Remembering Lowell E. Sachnoff and His Contributions to Chicago Lawyers’ Committee

(Chicago – March 23, 2023) – Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights mourns the recent loss of legendary attorney Lowell E. Sachnoff, a founding member of the organization in 1969, and a life-long supporter of our work to promote racial equity and economic opportunity for all.

Along with several other Chicago lawyers, Lowell helped establish the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee in 1969, in the aftermath of riots, violence, and mass arrests in response to Dr. King’s assassination, and political protest and police brutality at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. He went on to serve as chair of our Board and as a dedicated board member for many years. In 2007, Chicago Lawyers’ Committee recognized Lowell with the Edwin A. Rothschild Award for Lifetime Achievement in Civil Rights.

And in November 2022, at age 92, Lowell, along with his wife Fay Clayton, a legal legend in her own right, graciously attended our Annual Gala. Max Stein, long-time board member with Chicago Lawyers’ Committee said, “Among the many highlights of this year’s event was seeing Lowell, a driving force behind the organization’s founding and successes, still supporting Chicago Lawyers’ Committee. Thanks to the vision that he and others in Chicago’s legal community had, our city, while certainly still imperfect, is a more just place.”

Lowell’s legal victories were many, and far reaching. He had an impressive career in antitrust and securities, in addition to his extensive civil rights litigation. In the 1980s, he worked with a team of lawyers that won a jury verdict against the City of Chicago and ended its policy that allowed police to routinely strip search women for minor traffic stops and misdemeanors. He was lead counsel for numerous women’s health clinics, helping to win a nationwide injunction against forcible blockades of clinic entrances in 1998. And he represented several prisoners in Guantánamo Bay, fighting their years-long detention without any charges being brought against them. His passion for civil rights work never dimmed.

We are grateful for his contributions to our City and our mission, and wish his wife Fay Clayton, and his children and grandchildren comfort and peace. May his memory be a blessing.