Chicago Council of Lawyers finds seven Cook County judicial candidates to be "well qualified"

Updated 3/1/24 with corrected links and other information provided by the Council.

The Chicago Council of Lawyers has released its evaluations of all candidates seeking judicial offices in the March primaries.

This year the Council is issuing only three ratings, "Well Qualified", "Qualified", or "Not Qualified." In past election cycles, the Council has sometimes also issued a "Highly Qualified" rating, but not this year. Also, in accordance with Alliance policy, if "a candidate refuses to submit his or her credentials to the Council, that candidate is rated 'not recommended' unless the Council is aware of credible information that would justify a 'not qualified' rating." For more about how the CCL evaluates judicial hopefuls and the ratings that it issues, consult the first three and a half pages of its March 2024 Primary Judicial Evaluation Report.

For 2024, the Council has found seven Cook County judicial candidates "well qualified." One Supreme Court candidate received this rating from the CCL, as did four Appellate Court candidates, and two Circuit Court candidates. Interestingly, both of the Circuit Court candidates receiving the Council's "Well Qualified" rating, Judge Debjani 'Deb' Desai and former Judge Russ Hartigan, are opposing each other in the race for the countywide Propes vacancy.

In addition to releasing its ratings, the Council also issues a brief narrative explaining its evaluations of each candidate. These are also found in the March 2024 Primary Judicial Evauluation Report. In this post, we will reproduce the Council's narratives for candidates seeking election to the Illinois Supreme and Appellate Courts in contested primary races. The Council's evaluation narratives for Circuit Court candidates in contested primary races, both countywide and subcircuit, will be covered in subsequent posts.

Supreme Court

Vacancy of the Hon. Anne M. Burke

Hon. Jesse G. Reyes -- Qualified
Hon. Jesse G. Reyes was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1984. Since 2012, he has served as a Justice of the Illinois Appellate Court, First District, Fourth Division. Previously he was a Cook County Circuit Judge, where his assignments included the Chancery Division’s Mortgage Foreclosure/Mechanics Lien Section (2005-2012); the Chancery Division, County Department and the First Municipal District, Municipal Department (2002-2005); the First Municipal District, First District (2001-2005, 1997-1999); and the Sixth Municipal District (Markham, 1999-2001).

Judge Reyes has good legal ability and has had substantial experience both as a trial judge and as an Appellate Court Justice. He is reported to be well prepared at oral argument and his opinions are reported to be well written and well-reasoned. The Council finds him Qualified for the Illinois Supreme Court.

Hon. Joy Virginia Cunningham -- Well Qualified
Justice Joy Cunningham was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1982. She currently serves on the Illinois Supreme Court where she was appointed in December 2022. Prior to that appointment, she has served on the Appellate Court for sixteen years, as Senior VP and General Counsel for Northwestern Memorial Healthcare System, as an Associate Judge in the Circuit Court of Cook County, as Associate General Counsel for Loyola University and Loyola Medical Center, and as an Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Division where she began her career. She has served as an ALI advisor on Conflict of Laws and has lectured at UIC and Loyola Law Schools on trends in the law and legal practice. She is active in a number of bar associations, legal societies, and nonprofits including the Chicago Bar Association where she was President (2004-2005).

Justice Cunningham has been well respected in all of her previous positions, and is praised for her legal ability and knowledge as a Supreme Court Justice. She is reported to always be prepared for oral argument and her rulings are considered to be thorough and well reasoned. She is also praised for her calm and highly professional temperament. She is exceptionally active in community activities. The Council finds her Well Qualified for the Supreme Court.

Appellate Court

Vacancy of the Hon. Joy V. Cunningham

Hon. Cynthia Cobbs -- Well Qualified
Justice Cynthia Cobbs was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1988. Prior to her appointment to the bench in 2011, she served as a staff attorney and chief legal counsel of the Administrative Offices of Illinois Courts. She is currently assigned to the First District Appellate Court (since 2015). She is a member of various bar associations and legal societies, including the Illinois Judges Association where she has served as co-chair of the Pro Bono Committee and a member of the Board of Directors. She has also been a board member of South Suburban PADS (Public Action to Deliver Shelter) and Higher Education in Haiti.

Justice Cobbs is a highly respected jurist who is considered to have very good legal ability. She is praised for her thorough understanding of the issues being argued before her. Her temperament is described as patient and respectful. She is reported to issue well reasoned opinions in a timely fashion. The Council finds her Well Qualified for the Appellate Court.

Hon. Carolyn J. Gallagher -- Not Qualified
Judge Carolyn J. Gallagher was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1982. Since 2018, she has been assigned to the Probate Division, County Department, where she hears Decedent’s Estates cases, Adult Guardianship cases, and Minor Guardianship cases. Her previous judicial assignments were in the Municipal Department of the First Municipal District, in the Housing Division (2017-2018) and the Traffic Division (2016-2017). Previously she was a Solo Practitioner at the Law Office of Carolyn J. Gallagher (2004-2016), where she handled Appellate Law and Complex Commercial Litigation, Real Estate Law, and Financial Institution Law. She also worked as a Legal Writing Instructor at DePaul University College of Law (2000-2004) and again as a Solo Practitioner at the Law Office of Carolyn Gallagher Brocksmith (1996-2000).

Many lawyers found Judge Gallagher to have good legal ability but many also raised concerns about her grasp of the issues related to the cases before her. She is reported to be fair with a good temperament, but many lawyers are concerned with her ability to manage her caseload, including the length of time it takes her to rule. The Council understands that an under-performing employee of the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court may have affected the running of Judge Gallagher’s courtroom; however, that explanation does not fully address the concerns raised. On balance, the Council finds Judge Gallagher Not Qualified for the Appellate Court.

Vacancy of the Hon. Mathias W. Delort

Hon. Celia Gamrath -- Well Qualified
Judge Celia Gamrath was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1994. She was appointed to the bench by the Illinois Supreme Court in 2010 and elected in 2012. From 2010 to 2016, she served in the Domestic Relations Division and has been in Chancery since 2016. Prior to her appointment, she worked in family law litigation for Schiller, DuCanto, and Fleck, and was a clerk in the Illinois Appellate Court (1994-1997). She has lectured for the UIC Law School on various occasions and has several bar association publications. She is also a member of various bar associations, including as past president of the Justinian Society of Lawyers, and legal societies as well as actively involved in mentorship to judges and law students.

Judge Gamrath is praised for her knowledge of the law. She is said to read all pleadings and understand the issues before here. Lawyers say that she give fair hearings with principled rulings, She is considered to be hard working and impartial with a respectful and professional demeanor. She has numerous published articles and has substantial experience as a lawyer. The Council finds her Well Qualified for the Appellate Court.

Hon. Leonard Murray -- Qualified Judge Leonard Murray was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1974. He was elected to the Circuit Court in 2016 and currently serves as Acting Supervising Judge in the Housing Section of the First Municipal Department. Prior to his election, he had served as an Associate Judge since 2007. Previously, he was in private practice, first with a large accounting firm and then, from 1980 to 2007, as a solo practitioner with a varied practice, focused primarily in litigation.

Lawyers say Judge Murray is smart and knowledgeable. Some respondents complain that he is slow to start his call, but he is generally praised for his impartiality and ability to manage his courtroom. He understands the issues and reportedly does a good job of applying the facts to the law and having decisions that are fair to all parties. The Council finds him Qualified for the Appellate Court.