About MEDILL TrialMonitors
Courtrooms across the country are host to cases that change the trajectory of people’s lives, yet rarely do these courts receive press coverage that fully appreciates the gravity of the happenings there or the stories of the human beings involved. The law, its language, procedures and philosophies are often complex and challenging for laypeople to understand.
The law also can make the criminal legal system feel distant and opaque. Meaningful legal journalism requires more than simply attending hearings or summarizing court filings. Journalists must learn how the legal system operates, understand its terminology, cultivate trusted sources, and, most important, translate legal complexity into clear and compelling human stories.
That is the mission of MEDILL TrialMonitors.
As part of “Court Watchers: The Legal Beat,” launched in 2024, this hands-on course trains students at the Medill School of Journalism to report on the criminal legal system with depth, rigor, fairness and humanity. Students closely monitor hearings and trials in county and federal courthouses, taking detailed handwritten records of courtroom activity. They observe the conduct, interactions, and decision-making of judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, law enforcement officials and defendants throughout the proceedings.
The reporting extends far beyond the courtroom. In collaboration with programs such as the Northwestern Prison Education Program, DePaul University’s Inside-Out Program, and the University of Chicago’s Office of Military-Affiliated Communities, students also visit and participate in classes within prisons and jails, engaging directly with incarcerated individuals and others impacted by the criminal legal system. These experiences allow students to better understand the human realities behind sentencing policies, incarceration and reform efforts. The goal is to produce reporting that is nuanced, balanced, fact-driven and grounded in accuracy.
Student reporters have investigated issues including no-cash bail, truth-in-sentencing laws, prison gerrymandering, and immigration and citizenship. More recently, they have examined cases involving exonerees and victims of police torture, the need for greater diversity among judges, the role of state and federal lawmakers in shaping criminal justice reform policy, and the experiences of incarcerated women, who are widely overlooked and neglected within the criminal legal system.
Looking ahead, future reporting efforts will focus on key issues across the legal system, including:
Appellate court proceedings and their impact on outcomes
The complex realities and challenges faced by correctional officials and staff
The effectiveness and influence of prison education programs within correctional facilities and society at large
The prevalence and impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACES) among incarcerated individuals, with roughly 75% reporting significant early-age trauma.
Political and corporate corruption cases involving white-collar crime
The role of prisoner review boards in the legal system
Civil court litigation and related legal issues
As part of the experience, students engage directly with public officials, legal scholars, attorneys, advocates and policymakers. U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), a leading proponent of the bipartisan First Step Act signed into law by President Donald J. Trump in 2018, has met with students to discuss federal criminal justice reform, sentencing policy, recidivism reduction, and prison overcrowding. In 2024, student reporters met with then–Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, James Soto—who, along with his cousin, holds the distinction of being among the longest-serving wrongfully convicted individuals in Illinois history—and the lead prosecutor in the Jussie Smollett case.
For many students, covering the criminal legal system becomes transformative. The experience has inspired careers in investigative journalism, legal reporting, public service, and law. Those who have gone on to pursue the legal path have earned admission to leading institutions such as Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, Georgetown University Law Center, The Ohio State University Law School, University of Miami School of Law, among others.
Course Professor:
Michael A. Deas is a journalism educator and former newspaper editor who teaches print and video journalism. He previously directed Medill Media Teens, an initiative focused on introducing under-resourced high school students to multimedia reporting and storytelling. Deas, who innovated “Court Watchers: The Legal Beat,” joined the Medill School of Journalism in 2006 after serving in the U.S. Navy for five years and building a 15-year career at the Chicago Tribune, where he worked on the national-foreign and news desks. In addition to his teaching, he has served on advisory boards, participated in fellowships and consulting initiatives, and taught at universities throughout the Chicago area. He currently serves as co-director of the Connors Institute for Nonpartisan Research & Civic Engagement.
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