Articles From Junaid M. Afeef

Judicial Mentoring and the Future of the Illinois Bench: Building Transparent, Equitable, and Merit-Based Pathways to Judicial Service By Junaid M. Afeef Bench and Bar, February 2026 In Illinois, as in most states, the path to becoming a judge is often opaque, informal, and heavily dependent on access to professional networks that are unevenly distributed across the legal profession. Judicial mentoring could help create more transparent pathways for highly qualified lawyers—particularly those from underrepresented communities, first‑generation professionals, and lawyers without access to elite professional circles—to become judges. 
COVID-19, Jails, and Ending Cash Bail By Junaid M. Afeef Human and Civil Rights, June 2020 COVID-19 is shining a light on the plight of detainees resulting from a cash bail system.

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