Donna L. Cooper: In her own words

Donna L. Cooper is a candidate for the Turkington vacancy in the 1st Judicial Subcircuit.

I was born in and educated in Chicago. I am a graduate of Northwestern University and DePaul University Law School. My legal experience has been in the public sector.

I was a staff attorney at the Illinois Industrial Commission, where I wrote decisions and opinions for the Arbitrators and Commissioners from 1981 to 1985.

I served as an Assistant Public Defender from 1985 to 1989. I began at Juvenile Court on the abuse and neglect calendar for nine months and then went to delinquency. I took a little break from juvenile and spent about 6 months in the Appeals Division. I wrote appeals on two of the delinquency cases that I tried at juvenile. I was promoted and returned to juvenile as an assistant supervisor for about a year.

I joined the City as an Assistant Corporation Counsel in the Municipal Prosecutions Division in 1989. From Muni, I went to the Chicago Park District in 1992 as an Assistant General Attorney handling workers’ compensation cases. In 1995 returned to the City where I first started in the Torts Division doing worker's compensation. In 2000, I transferred to the 1st Municipal group and was promoted to the law division in February 2002. I have tried at least 14 jury cases to verdict.

I am an active member of St. Joachim Church and a founding member of my neighborhood block club. I have been a youth mentor in the State of Illinois Lincoln's Challenge Program, as well as the Cook County Bar Association's Legal Explorers and a past volunteer with Southwest Women Working Together "Read With Me" program.

I am a military lawyer in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. I was commissioned as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserves in 1988, transferred to the Illinois Army National Guard in 1993 where I became the first African–American JAG in the Illinois Army National Guard. In fact, I am still the only Black JAG in the IL Army Guard.

I was the first Illinois Army National Guard JAG deployed to Iraq. I was activated and deployed to Iraq in August of 2003 as part of a special team sent to work with Polish troops. However, I did not get to assist setting up the courts as initially planned. I served as the liaison officer between the Polish and the U. S. legal office of the Combined Joint Task Force 7 (CJTF7). I was also initially Deputy Chief, then Chief, of LEGAD (Legal Advisors) Section of the Multi-National Division, Central South (MND–CS). This was the Area of Responsibility (AOR) of the Polish, Ukrainian, Spanish and other international troops.

My duties with the MND-CS included: advising the Command of the MND-CS, on legal aspects during the planning and conducting of military and humanitarian operations; advising and interpreting International Law of War, Rules of Engagement and Memorandum of Agreement issues; and detention operations. I supervised and worked with foreign attorneys. In addition, I reviewed and interpreted foreign legal documents. I helped the Polish establish procedures for claims made by Iraqi citizens against the various nations and handled claims filed against the United States. I was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel while there and was pinned by a Polish Brigadier General.

While I was deployed, I took early retirement from the City of Chicago in February 2004. My intent was to pursue and do something new legally when I returned. However, since I’ve been home, the Illinois National Guard has been short on lawyers and I have been performing additional duties and training with the Guard. I have also taken courses at the JAG school in Charlottesville, Virginia and attended military legal conferences and seminars around the country. In August 2006, I went to Germany on a keep up tour for two weeks.

I was previously on the "short list" for associate judge in 1998, 1999 and most recently in February, 2007. I have been found "Qualified or Recommended" by the 10 major bar associations.