In our 10th anniversary year, Beyond celebrated a decade of community-powered justice at our Gala while confronting new challenges ahead. With Donald Trump’s return to office and threats of mass deportations, Beyond launched the Community Defense and Action Committee (CDAC)—a unified team focused on ICE Response, Policy, and Coalition Building. CDAC stands as a rallying force to protect families and defend communities through bold, collective action. Silence is not an option.

Beyond launched a groundbreaking partnership with the Chicago Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee (CIWOC)—the first of its kind in Chicago—advancing incarcerated workers’ rights. Under new Executive Director Bindhu Vijayan, we also implemented a rapid response plan for newly arrived community members. Rooted in our community-cubed model, this work centers dignity, agency, and collective power.

Community Partners: 22   Beyond Staff: 23

Beyond’s community-driven lawyering gained national attention when Founder Lam Ho appeared in a TED Talk (now over 1.3 million views) on centering community members’ stories in court. That year, Beyond also co-hosted the first U.S. Legal Empowerment Leadership Course, convening 50 organizers, lawyers, and activists to strengthen a nationwide movement for legal empowerment and justice.

Community Partners: 22   Beyond Staff: 18

Beyond extended its reach into suburban and rural “legal deserts” through a new partnership with the Farmworkers & Landscapers Advocacy Project (FLAP). The statewide legal clinic brought free aid to marginalized communities, handling 79 cases in five months. This expansion marked a major step toward equitable access to justice across Illinois.

Community Partners: 19   Beyond Staff: 17

Amid COVID-19, Beyond adapted its community-lawyering model to virtual and crisis response work. Partnering with Organized Communities Against Deportation (OCAD), we fought for Beto, a DACA recipient detained despite dropped charges, using participatory defense to challenge his unlawful detention. After months of litigation and organizing, Beto re-entered the U.S. on humanitarian parole—proving the power of collective advocacy.

Community Partners: 17   Beyond Staff: 17

On October 10 2019, we officially became Beyond Legal Aid—a name reflecting our evolution from traditional legal aid to community-driven justice. Founder Lam Ho explained that our work “has to be everything communities need.” Guided by staff, board, and partners, this transformation marked a new era of collective power and solidarity.

Community Partners: 15   Beyond Staff: 17

By 2018, Beyond had grown from one staff member and partner to 18 staff and 15 community partners. That year we represented Sergio, an undocumented artist wrongfully detained after a coerced plea. Through our VAI Clinic, attorneys successfully vacated his conviction 24 hours before deportation, securing his release and restoring his freedom—proof of the power of community lawyering.

Community Partners: 15   Beyond Staff: 18

Beyond partnered with the Vietnamese Association of Illinois (VAI)—our first effort to help a community-based organization build its own legal capacity. Amid growing immigration crackdowns, we supported VAI staff in achieving DOJ accreditation, expanding their ability to serve families impacted by the Muslim bans. The clinic quickly became one of our largest and most active, setting the standard for sustainable community-led legal aid.

Community Partners: 12   Beyond Staff: 15

The 2016 election marked a devastating turning point for immigrant and activist communities. Beyond and its partners transformed fear into action—launching a national immigration helpline, an Activist Defense Project, and ongoing Know Your Rights workshops. Born from crisis, these initiatives remain pillars of Beyond’s commitment to collective resistance and empowerment.

Community Partners: 5   Beyond Staff: 10

In its first full year, Beyond (then CALA) confronted urgent injustices. When a young man was deported without a hearing, a Beyond attorney and Enlace organizer fought tirelessly—persuading ICE to stop his deportation mid-flight and return him to Chicago. That same year, we helped one of our first DACA community members renew her status and keep her job. Nearly a decade later, she is a legal permanent resident on the path to citizenship.

Community Partners: 4   Beyond Staff: 5

Beyond (then the Community Activism Law Alliance) launched its first legal clinic with Enlace Chicago, meeting its first community member at 2756 S. Harding Avenue. The waiting room filled an hour before opening—proof of the urgent need for accessible legal aid. This partnership began Beyond’s movement to deliver justice directly within communities.

Community Partner: 1   Beyond Staff: 1