dinon. Public Interest Law Initiative. G a positive impact there CAC helped me rowing up in Cook County, I was no stranger to political "I was instilled dysfunction. I was exposed to with community it at an early age because my hometown of values by my Summit was a hotbed of political cronyism. parents, so I I grew cynical about the nature of local never stopped government because of my early exposure to political dysfunction in the state of Illinois. However, I was instilled with community values by my parents, so I trying to improve my community." This summer was a fantastic learning experience. I worked with residents of Cook County who presented various issues at their local governments. These residents are some of the most passionate people I Dominic Dinon, Rising 3L have ever met, and much of the work they Maurer School of Law are doing is based not on their own selfinterest, but rather on an altruistic desire to never stopped trying to improve my community. I have a desire to fix what is school. One of the main lessons reinforced broken in the system, and so when I was by my professors is that it's a privilege to looking for a summer legal internship and be a lawyer, and with that privilege comes stumbled upon the Citizen Advocacy a responsibility to make the world a better Center, I was excited about the opportunity place. Summit and its surrounding to make a difference. communities helped me get to where I am today, and I feel that I have a I'm blessed to have been able to attend law do that. improve their communities for other residents. Citizens like the ones I worked with this summer give me faith that democracy is still alive and relevant. As a legal intern, I conducted legal research on several matters by searching responsibility to use my education to make See DINON continued on page 3

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meaningful public participation in local initiated binding referenda in Illinois. This "My internship and state politics. I had heard about the project is the first of its kind, and it has opened my organization s mission to promote direct allowed me to explore all the chapters of eyes to the democracy and to seek more transparent Illinois state law. breadth and government in Illinois; my internship at depth of CAC s CAC has opened my eyes to the breadth An ultimate takeaway for me from my and depth of CAC s impact on Illinois internship is that not only is it important citizens in ways I didn t know were for Illinoisans to get involved in local possible. politics, but to understand the procedures impact on Illinois citizens in ways I didn t know were possible." Adrienne Arlan, Rising 2L Maurer School of Law employed in enacting public policies. My main project this summer was to search Previously, I had little idea about the through all of Illinois law to find public participation opportunities that I hile searching for a summer opportunities for direct democracy, with a researched this summer, and I newly legal internship, I knew for focus on citizen-initiated binding recognize that as a voter, an activist, and a certain that I wanted to make it referenda. I dove into the complex state political thinker, it is essential to know the meaningful. When I discovered the statutory framework, and I realized how possibilities for direct democracy. I am opportunity at the Citizen Advocacy difficult it would be for an Illinois resident forever grateful to the team at CAC for Center, I was excited about the chance to to navigate it. I learned that Illinois limits reminding me of my civic responsibilities; meet my goal. I wanted to gain exposure to opportunities for citizen-initiated binding equipped with the knowledge I ve gained, I an area of law that I did not know much referenda in comparison to other states; feel more secure as a law student and about. My internship at CAC has shown and I drafted reform recommendations to future attorney. me how integral direct democracy is to improve the accessibility of citizen-. W I interned at the Citizen Advocacy "My attitudes on Center because I aspired to know local government more about the functions of and civic local government. Initially, I was expecting engagement have to do a lot of background research and transformed." grunt work. However, I was pleasantly Another project I worked on was a collaboration between CAC and the Illinois Press Association to survey local government compliance with website notification of meetings and agendas as required by state law. This project will help surprised to discover that my contribution Warisha Aslam, Rising Freshman maintain standards in our state laws to keep to the projects I worked on brought to the Purdue University our local governments transparent and accountable. forefront the gaps and weaknesses in laws affecting local government and public The application questions discourage participation so that organizations like residents from participating in their local My internship taught me that that citizens CAC and the civically engaged can make government. Through research, we learned have numerous rights and ways to hold positive community impacts. that the questions specific to Forest Park s their government accountable. I was application were outliers. Along with surprised by the depth of local government One of the projects I worked on dealt with another intern, I researched the applications activity. My attitudes on local government applications for volunteer positions on for these volunteer positions from over 95 and civic engagement have transformed. I municipal boards and commissions that municipalities throughout DuPage County used to be a passive observer because I did advise the municipality. and Cook County. We created not think that I could make a difference. I because a Forest Park resident brought to spreadsheets, made FOIA requests to the learned that in order to preserve and protect CAC the village s volunteer application for municipalities whose applications were not our democracy, we need all hands on examination. It appeared exceedingly available online, and wrote a memo that deck, and everyone should strive to be onerous and invasive as it required analyzes the types of questions that appear actively involved. I plan on attending local personal information, such as one s Social on these applications. We identified which government board and committee Security Number and credit history. questions were pertinent to the application meetings. My internship working alongside Additionally, it asked whether the process, and made the recommendation that lawyers, law students, and mentors in a prospective applicant has a personal history municipalities amend their applications to supportive environment has been a great that could be embarrassing to the mayor. stick only to these pertinent questions. learning experience. 4 The issue arose EVERYDAY DEMOCRACY Fall 2017

