Chicago Magazine features IGS Resident Scholar Kathleen Morris in article on the rise of municipal affirmative litigation

Chicago Magazine's January 2026 issue featured IGS Resident Scholar and law professor Kathleen Morris in a deep-dive on how cities are increasingly using affirmative litigation as a tool to hold corporations and the federal government accountable. The article traces the origins of the movement to 2006, when San Francisco became the first city in the nation to form a dedicated affirmative litigation unit, with Morris at its helm. Her work pioneering that model — which has since spread to dozens of cities nationwide — offers important context for understanding how local governments are adapting to fill enforcement gaps left by a retreating federal government. Click here to read the full article. (Note: This article may be behind a paywall.)