I realized my life-long dream to become a judge when the Illinois Supreme Court appointed me as Circuit Judge in the countywide Carole Bellows Vacancy in January 2019. I originally aspired to become a judge because I believe the advantages I have received in life demand that I make a positive difference for others. I dedicated my career to public service before becoming a judge, and I view my service on the bench as a continuation of that path.
For over a year, I have been assigned to the First Municipal District, in the Daley Center, hearing municipal matters, including landlord-tenant disputes and criminal traffic misdemeanors. In high-volume courtrooms, I have presided over more than 100 bench trials, contested hearings, and motions to date, in both civil and criminal matters.
Before taking the bench, I served the public in government or public interest positions for 22 years. For over 16 years, I was Senior Counsel and Assistant Corporation Counsel in the Appeals Division of the City of Chicago’s Law Department, where I handled over 100 appeals, including in the Illinois Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court. I personally argued 5 cases in the Illinois Supreme Court and 40 cases in either the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit or the Illinois Appellate Court, First District. I became an expert in a broad range of substantive legal areas, including state and federal constitutional law, torts, administrative review, contracts, employment, land use, zoning, and municipal code violations, among others. I handled many of the City’s highest-profile matters and was the first attorney in Illinois Supreme Court history to present oral argument during a live broadcast from the Court.
I also served as Staff Attorney at the Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago (now Legal Aid Chicago), an organization whose purpose is to represent the most vulnerable members of our community. I appeared weekly in the Circuit Court of Cook County providing civil legal services to people living in poverty in cases involving subsidized housing and eviction, family law, domestic violence, foreclosure, employment discrimination, unemployment insurance, consumer protection, and public benefits.
Before that, I was a Trial Attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Programs Branch, in Washington, D.C., where I represented the United States, federal agencies, and government officials in U.S. District Courts around the country, including in matters challenging the constitutionality of statutes and administrative actions.
I earned my law degree from Columbia University School of Law, in New York, where I received Harlan Fiske Stone honors and served as the Writing & Research Editor of the Columbia Law Review. I earned my Bachelor of Arts degree at New York University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude.
After law school, I had two federal clerkships for the Honorable Carolyn Dineen King, then-Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the Honorable Robert P. Patterson, Jr., U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, both compassionate judges who kindled my aspiration to follow in their footsteps.
My judicial temperament is kind and respectful to all who appear before me. I do not tolerate incivility, bias, or prejudice. I firmly believe that all concerned in the judicial process are entitled to be treated with dignity, courtesy, and respect. I am aware that my courtroom may be one of the few interactions many people will have with our judicial system. As a result, I strive to ensure that each person feels heard, understands the process, and leaves with both awareness of the reasons for the outcome and believing he or she received fair treatment. I am extremely diligent and always devote the time required to each matter. I exercise my discretion with fairness, compassion, and common sense. I have received universally positive ratings from the bar associations.
I am a mother of two and an active contributor to the community in my private life. I serve as a Director of the Board of High Jump, an organization providing intensive academic enrichment to low-income middle school students seeking better educational opportunities. I also volunteer for other youth- and education-focused causes such as Stand Up For Kids Chicago, an organization fighting youth homelessness, and the Illinois Judges Association’s in-school programs. I serve as regional advisor for Columbia Law School, Social Justice Initiatives, advising students and graduates interested in government or public interest careers. I recently won an Exemplary Community Service Award from the Asian American Coalition of Chicago.
Every day, I bring to the bench a strong, well-rounded background of legal experience in addition to excellent academic credentials. In order to receive my judicial appointment, the Illinois Supreme Court investigated me through a rigorous screening process. I have broad substantive legal expertise as a result of the wide range of matters I handled during my federal clerkships and while serving at the Department of Justice, Legal Assistance Foundation, and the City’s Appeals Division. I bring a unique perspective to the bench as a highly accomplished appellate practitioner, giving me an understanding of the legal pitfalls to avoid and the boundaries of trial judges’ discretion that has served me well on the bench thus far. I have built a wide network of support across Cook County, including endorsements from over seventy respected public officials, organizations, and the Chicago Tribune. My dedication to public service in our broader Chicago-area community is unmatched; I credit this as the source of the compassion and integrity I display on the bench every day. I love being a judge and aspire to continue serving the public in that role for many years to come.
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