FBA Chicago Chapter Promotes Meaningful Employment

A seasoned legal practitioner drawing upon two decades of experience, Judge Megan Goldish has served for eight years at the Circuit Court of Cook County in Chicago, where she presides over cases in the Domestic Violence Court. Judge Megan Goldish also belongs to several professional organizations, including the Chicago chapter of the Federal Bar Association (FBA).

The Chicago Chapter of the Federal Bar Association is working to facilitate meaningful work for people who were previously incarcerated through its Buying Change initiative. Buying Change is a program that supports Chicago-based companies that maintain objective recruitment and onboarding processes and don’t exclude individuals with criminal records from consideration. These businesses are dedicated to creating good job opportunities while providing quality products and services to their customers. Some of the Buying Change partner companies are Blue Sky Bakery & Cafe (www.blue-sky-bakery.org), Bright Endeavors (www.brightendeavors.org), Rebuilding Exchange (rebuildingexchange.org), and Inspiration Kitchens (www.inspirationkitchens.org).

According to fedbarchicago.com, a lack of job opportunities for those previously incarcerated is a harbinger of recidivism — the action of committing an offense after being released from prison. With Buying Change, individuals with criminal records are encouraged to transition into responsible members of society and live productive lives after serving their prison sentence.

An organization with over 600 members, the Chicago chapter of the Federal Bar Association (FBA) supports and represents judges and federal legal practitioners in Chicago. The chapter represents the Eastern Division of the Northern District of Illinois.