Alison Conlon: In her own words

Alison Conlon is a candidate for the countywide Hogan vacancy. Her punch number is 205.

My name is Alison Conlon and I am a Circuit Court Judge. On February 2, 2015, the Illinois Supreme Court, at the recommendation of Justice Mary Jane Theis, appointed me to fill the vacancy created by Judge Tom Hogan’s retirement, and I am running countywide to continue to serve in this vacancy. I sit in the Jury Section of the First Municipal District in Room 1403 in the Daley Center.

In addition to my regular judicial duties, I volunteer each week for the early morning pro se call, where unrepresented parties can appear at 8:00 a.m. without missing a day of work. Outside of work, I serve on the board of Public Interest Law Initiative (“PILI”); the Advisory Board for Catholic Charities; and the Advisory Committee for Pro Se Services in Cook County, where representatives of the judiciary, Sheriff, Clerk of Court and legal aid community work together to improve access to justice for self-represented litigants.

Before becoming a judge, I was a partner at Barnes & Thornburg and co-chair of our firm’s Commercial Litigation Practice Group. I represented people, businesses, cities and villages in complex civil litigation in a wide variety of areas including commercial, personal injury, class actions, real estate, insurance coverage, antitrust, property damage, environmental and municipal law. Previously, I was an associate then partner at Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon; an Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Chicago specializing in constitutional and commercial litigation; and a law clerk to federal District Judge Charles Kocoras. I received my law degree from Duke Law School in 2000; a Master’s degree in literature from Georgetown University in 1997; and my undergraduate degree from Yale University in 1994.

As a lawyer, I was active in our legal community. I taught legal writing at The John Marshall Law School. Also, I served on the Chicago Bar Association’s Board of Managers; the Local Rules Committee for the Northern District of Illinois; and the Hearing Board of the Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Committee (“ARDC”). I co-chaired the Chicago Bar Foundation’s 8th Annual Pro Bono Week, and I had an active and award-winning pro bono practice.

Every reviewing bar association has found me “qualified” or “highly qualified” to be a judge based on my legal experience, reputation and temperament. In addition, I now have a year’s worth of experience as a judge, during which I have presided over more than 70 trials, 20 of which were jury trials.

Each day I serve as a judge is a privilege, and I am working hard on the campaign trail so that I can continue to serve. I have developed a broad and diverse base of support with endorsements from the Cook County Democratic Party, the Chicago Federation of Labor, Fire Fighters Union Local 2, the Advocates’ Society, the National Organization of Women, IVI-IPO, the Indo-American Democratic Organization, and many elected officials.

You can find more information about me and my campaign at my website, electjudgeconlon.com, and on Facebook at Citizens for Judge Alison Conlon. I appreciate your consideration and hope you will Punch 205 to vote for Alison Conlon.