2015
February: The Chicago Park District clears the path for the transfer of public land in Jackson Park to the Obama Foundation should they want to build a presidential center there.
May: President Obama names Chicago as the location for his presidential center.
2018
May 14, 2018: Plaintiffs Charlotte Adelman, Jeremiah Jurevis, Maria Valencia, and Protect Our Parks file a lawsuit v. Chicago Park District and City of Chicago. Case Number 1:2018cv03424 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division
2019
Richard A. Epstein legal scholar, joins legal team
Michael Rachlis, Partner, Rachlis, Duff & Peel joins legal team
2020
March: Brief filed with the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Case: 19-2308
May: Oral arguments presented
June: Supplemental brief submitted
September: Petition for Rehearing filed
WHERE WE ARE NOW IN 2023
Download a one-page pdf with the full litigation timeline and current status HERE
March 8, 2021: Petition for Certiorari filed with the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS)
April 14, 2021: Protect Our Parks with six co-plaintiffs file a complaint for Declaratory & Injunctive Relief in the U. S. District Court of the Northern District of Illinois. All plaintiffs live on the South Side.
Read an Executive Summary of the complaint.
June 15, 2021: Protect Our Parks with six co-plaintiffs file a Motion for Preliminary Injunction in the U. S. District Court of the Northern District of Illinois.
July 20, 2021: The District Court of the Northern District of Illinois heard oral arguments on the Protect Our Parks, et al. motion for preliminary injunction filed in June.
July 30, 2021: Protect Our Parks, Inc, et al. submit their reply brief
August 5, 2021: District Court Judge John Robert Blakey denies the plaintiffs’ motion for the preliminary injunction.
August 9, 2021: Protect Our Parks, Inc, et al. files a motion for an emergency stay and asks the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit to expedite the plaintiffs’ appeal.
August 27, 2021: Protect Our Parks, Inc, et al. asks the Supreme Court of the United States to grant the plaintiff’s application for an immediate injunction pending appeal.
September 20, 2021: Protect Our Parks, Inc, et al. files Opening Brief (Appendix here) with the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
September 27, 2021: The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit denies three amicus brief submitted on behalf of plaintiffs.
October 5, 2021: SCOTUS denies plaintiffs application for an immediate injunction pending appeal