The Justice Freeman Fellowship is the flagship program of Amplified Voices. It is a full-time, paid, legal fellowship for exceptional high school students from 9th to 12th grade from under-resourced neighborhoods on the west and southsides of Chicago. The mission is to introduce new faces to the legal profession of Chicago. This exposure will then increase attendance of under-served youth in college and law school with a goal of having them return to serve in and represent the city of Chicago.

The participants in our program are youth from divested neighborhoods on the west and south sides of Chicago. In particular, neighborhoods that were adversely impacted by Chicago’s school closures, over policing, and lack of exposure to quality vocational experiences. These youth will be high school students from ages 14-18 years old. Our first cohort in the summer of 2023 had 3 students engaged with programming, but in subsequent years the total will reach up to 20 youth.

During the summer-long fellowship, the program exposes students to what life is like in the legal profession. The program prepares students for jobs in professional settings, through engagement with both administrative tasks and legal work, providing meaningful experiences for resumes and college applications.

Our program is a 6-week fellowship over the summer months. Students will work 5 days a week and engage in out-of-office workshops, attend guest speaking seminars, visit a Cook County courthouse, visit the Illinois Appellate and Supreme Court, and in 2025, visit the University of Chicago Law School where they will speak with former presidential advisor, Valerie Jarrett.

This photo is from our first mock trial for the Justice Freeman Fellowship. The mock trial was a huge success, with parents, students, and law partners all satisfied with the project. The students presented cases to persuade the mock trial judge to rule in their favor. It was a successful first year for this addition to the program.