Justice Theis creates appointment screening committee

Judge Anderson (ret.)

Supreme Court Justice Mary Jane Theis announced Friday the formation of a 14-person "bipartisan screening committee" to assist her in screening potential appointments to interim vacancies on the Cook County Circuit Court.

The committee will be co-chaired by retired U.S. District Judge Wayne R. Anderson, now a neutral with JAMS, and retired Illinois Appellate Justice Michael J. Gallagher, who now operates Michael J. Gallagher Mediation Services LLC.

Justice Gallagher (ret.)

Another retired U.S. District Court Judge, David H. Coar, now also a JAMS neutral, will serve on the committee, as will Alison C. Conlon, a partner in the Chicago office of Barnes & Thornburg LLP; Mary C. Dempsey, the former Chicago Public Library Commissioner and currently the President of the Phillip H. Corboy Foundation; and Jean M. Golden, a Cassiday Schade LLP partner.

Denise Kane, the Inspector General of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, is the only non-lawyer member of the screening committee.

Judge Coar (ret.)

Other members of the screening committee are Elizabeth Kaveny, a name partner in the firm of Burke Wise Morrissey & Kaveny; Michael Monico, a partner in the firm of Monico & Spevack and frequent guest on WLS radio's Roe & Roeper program; Michael I. Rothstein, a name partner in the firm of Tabet DiVito & Rothstein; and Sr. Catherine M. Ryan, the Executive Director of Maryville Academy.

Also serving on the screening committee are Francine Soliunas, Dean for Strategic Community Alliances at the DePaul University College of Law; Richard Waris, an equity partner in the firm of Pretzel & Stouffer, Chartered; and Professor Mark E. Wojcik of the John Marshall Law School.