Voting Rights: Heightened Stakes in an Election Year

ACS, the Black Law Students Association, Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, and the Latinx Law Students Association hosted Voting Rights: Heightened Stakes in an Election Year, with Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights members Ami Gandhi & Cliff Helm. 

Ami Gandhi is the Director of Strategic Initiatives and Midwest Voting Rights Programs at the Chicago Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights. She works to reduce barriers to voting and improve civic participation, especially in communities of color and low-income communities in the Midwest. Ami’s experience includes leading statewide voter protection for the 2016 and 2020 elections, partnering with community members in the criminal legal system to expand voter access, advocating for communities of color during Illinois redistricting, and advising local election authorities as they implemented the first Hindi ballots in the country. Ami received her law degree from the George Washington University Law School. 

Cliff Helm is a Senior Counsel at the Chicago Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights, working primarily on the Voting Rights team. He has worked with community organizations, coalitions, non-profits, and cooperatives across Chicago on voting rights, civic engagement, community benefits agreements, and equitable development issues. Cliff also teaches an undergraduate course on voting rights at DePaul University and previously ran his own law practice. He received his law degree from the University of Michigan.