Chicago Council of Lawyers issues findings for candidates in Subcircuits 13, 14, and 15

Updated March 1 to reflect changes in CCL's report.

As reported earlier today, the Chicago Council of Lawyers released its evaluations of judicial candidates for the upcoming primary.

I've already published posts showing the CCL's evaluations of candidates for the countywide Brewer, Clay, and Dooling vacancies (click here); for the Flanagan, Hartigan, and Jordan vacancies (click here); and for all other countywide candidate candidates (click here).

For CCL findings of candidates seeking vacancies in Subcircuits 1, 2 and 3 click here; for CCL evaluations of candidates in Subcircuits 4, 5, and 6, click here. Council evaluations of candidates in Subcircuits 8, 10, 11, and 12 can be found at this link.

The Council's evaluations of candidates for vacancies in the 13th, 14th, and 15th Subcircuits follow immediately:

13th Subcircuit

Crane Vacancy

Republican Candidates

Gary W. Seyring -- Qualified

Gary W. Seyring was admitted to practice in 1978. He is also a Certified Public Accountant. He is a solo practitioner focusing on domestic relations, real estate, estate planning, tax planning, and business law. A substantial percentage of Mr. Seyring’s practice involves litigation. He is considered to have good legal ability and temperament. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Susanne Groebner – Qualified

Susanne Groebner was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 2000. Since 2001, she has worked as an Assistant State’s Attorney in the Cook County State’s Attorney Office, where she currently works in the Felony Trial Division in Rolling Meadows, IL (2013-present). She previously served in the Felony Trial Division in Chicago (2008-2013); in the Felony Review, Preliminary Hearings, and Grand Jury Units (2004-2008); in the Juvenile Division (Abuse and Neglect/Delinquency, 2001-2004); and in the Child Support Division (2001).

Ms. Groebner is considered to have good legal ability. Respondents to this evaluation say that she has good litigation skills and that she is an honest and fair prosecutor. She has substantial litigation experience in more complex matters. The Council finds her Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Democratic Candidate

Ketki Shroff Steffen -- Qualified

Ketki Shroff Steffen was admitted to practice in 1991. She was appointed to the bench by the Illinois Supreme Court in 2015 and served until December 2016. She was a career Assistant State’s Attorney for Cook County. She reports being lead counsel in 30 trials that have gone to a jury verdict and over 500 that have gone to a bench verdict. She has litigated 13 cases on appeal. Ms. Steffen is reported to have good legal ability and temperament. She enjoys a reputation as a trusted and experienced criminal law litigator. The Council finds her Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Lawrence Vacancy

Republican Candidates

Daniel P. Fitzgerald – Qualified

Daniel P. Fitzgerald was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1991. Since 2005, he has worked as a litigation attorney for the Walgreen Company, where he currently serves as Senior Counsel. He focuses on health care litigation but has also handled employment law and environmental law cases. Previously, he was Chief Legal Counsel and Chief of the Bureau of Administrative Litigation of the Office of the Inspector General, Illinois Department of Health Care and Family Services (2002-2005); General Counsel to the Illinois Racing Board (1999-2002); Assistant State’s Attorney in the Illinois Attorney General’s Office (1993-1999); and Judicial Law Clerk in the Cook County Circuit Court, Chancery Division (1991-1993).

Mr. Fitzgerald is considered to have good legal ability with a wide range of litigation and other legal experience. He has handled complex litigation on his own and as a supervisor of outside counsel. His is reported to possess a good temperament. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Hon. Michael P. Gerber – Qualified

Hon. Michael P. Gerber was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1980. He was appointed to the bench as a Circuit Judge by the Illinois Supreme Court in 2016. He presides over criminal misdemeanors, felony preliminary hearings, and traffic matters. Previously, he worked as an Assistant State’s Attorney in Cook County, where he prosecuted criminal matters (1984-2016); an Assistant Public Defender in Cook County (1981-1984), where he handled motions and trials and, during his last 18 months there, felony preliminary hearings; and as an associate for Martin S. Gerber (1980-1981), where he handled civil municipal and misdemeanor cases in the Circuit Court of Cook County.

As a lawyer, Judge Gerber was considered to be an outstanding practitioner with very good legal ability and temperament. He was respected for his litigation skills and he had substantial litigation experience in more complex matters. He is reported to be exceptionally knowledgeable. As a judge he is reported to be handling a high volume call with efficiency and fairness. On the basis of this 2017 evaluation the Council would have found Judge Gerber to be Well Qualified.

