Sunil Bhave: In his own words

Sunil Bhave is a candidate for the 18th Subcircuit vacancy converted from the Associate Judgeship of Lauren Gottainer Edidin. His punch number is 162.

I would like to thank the host of this blog, Jack Leyhane, and you, the readers, for giving us an opportunity to tell you who we are. My name is Sunil Bhave and I am a candidate for Circuit Court Judge in Cook County's 18th Judicial Subcircuit, which principally consists of Elk Grove Village, Mount Prospect, and Des Plaines, along with surrounding communities in the Northwest Suburbs. I am currently an Associate Circuit Court Judge, having been appointed in March 2023.

The judicial branch is the hidden branch of government to many. But the cases we decide directly impact the lives of real, everyday citizens. I take my responsibilities very seriously. I know that, as a judge, every litigant deserves to be treated with respect and dignity. What I have learned is that litigants in the courtroom expect the same thing that we do in life—to be treated fairly. My job as a judge is to make sure every litigant and lawyer leaves the courtroom believing that they got a "fair shake" no matter the outcome of the case.

I am a second-generation American whose parents came to this country from India 60 years ago. My parents were hardworking immigrants who taught me compassion, empathy, and an unyielding sense that success can be achieved through hard work and perseverance. As a child of immigrants, I have first-hand knowledge of discrimination and know that too many people face prejudice. When I became an attorney, I committed myself to a career in public service. I felt a desire to help the less fortunate and those against whom the odds may be stacked.

Immediately after graduation from law school, I joined the Missouri State Public Defender's Office in rural Missouri (down in the bootheel in Poplar Bluff). My clients were poor, and often there was no one else to help them. Later, I clerked at a state appellate court (in Missouri) and for a federal district court in Louisiana (the Middle District of Louisiana in Baton Rouge). After my clerkships, I moved to Chicago to join the Illinois Attorney General's Office, where I handled civil appeals and general trial court litigation. My practice at the Attorney General's Office was varied. I briefed and argued appellate cases, including arguments in every appellate district in Illinois, the Illinois Supreme Court, and the federal Seventh Circuit. I also litigated cases in the state and federal trial courtrooms from complaint to verdict, mostly focusing on civil rights cases in federal court and equitable relief cases in the State Chancery Division.

At the Attorney General's Office, I was fortunate to work on some of the more high-profile cases in high-stakes litigation involving the People of Illinois, such as lawsuits challenging Illinois' Concealed Carry licensing system in federal court and representing Chief Judge Timothy Evans and the Circuit Court of Cook County in a lawsuit that we filed against Cook County after the County drastically reduced funding for Court operations.

But it is not really the high-profile cases that prepared me to be a judge. Instead, it is the countless interactions with everyday people from all walks of life that prepared me to take the bench. It is those cases that no one will ever hear of, mostly involving self-represented litigants, that affected me profoundly. I recognized that for each litigant, their case is likely the most important matter occurring in their life at that moment. These experiences taught me the values of listening to others carefully, treating others with respect and dignity, and explaining each ruling so that every litigant, even if they lose the case, can have closure.

I also applied these values during my time as an elected school board member in the Northwest Suburbs (Elk Grove Township District 59). Like litigants, parents equally are deserving of respect, being treated fairly, and understanding why decisions are being made that affect their and their children's lives. Serving on the school board gave me a broader perspective on making important decisions affecting real people's lives outside of the courtroom setting.

I have been found qualified and recommended by all of the bar associations that have rated me. And through many years of public service, I have earned the trust and endorsement of many elected officials and organizations. I am endorsed by the following:

• Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi
• State Senator Laura Murphy
• State Senator Ann Gillespie
• State Representative Tracy Katz Muhl
• Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison
• Cook County Commissioner Josina Morita
• Des Plaines Mayor Andrew Goczkowski
• All of the Democratic Party Organizations and Committeepeople in the 18th Subcircuit
• Personal PAC—Illinois' Leading Pro-Choice Organization
• Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization

I ask for your vote—Sunil Bhave for Circuit Judge, 18th Subcircuit, Gottainer Edidin Vacancy, Punch No. 162. To learn more, please visit my campaign website at www.sunil4judge.com.