Kristal Rivers: In her own words

Kristal Rivers is a candidate for the countywide Connors vacancy. Her punch number is 145.

Hello, I’m Kristal Rivers. With the knowledge I’ve gained as an attorney, I hope to serve the Cook County community as a judge. As a judge I look forward to promoting fairness, equality and justice for all litigants in my courtroom. I have a wide range of legal experience including having over 200 trials and 17 years of practicing civil and criminal law. Managing my own practice, clients and employees prepared me to run busy court calls. Moreover, I understand the rules of law and evidence, in addition to the practical pressures attorneys face and the inherent emotional and financial positions that litigants encounter.

I am honored to have received high praise from the Chicago Bar Association which found me to be “passionate and enthusiastic about the justice system.” I’ve been found “qualified” or “recommended” by major bar associations including the Illinois, Cook County, Chicago, Hellenic, Hispanic and Women’s Bar Associations.

I’m a native Chicagoan, but began my legal career as a prosecutor in Dallas, Texas. There, I was a Chief Prosecutor in misdemeanor courts and a Lead Felony Prosecutor in the felony Child Abuse Division. From 2001 until 2010, I owned and operated my own law practice. My practice, located in the Hyde Park neighborhood and later in Beverly, focused on real estate transactions, estate planning and civil litigation. During my almost 10 years in private practice I serviced over 6,000 client’s needs. In 2010, I was given the opportunity to return to public service and again work protecting our communities from sex offenders. I am now an Assistant Attorney General under Attorney General Lisa Madigan, assigned to the Sexually Violent Persons Bureau. There I commit convicted mentally ill sexual predators to a secure facility that’s designed to provide them with sex offender treatment.

With the legal knowledge I’ve gained I’ve constantly tried to help others. This is why I am a member of the American Bar Association (ABA) serving as a liaison to the ABA Taskforce on Human Trafficking. I am also a board member of the Salvation Army’s PROMISE (Partnership to Rescue Minors from Sexual Exploitation), which combats the sexual trafficking of children in our County. As a member of the Cook County Bar Association and a member of the Black Women Lawyers’ Association I serve on the community service committees. For 10 years I’ve been on the board of the Regional Fair Housing Center (RFHC), a non‐profit housing counseling agency which, in addition to extensive foreclosure mediation, offers home buyers workshops and assistance. In conjunction with the RFHC, my own law practice and others I’ve spoken at more than 100 free workshops and seminars. Additionally, I volunteer at expungement summits, school speaking engagements and bread baskets, and I serve as a mentor to young attorneys.

Because of my legal reputation, experience and community service background I’ve received endorsements from many organizations including the Cook County Democratic Party, the Independent Voters of Illinois (IVI-IPO), the Chicago Federation of Labor, Cook County Sheriff’s Lodge 4, Chicago Police Sergeants’ Association, Personal Pac, 45th Ward Independent Democrats, Indo-American Democratic Organization and the Democratic Women of the South Suburbs.
I believe that a judge is the ultimate arbitrator of fairness. The job of a judge can easily be equated with that of a referee; assuring that the rules (laws) are adhered to and justice is administered fairly. I believe that a judge should act as a guardian of the law, guided by the principals of fairness and justice. It is for that reason that I find being a judge to be the most noble of any legal position and the reason I aspire to be a judge.

Thank you for taking time to learn about me. I hope to have gained your vote; punch 145.

For more information go to: Rivers4Judge.org, like me on Facebook at Kristal Rivers for Judge or follow me on Twitter.