The Fall 2025 Hometowns Chicago students reconvened at the Everett McKinley Dirksen U.S. Courthouse on April 1 and 2 to complete their deep-dive into Escobedo v. Illinois. During the two-day intensive, our 27 Chicago scholars eagerly jumped back into their study after the government shutdown interrupted the fall program. Our ABA partner, Cathie Hawke, reacclimated students with the facts of Escobedo by teaching them how to brief a case using the FIRAC method. Students then prepared arguments and mooted the case, with Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman acting as Chief Justice. After engaging with a panel of experts from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Chicago-Kent College of Law, and the Chicago Office of Police Accountability, students fully understood the impact of Escobedo on the rights of the accused. They poured their knowledge into creating six museum-quality panels to educate their community on Escobedo, which will be displayed in the Dirksen Building’s lobby in early December.