Quish's appointment is effective June 28 and will terminate on December 3, 2018.
Quish's firm biography stresses her appellate and commercial and civil litigation experience "including professional liability, employment law, personal injury defense, insurance coverage and construction law." A 2000 graduate of Loyola University School of Law, Quish began her legal career as a law clerk to then-Appellate Court Justice Mary Jane Theis. In the 2004-05 school year, Quish was an Adjunct Professor of Appellate Advocacy at Loyola.
In another order entered yesterday, the Supreme Court assigned Chancery Judge Mary L. Mikva to the Appellate Court, filling the vacancy created by the recent passing of Justice Laura C. Liu. Judge Mikva's appointment is effective July 15.
Both of these appointments were made at the recommendation of Supreme Court Justice Mary Jane Theis (see press release).
So it happens again. This time, I for one am again happy that I applied for the countywide Jordan vacancy and was NOT selected. Why you ask? Well, because in past years I thought I had a shot. I thought my judicial references mattered. I thought my bar evaluations mattered. I thought my answers to the ridiculous essay questions mattered. I thought my clean ARDC record mattered. I thought how many bench and jury trials mattered. I thought opinions of opposing counsel mattered. They do not.
ReplyDeleteI have come to learn they really do not carry as much weight as the one factor that really does matter: BEING THE INSIDER. Even at this level. Even though this Supreme Court Judge set up a bipartisan blue ribbon screening committee in an effort to demonstrate transparency in her process, being the insider is all that matters. Her process has given us a judge who, as an attorney, was actually sitting on the Justice's screening committee. Now, after presumingly months of painstakingly reviewing applications from all four far away corners of the county, and everywhere in between, the blue ribbon committee rubber stamps, and the Justice, in her supreme wisdom and fairness, settles on her former law clerk. Yes, her former law clerk. Let that soak in for awhile.
Getting back around to why I am happy I was not selected for this vacancy. This appointment demonstrates to me that I, and most likely most of you as well, will never be selected for a judicial vacancy in Cook County. Unless of course you are an INSIDER. Which I, and most of you, are not. Political or otherwise. We are saved a ton of needless future work. No need to labor over applications for future vacancies. No need to anxiously wait for the letter or phone call that never comes. I am done.
So, no sour grapes here. I want to end on a positive note. My most sincere congratulations to new Judge Quish. I will be the one you are looking down at from the bench in traffic court in a few weeks. Congratulations to the blue ribbon selection committee, especially co-chairs Justice Gallagher and Judge Anderson. Well done boys. And Congratulations to Justice Theis. Very well done Justice. Another outstanding job.
Sincerely,
The Guy Nobody Sent
So, Mary Jane Theis appointed her law clerk to an open spot on the court. Hmmm. I wonder if anyone else was ever in the running for this plum assignment? Yeah, I didn't think so. And please, no comments about the "committee" and the "interview" process. Not when the former law clerk comes out on top. Family and friends plan yet again. Shameless. As always, E.P.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that Quish should be excluded form the judicial vacancy selection process just because she is a former law clerk of the Supreme Court Justice that selected her. I also believe that a Supreme Court Justice has the authority to appoint whomever they damn well want to appoint to fill a vacancy. Justice Freeman, as far as I know, does not employee an application process or "blue ribbon selection committee" to guide him in filling judicial vacancies. Several years ago he appointed his former law clerk to a judicial vacancy. For doing so he took some heat in the press but thereafter continued his (for lack of a better word) private process of selecting appointees to fill vacancies. I respect that.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to being the Justice's former law clerk, Quish also serves on a Supreme Court Committee. It is not unreasonable to think that Quish expressed her interest in becoming a Judge to her former boss. In fact, why wouldn't she? Further speculating, it is not unreasonable to believe that Justice Theis was well aware that Quish was interested in the Bench. That being said, I find it outrageous that Justice Theis employed the "blue ribbon selection committee" in filling the Jordan vacancy with Quish. It is just stupid and it gives more than the appearance of impropriety. Moreover, everyone else that applied must feel that by appointing Quish they were slapped in the face. The Theis selection process, with respect to this vacancy anyway, looks like a total sham.
My unsolicited advise to Justice Theis is just appoint (as E.P. says) the "friends and family" absent the fake dog and pony show blue ribbon selection committee. No fluffy press releases telling us how great Quish or before her, Conlon, are. You can do that Justice, you are a Supreme. Then, every once in a while, have a real honest to goodness competition using your selection committee. Make it fair and honest.
And if Quish was not enough, please do not get me started on the Mikva appointment to the Appellate Court. If the Mikva name sounds familiar to anyone with respect to Democratic Politics, it should.
I score these two Theis appointments: "Friends and Family" 2 "Outsides" 0 And the game is called because a flash flood of good old Cook County Patronage has overtaken the playing field.
Black lady that reads is reporting in. I agree with the previous comments. Based on what I read, Ms. Quish is qualified. But so are many others and it seems that although many may be equal, some are more equal than others. Sound familiar?
ReplyDeleteHi Jack,
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you would post it soon but just wanted to let you know that Justice Theis is accepting applications for vacancies in the 3rd and 10th subcircuits.