Lisa Taylor has Always Advocated for Young People
Lisa Taylor has Always Advocated for Young People (Chicago, IL) — Lisa Taylor has a heart for young children as one of the most vulnerable and underserved populations. She understands how they can get lost in the system which could cause a domino effect in their lives in many situations.
“I was essentially what people may recognize as an advocate for the children,” said Taylor. “I went to visit them in their foster placements. I wrote reports to the court so young people are very important to me. I want to make sure that those children have the services that they require as wards of the state.”
Taylor is running for Judge in the Democratic Primary.
She believes strongly in helping to foster children and making sure they are protected and provided with the best possible opportunities in life. She has volunteered for years as a Court Appointed Special Advocate in Cook County for cases involving minors removed from their homes. She educates the community about foster care issues and has also given presentations to help Cook County residents of all backgrounds understand their civil rights. She served as a “Know Your Rights” presenter for the Cook County Bar Association’s Civil Rights Committee.
“I have done seminars regarding Know Your Rights and these seminars help our young people when they start to drive,” said Taylor. “There were recent incidents and we have to teach our young people how to interact with the police when they are pulled over. Teach them to not be combative, not run from the scene, and even if there are some not so pleasant things that are in the vehicle, or a history you may have, a traffic stop should not result in the death of a young person or anyone for that matter.”
Educating and mentoring students and new attorneys – particularly those from communities of color – has long been a priority. She has volunteered for Lawyers in the Classroom which provides students with the opportunity to learn civics from lawyers in active, developmentally-appropriate classes. Lawyers in the Classroom volunteer attorneys go to grade school classrooms several times a year to give students a better understanding of the U.S. Constitution, our legal system, and law-related careers. She mentors UIC (formerly John Marshall) Law School students and was awarded their Black Law Students Association’s Legacy Action Award in 2019.
Another aspect that is essential to Taylor is her faith.
“I am a Christian, and I’m not ashamed to say that as a candidate for judge,” said Taylor. “That’s important because I volunteer for administer justice. When people recognize and understand that when you have a criminal case, you get a lawyer, and you’re entitled to a lawyer by the Constitution. If you have a civil manner, you are not entitled to a lawyer. So the administer justice program is a church-based program, where volunteers provide civil legal services to people who need assistance who may not otherwise be able to access the judicial system. That is why access and advocacy is very important.“ She believes it’s essential for people to have access to justice that is fair and equitable.
“As a trial lawyer for over 20 years, I’ve been in the courtroom. You got to know the rules, you have to know the law.”
She has also been a volunteer attorney for Administer Justice which provides legal clinics and services for those who cannot afford it. Administer Justice has a focus area on victims of crime or abuse – where one in three victims – including single mothers, veterans, the elderly and abused women – do not have money to hire a lawyer.
Lisa Taylor has Always Advocated for Young People
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