Julie Anderson (left), Bernardine Dohrn (center), Shobha Mahadev (right) at Stories of Transformation on October 17, 2025, at the Peninsula Hotel in Chicago. Photo credit: Tone Stockenström Photography
During Restore Justice’s annual luncheon, Stories of Transformation, on October 17, 2025, Restore Justice honored trailblazing advocate Bernardine Dohrn with the title of Board Member Emerita. Bernardine Dohrn is a civic leader and tireless advocate protecting children involved with the legal system. Bernardine champions human rights locally and internationally. In 1992, she founded the Children and Family Justice Center at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. She served as director and Clinical Associate Professor of Law at the CFJC for more than 20 years until her retirement in 2013.
Bernardine was a powerful force in establishing the national movement to end life without parole sentences for children. She recognized that this movement had many voices. She believed deeply that these were not “throwaway kids.” They were young people who were loved, whose families’ stories mattered, and whose loss to incarceration was cruel.
Bernardine brought that same passion to Illinois. In 2007, she brought together, for the first time, the family members and loved ones of children sentenced to die in prison in Illinois. That group still gathers under the name Communities and Relatives of Illinois’ Incarcerated Citizens. She played an essential role in the founding of Restore Justice. Her vision, compassion, and determination continue to guide our work today. She served the organization as a board member for a decade, stepping down earlier this year. We are proud and grateful to honor her with the title Board Member Emerita in recognition of her enduring legacy.