"I ve seen what broad. One of my main projects was to government, we do very little to keep it support the Illinois Press Association to accountable. During my summer, I saw kind of power a hold local government accountable. I concerned citizens seek assistance from group of worked to gather information from over CAC to hold their local public officials 500 local Illinois governments including accountable. I found this extremely municipalities, townships, school districts, inspiring; it reminded me that local and counties, for a survey of their website government needs to be checked by the motivated citizens can have to improve their community." notice compliance. For example, a board of people, just like state and federal Bella Costanzo, Rising Junior any of these local governments that does governments do. York High School not post or publish an agenda 48 hours prior to the start of their public meeting is My CAC internship has been extremely came to the Citizen Advocacy in violation of the Open Meetings Act. rewarding. I was surprised to learn about Center looking to learn about local Holding local governments to this all that local government actually does. I government and to experience requirement helps to ensure that citizens learned about government powers and working in the political sphere. I wanted to have the opportunity to exercise civic procedures while broadening my research see what kind of impact I could have on engagement by going to the meetings, and writing skills. What I think is most my community. Happily, my goals were monitoring the actions of the local important, though, is that I learned about met beyond what I thought was possible government, and speaking up when need the power that we as citizens have to during an internship at CAC. be. influence our local government, and the Before coming to CAC, I knew very little I ve learned that I feel very strongly about through citizen actions. By working with about local government bodies and what keeping local government accountable for the team at CAC, I ve seen what kind of they do; and therefore, I thought they did its actions. We Americans place a lot power a group of motivated citizens can very little. I ve learned about the extent to of emphasis on keeping the federal have to improve their community, and it s which local government can add to or limit government accountable for its actions. a learning lesson I will carry with me as I our rights, which I had no idea were so In contrast, when it comes to local move forward in my own life. I magnitude of change that can be achieved Young Professional Leadership Board The Citizen Advocacy Center launched the Young Professionals Leadership Board in July 2017. This Board is a group of twenty and thirty-somethings who support the mission and values of CAC to build democracy for the 21st century by creating greater civic engagement, open and transparent government, and assisting citizens as they seek to organize, advocate, and become active in civic matters. Interested professionals under the age of 35 are invited to get involved. For more information about the Young Professionals Leadership Board or to apply, please visit: www.citizenadvocacycenter.org/yplb-application OR email our development associate Susan Wakefield at susan@citizenadvocacycenter.org Fall 2017 EVERYDAY DEMOCRACY 5

Citizen Advocacy Center 182 N. York St. Elmhurst, IL 60126 MRNhTaR8Cjh mbhtrcj<3h TC0h 2IL@nacjhBH h T3aLCjhMRYh4fh ABOUT US The Citizen Advocacy Center is a nonprofit, nonpartisan community legal organization and 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to building democracy for the 21st century by strengthening the citizenry's capacities, resources, and institutions for self-governance. Return Service Requested CONTACT US Phone: 630-833-4080 Web: www.citizenadvocacycenter.org Facebook: https://bit.ly/cac_on_facebook Twitter: @advocacycenter1 2017 Citizen Initiative Awards QNhr30N3c0w.h/3,3L$3ahfj@.h++hsCIIha3,R<NCy3hCjchlzSeh+CjCy3NhBNCjCjCq3hsa0ha3,CUC3NjcYh++hsa0chIR,Ih,RLLnNCjwh,jCqCcjchs@Rha3h,jIwcjch8Rah03LR,ajC,hUajC,CUjCRN s@ci3hnccn<h,cqc,.hi3<i.hn0h,rllnncjwhra<ncycn<h jrrichjrh0qr,j3h8rahnhcccn3hr8hun$ic,h,rn,3any bq3hj@3h0j36 WHEN WHERE RSVP Wednesday December 6 6:30-8:30 p.m. Citizen Advocacy Center 182 N. York St. Elmhurst, IL 60126 Call: 630-833-4080 Or RSVP Online i@3h3q3njhcch8a33hn0hru3nhjrhj@3hun$ic,yhbn<<3cj30h0rnjcrn-h1szyzzyh TI3c3hc33hLRa3h03jCIchjhsssY,CjCy3N0qR,,w,3Nj3aYRa<g3q3Njc