However, subsequent to the evaluation the Council conducted in 2017, the Council notes that a post conviction judge vacated a murder case conviction that then Mr. Gerber had prosecuted many years earlier. In vacating the conviction, the judge stated in regard to Mr. Gerber, as the prosecutor, that he had made “factually false arguments to the jury” about a key piece of evidence. The judge further stated,

"This Court cannot say the prosecutor's improper remarks did not contribute to petitioner's conviction; a jury could have reached a contrary verdict had the improper remarks not been made. * * * Indeed, such statements amounted to a purposeful due process violation that led to petitioner's conviction. As such, petitioner was prejudiced by appellate counsel's failure to raise this claim."

The defendant was exonerated. The Council considers these findings to be exceptionally serious. However, the Council also must consider the totality of Judge Gerber’s well-respected career. In a close call, the Council finds Judge Gerber to be Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Democratic Candidate

Shannon P. O’Malley – Not Recommended

Shannon P. O’Malley did not participate in the evaluation process. The Council finds her Not Recommended for the Circuit Court.

O'Donnell Vacancy

Republican Candidate

Alice Christine Svenson – Qualified

Alice Christine Svenson was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1995. She is the Principal at Svenson Law Offices, where she focuses on family law, federal and state election law, and employment law. Previously, she handled workers compensation cases at Stone and Johnson (Associate and Partner, 1998-2008) and at Ridge and Downes (Associate, 1995-1998). She has participated in serval bar associations including the Republican National Lawyers Association, where she served on the Board of Governors and as the Finance Chair and the Illinois State Chapter Chair. She has provided pro bono legal services to divorced fathers through the organization Fathers Helping Fathers.

Ms. Svenson has a variety of legal experiences, including litigation experience in workers compensation cases and domestic relations matters. She has relatively little recent trial experience, although she maintains a motion practice. Respondents say she has demonstrative good litigation skills and she is reported to have a good temperament. There have been a few client complaints concerning her diligence, but on balance, she appears to be a good practitioner. The Council finds her Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Democratic Candidate

Hon. Samuel J. Betar, III – Qualified

Hon. Samuel J. Betar, III was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1983. Since 2012, he has served as an Associate Judge assigned to the Third Municipal District, where he handles traffic, criminal, domestic violence, housing, civil and parentage matters. He was appointed as a Circuit Judge by the Illinois Supreme Court in 2017. His previous assignments include Domestic Relations, Third Municipal District (2003-2012), Post Judgment Collections, First Municipal District (1999-2003), and First Municipal District, Housing Court (1999). He was also an Associate at Arnold and Kadjan, where he handled labor law and litigation (1991-1998); an Associate at Kamensky and Rubinstein, where he handled commercial litigation (1986-1991), and an Associate at the Botti Law Firm (1983-1986). He is a member of several bar associations, including the Northwest Suburban bar association, where he has Co-Chaired the Matrimonial Law Committee.

Lawyers appearing before Judge Betar consider him to have good legal ability and to have good temperament. He is praised for his ability to manage a large call and for his patience and communication skills with litigants and lawyers. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.

14th Subcircuit

Garcia Vacancy

Hon. Marina E. Ammendola – Qualified

Judge Marina E. Ammendola was admitted to practice in 1989 and was appointed to the bench by the Illinois Supreme Court in 2017. She has been a sole practitioner since 2001, focusing on tort litigation matters. She also serves as a Guardian ad Litem.

Judge Ammendola is considered to have good legal ability and is widely praised for her litigation skills and for her temperament. She has substantial litigation experience in more complex matters. The Council finds her Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Beatriz A. Frausto-Sandoval – Not Qualified

Beatriz A. Frausto-Sandoval was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 2005. Since 2011, she has been a Solo Practitioner at the Law Office of Beatriz A. Frausto-Sandoval, where she focuses on immigration law and related matters. She has also worked as a full-time Contract Attorney at Hudson Legal (2011-2012), where she handled document review in contract litigation cases and an Associate with a focus on immigration law at both Hughes Socol Piers Resnik and Dym, Ltd. (2006-2011) and the Law Office of Scott. E. Bellgrau in Bensenville, IL (2005-2006).

