Candidates are listed in the order that they appear on the ballot in the Democratic primary; no Republican filed for this vacancy. This post may be updated before the primary as new information becomes available.
Griselda Vega Samuel - #161
Campaign Website
Bar Association Evaluation Narratives
The Chicago Bar Association says:
Pursuant to section 34 of The Chicago Bar Association’s Judicial Evaluation Committee’s Governing Resolution, The Executive Committee has voted to issue a “Qualified” rating for Griselda Vega Samuel’s current Circuit Court Judge candidacy.The Chicago Council of Lawyers says:
Griselda Vega Samuel was admitted to practice in the state of Washington in 2001 and in Illinois in 2008. Since 2018, she has served as regional counsel, Midwest at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. She does impact litigation in state and federal courts, as well as legislative policy advocacy. From 2001-2004 and from 2007-2008, Ms. Vega Samuel served as a staff attorney at Columbia Legal Services in Yakima, Washington, from 2005-2006, she was employed at Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago (now Legal Aid Chicago) doing family law, housing, and consumer law. From 2008-2013, she was a Senior Attorney and Legal Director at the Justice in Motion in Brooklyn, New York. From 2013 to 2018 she was employed by Safe Horizon Anti-Trafficking Program.The Illinois State Bar Association says:
Ms. Vega Samuel is considered to have good legal ability and is well respected in the legal and social justice communities. She has substantial litigation experience in civil court matters, including both individual representation and in impact litigation. She is praised for her temperament both as a practitioner and as a supervisor. The Council finds her Qualified for the Circuit Court.
Ms. Griselda Vega Samuel has been licensed in Illinois since 2008, having previously been licensed in the state of Washington in 2001. Since March 2018, she has served as Regional Counsel, Midwest, at MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund). Although she is currently on a leave of absence due to her judicial campaign, she manages the litigation docket for several midwestern states, including class actions and impact litigation in federal court. Before taking that position, she worked for a variety of non-profits and legal service organizations focusing on civil and human rights, where she supervised programs and advocated before Congress, various government agencies, and in the media. She has written and spoken on civil rights and human rights issues. She has received several awards, including most recently the Chicago Bar Association’s Vanguard Award in 2022 and the Hispanic Lawyers Association Latina Lawyer of the Year award in 2019. In addition, she has chaired committees for the American Bar Association and the Hispanic Lawyers Association. She has handled matters in both state and federal court.
The Investigation revealed that she is well-respected in the legal and social justice communities, citing especially her legal writing experience, which includes the drafting of legal and litigation manuals in both English and Spanish. She is considered to have excellent legal knowledge and ability and is praised for her sensitivity to diversity and her community involvement. ISBA finds Griselda Vega Samuel qualified to be elected to the Circuit Court of Cook County.
Other Bar Association Evaluations
Arab American Bar Association: Recommended
Asian American Bar Association: Recommended
Black Men Lawyers' Association: Recommended
Black Women Lawyers' Association: Recommended
Cook County Bar Association: Recommended
Decalogue Society of Lawyers: Recommended
Hellenic Bar Association of Illinois: Recommended
Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois: Qualified
Chicago's LGBTQ+ Bar Association (LAGBAC): Recommended
Puerto Rican Bar Association of Illinois: Recommended
Women's Bar Association of Illinois: Recommended
Endorsements
Girl, I Guess
Personal PAC
------------------------------------------------------Personal PAC
Steve Demitro - #162
Campaign Website (newly added)
Steve Demitro: In his own words
Bar Association Evaluation Narratives
The Chicago Bar Association says:
Steve Demitro is "Qualified" to serve as a Circuit Court Judge. Mr. Demitro was admitted to practice law in Illinois in May 2000. Since then, he has handled a variety of litigation matters. He has demonstrated a strong work ethic and integrity. He has presided over more than 200 arbitrations in his legal practice. He is well-regarded for his temperament and demeanor, and he is respected for his civic and community involvement. Mr. Demitro has sufficient legal knowledge and ability to serve as a Circuit Court Judge.The Chicago Council of Lawyers says:
Steve Demitro was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 2000. Since that time, he has been a Solo Practitioner. His practice is concentrated on torts (personal injury), but he also handles some criminal law, domestic relations, real estate, probate, and chancery matters.The Illinois State Bar Association says:
Mr. Demitro is considered to have good legal ability and is praised for his temperament. He is very active in community affairs. He has had substantial litigation experience, particularly in recent years. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.
Mr. Steve Demitro has been licensed since 2000. He has been a sole practitioner his entire career with a general practice handling mainly torts, but also some criminal, domestic relations, real estate, and probate matters. He was a hearing officer for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and an arbitrator for seventeen years. He is currently the Vice President of the Ukrainian National Museum, has lectured on legal topics to students, and is involved in other community organizations in the McKinley Park area.
Though he has limited bench trial experience, most attorneys who have worked with him stated that he has good legal knowledge and ability, does research, and works well with different ethnic groups. He is always prepared, even keeled, and listens well. ISBA finds Steve Demitro qualified to be elected to the Circuit Court of Cook County.
Other Bar Association Evaluations
Arab American Bar Association: Recommended
Asian American Bar Association: Qualified
Black Men Lawyers' Association: Recommended
Black Women Lawyers' Association: Recommended
Cook County Bar Association: Recommended
Decalogue Society of Lawyers: Recommended
Hellenic Bar Association of Illinois: Recommended
Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois: Not Evaluated (through no fault of candidate)
Chicago's LGBTQ+ Bar Association (LAGBAC): Recommended
Puerto Rican Bar Association of Illinois: Recommended
Women's Bar Association of Illinois: Recommended
Endorsements
Chicago Federation of Labor
Teamsters Local 700
------------------------------------------------------Teamsters Local 700
Back to "Start here for the most complete information about every 2024 Cook County judicial race"
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment