Kevin O'Donnell: In his own words

Kevin Michael O'Donnell is a Republican candidate for the Fecarotta, Jr. vacancy in the 13th Subcircuit. His punch number is 241.

My broad range of life and legal experiences has prepared me well to serve as Judge. After over 27 years of being entrusted by over a thousand clients, I have the experience necessary to serve as a knowledgeable and well-prepared Judge. I am not part of the political establishment, so I can be counted on to pursue the truth tirelessly and be a thoughtful, fair and impartial Judge. I care deeply about the dignity and respect of everyone and will bring that same caring to the bench and all who appear before me.

I am an experienced litigation, business and estate planning attorney with the experience and integrity necessary to serve as a fair and impartial Cook County Judge.

I run a successful and long-established law practice that focuses on estate planning and probate, corporate and transactional, real estate, litigation, and charitable matters. An attorney since 1988, my firm is based 100% on referrals from satisfied clients and attorneys who value my tireless determination, creativity, and business judgment.

In my 27 years of practice, I have a great deal of litigation experience of the very sort needed to be a successful Judge. My civil litigation experience is broad, covering work for plaintiffs and defendants in Law, Chancery, Domestic Relations, Municipal, Probate, Mechanic’s Lien, Traffic, Criminal, and Mandatory Arbitration divisions. I have handled OSHA and Department of Labor matters, zoning board hearings, real estate and income tax challenges, private arbitrations, and even helped with a workers compensation matter. I have been involved in everything from small claims to multi-party complex litigation with millions of dollars at stake. I have strong appellate experience and have won on appeal for both appellant and appellee. I am a court approved mediator in Cook County after successfully completing the number one program in the nation at the Pepperdine School of Law.

I am admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court. I have practiced in the courts of the Cook, Lake, and DuPage counties and have also pursued cases for unpaid business owners in the Federal Bankruptcy courts in Chicago and Rockford. I have been admitted to our local Federal District Court and United States Tax Court. I am a Member of the Northwest Suburban, Chicago, and Illinois State Bar Associations. I worked his way through college, working nights managing a staff at Dominick’s to earn my tuition, and earned my Juris Doctor and Bachelors of Science from DePaul University.

I have prioritized community service. I am trusted to be Executor and Trustee for numerous estates, and served as Chairman of the Chicago Bar Association Probate Practice Committee, a pre-eminent practice committee for probate practitioners. I organized Chicago’s first Fire Museum, which honors first responders, and have been the pro-bono attorney to its 1,000 plus members since inception over 17 years ago. I organized and represent the Chicago Fire Department Charities, and made it possible for city employees to donate through payroll deductions. I serve as a volunteer attorney for Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind in honor of my mother who lost her sight in her later years. I also volunteer for PADS, served as Director and President of the Sherwood Improvement Association, and have been a youth coach for many years in the Arlington Heights Youth Athletic Association.

I come from a big Irish family, as one of six children. I learned the value of keeping confidences from my father, who served in Army intelligence and counter-intelligence with top secret clearance. My mother, the source of much inspiration, went back to school after raising her children to become a CPA and start her own practice at the age of 50. My wife Cindy and I celebrated our 25th anniversary last year, and are the proud parents of three daughters. We have raised our daughters to be contributing citizens and high-achievers, and as a result they earned top grades and top scores on their ACTs which led to all being accepted to the University of Notre Dame. Our rescue dog, Lucky, is a Beagle mix named after the dog in our daughters' favorite children’s book. I am a faithful member of St. James Catholic Church, and was sought out to serve as Chairman for the Human Resources Committee for Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, a large neighboring congregation.