Ms. Frausto-Sandoval specializes in immigration law and is praised for her knowledge of that area of law. She is reported to have good temperament. The Council is concerned, however, with the depth and breadth of her practice. She has been a lawyer since 2005 and focuses almost exclusively on immigration work, which does not include state court practice. The Council finds her Not Qualified for the Circuit Court of Cook County.

15th Subcircuit

Scully, Jr. Vacancy

Ashonta Rice-Akiwowo – Not Qualified

Ashonta Rice-Akiwowo was admitted to the Illinois bar in 2005. She immediately began as a Cook County Assistant Public Guardian. There, she represented minors in abuse proceedings. In 2007, she started a solo practice specializing in Family law.

Ms. Rice-Akiwowo enjoys a reputation of being a smart and knowledgeable practitioner. She is praised for her temperament which is often described as respectful and professional. She reports a significant number of trials. The Council is concerned, however, because of the combination of depth and breadth of her experience, particularly in light of the relatively few years she has been a lawyer. The Council finds her Not Qualified for the Circuit Court at this time.

Michael Brendan Barrett - Qualified

Michael Brendan Barrett was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1991. Since 1992, he has worked for Barrett & Sramek, where he is a partner focusing on personal injury, probate and estate planning, and worker’s compensation cases. He previously worked as an associate at Moss & Hillison (1991-1992). Mr. Barrett provides pro bono legal services to not-for-profit youth sports organizations, including Vikings Youth Hockey, Amateur Hockey Association of Illinois, Illinois Hockey Officials’ Association, and Chicago Fury Youth Hockey. He has held bar association offices and committee memberships including president of the Southwest Bar Association; judicial evaluations investigator and member of the Tort Law Section Council for the Illinois Bar Association; judicial evaluations investigator for the Chicago Bar Association; and vice chairman of the Judicial Screening Committee for the Coalition of Suburban Bar Associations.

Mr. Barrett is considered to have good legal ability and temperament. He is knowledgeable and is reported to have good trial skills. He has substantial litigation experience is well-respected as a practitioner. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Zelezinski Vacancy

Republican Candidate

Karla Marie Fiaoni—Qualified

Karla Marie Fiaoni was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1989. Since 2001, she has been the Sole Practitioner and Owner of the Law Office of Karla Marie Fiaoni in Homewood, IL. Her legal practice is focused on criminal defense, family law, and Secretary of State Administration hearings. She has previously served as an Assistant State’s Attorney in the Cook County State’s Attorney Office (1989-1994), the Chief of Police of the City of Chicago Heights, IL (1994-1996), and Project Director of the Domestic Violence Unit of the City of Chicago Heights. She is a Member and Past President of two bar associations: the Women’s Criminal Defense Bar Association and the South Suburban Bar Association.

Ms. Fiaoni is considered to have good legal ability and temperament. She has a variety of legal experiences. She is respected as a solid lawyer who cares about her clients and who is a zealous advocate for them. Ms. Fiaoni has a range of experience which translates well into what is needed for her to be a good judge. The Council finds her Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Democratic Candidates

Hon. Anthony Swanagan – Qualified

Hon. Anthony Swanagan was admitted to practice in 1987, and was appointed to the Circuit Court by the Illinois Supreme Court in April 2017. Before taking the bench Judge Swanagan had served as a career clerk to U.S. District Court Judge Andrea R. Wood of the U.S. District Court. He has also clerked for Justice William White in the Illinois Appellate Court, and for Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman of the U.S. federal court. Earlier in his career, Judge Swanagan was a litigator in civil matters with Jones, Ware & Grenard and served as corporate counsel for Galileo International, Inc.

Judge Swanagan is considered to have good legal ability. As a lawyer, he had litigation experience earlier in his career, and is widely praised for his writing skills and analytic thinking as a law clerk in both the state and federal courts. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Scott Darrell McKenna -- Qualified

Scott Darrell McKenna was admitted to practice in 1996. Mr. McKenna is currently a partner at Best, Vanderlaan & Harrington. He is the principal trial attorney for a caseload of approximately 175 civil cases. He also is responsible for interviewing and hiring attorneys, mentoring attorneys, reviewing client bills and management of the firm. From 1997 to 2000, Mr. McKenna was an associate at Richard B. Bogich & Associates (now known as Winters Salzetta O’Brien & Richardson). He handled plaintiff personal injury matters at both the trial and appellate levels.

Mr. McKenna is considered to have good legal ability and temperament. His career includes law firm management and extensive experience as a litigator in civil matters. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.