E. Madeline O'Neill: In her own words

E. Madeline O'Neill is a candidate for the countywide Thomas vacancy.

I am qualified for the position of Circuit Court Judge based on my experience as a Hearing Officer in the Child Protection Division of the Cook County Juvenile Court where I presided over approximately 25,000 post-dispositional permanency hearings and the breadth of experience I have had as an attorney. Lawrence Grazian, my supervisor in the Hearings Officer division, wrote that, "Throughout her tenure, Ms. O’Neill has demonstrated her ability to manage a heavy court call efficiently and compassionately. In fact, I have frequently entrusted Ms. O’Neill to restore historically problematic calls to health … Her success is the direct result of her sound judgment, integrity, work ethic, and people skills.”

In addition to my abilities as a Hearing Officer, I possess experience in trial litigation both in the civil and criminal areas of the law. I have participated in both jury and non-jury cases. My practice has ranged from complex constitutional and treaty cases to domestic relations, torts, Shakman, discrimination claims, employment law, bankruptcy and criminal matters. Therefore, while my experience as a Hearing Officer has been in Juvenile Court, my experience in different legal venues allows me to be comfortable and capable in a variety of assignments through out the court system. Moreover, my success as an appellate prosecutor reflects my ability to analyze legal and factual issues and coherently draft a written legal argument. This ability is transferable to analyzing evidence and writing cogent legal opinions.

As a judge, I shall bring these experiences with me to ensure that justice will be dispensed with civility and respect for all who appear before me.