Maureen Ward Kirby appointed Acting Presiding Judge of the County Division

Press release issued last evening by the Office of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans. The link from the text was added by FWIW.

The Hon. Maureen Ward Kirby has been named Acting Presiding Judge of the County Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans said.

Judge Ward Kirby has been a judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County since 2007. Prior to joining the bench, she was a partner at Bell, Boyd & Lloyd, handling complex commercial litigation cases, and was a law clerk to the Honorable James H. Alesia of the Northern District of Illinois. When in private practice, she was admitted to the Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Circuit Courts of Appeal, and was a member of the trial bar of the Northern District of Illinois.

Judge Ward Kirby replaces the Hon. Rena Marie Van Tine, who was appointed a justice with the First District Appellate Court. Judge Van Tine was the state’s first female Asian-American presiding judge.

“Judge Ward Kirby has had many years of experience as a judge, and is a leader and educator regarding issues of mental health and addiction,” said Judge Evans. “I am confident that the County Division will benefit from her leadership.”

Since September 2009, Judge Ward Kirby has been assigned to the County Division, where she hears election, tax, civil mental health, adoption, and other matters. She has presided over hundreds of civil trials seeking involuntary admission to a mental health facility or involuntary treatment, supervises the Agreed Outpatient Treatment call, has finalized thousands of adoption cases, and has extensive experience involving tax litigation and election disputes.

“I am honored to serve with the wonderful group of judges and committed lawyers in this division,” Judge Ward Kirby said. “County handles cases that impact people’s lives in such profound ways, whether it be adoption, mental health or elections, and we in the division will continue to administer justice fairly, efficiently, and with humility. I thank Chief Judge Evans for his confidence in me.”

Prior to joining the County Division, Judge Ward Kirby was first assigned to Traffic Court in the First Municipal Division and then transferred to the Domestic Relations Division. In that assignment she heard the high volume civil independent orders of protection call at 555 W. Harrison prior to the creation of the Domestic Violence Division.

Judge Ward Kirby is also a frequent lecturer on civil mental health law, is a member of the Illinois Mental Health Task Force, and currently serves on the Illinois Supreme Court Special Advisory Committee for Justice and Mental Health Planning. She has presented to her colleagues at the biennial Judicial Education Conference on interacting with litigants with mental health challenges, involuntary commitment proceedings, and the opioid epidemic. She also has educated her colleagues on emergency mental health orders and outpatient treatment orders.

Judge Ward Kirby is a certified Supreme Court of Illinois new judge judicial mentor. She graduated magna cum laude from Boston College and from Loyola University of Chicago Law School.

Judge Kirby was appointed to the bench in 2007, as the Court's press release notes; she was elected to a countywide vacancy in 2008.