Organizing the Data: Appellate Court - Delort vacancy

Updated 3/15/24 with corrected information from the Alliance

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.

Celia Louise Gamrath - #132

Campaign Website

Bar Association Evaluation Narratives

The Chicago Bar Association says:

Judge Celia Gamrath is “Highly Qualified” for the office of Justice of the Illinois Appellate Court. Judge Gamrath was admitted to practice law in Illinois in 1994. Judge Gamrath has almost three decades of experience as an appellate clerk, and as an appellate lawyer in private practice, including 13 years as a judge. She has demonstrated that she is a capable and fair judge in difficult assignments and is highly regarded for her legal knowledge, preparedness, temperament and work ethic by the attorneys who appear before her.

The Chicago Council of Lawyers says:

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.

The Illinois State Bar Association says:

Hon. Celia Louise Gamrath has been licensed in Illinois since 1994. After serving as a law clerk to the Appellate Court, she joined Schiller DuCanto and Fleck, rising to partner. In 2010 she was appointed to the Cook County Circuit Court, elected in 2012 and retained in 2018. She has been assigned to the Chancery Division since 2016 after previously serving in Domestic Relations. She is a past president of the Justinian Society, has been a board member of the Appellate Lawyers Association, the Illinois Judges Association, and secretary for the Chicago Bar Foundation. She is a former member of the Board of Governors, and the Assembly for the Illinois State Bar Association, is a past Vice President of the Board of Trustees for The John Marshall Law School, now known as the University of Illinois – Chicago Law School. Judge Gamrath has written on legal topics, teaches, and speaks at bar and law school events. She has received several awards, including the Illinois Bar Foundation’s Distinguished Service Award.

Attorneys praised her knowledge of the law, reporting that she gives fair hearings with well-reasoned and principled rulings. She is hard-working, impartial, and professional. ISBA finds Judge Celia Louise Gamrath highly qualified to be elected as Justice to the Illinois Appellate Court – First District.

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: Highly Recommended

Hellenic Bar Association of Illinois: Recommended

Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois: Recommended

Chicago's LGBTQ+ Bar Association (LAGBAC): Highly Recommended

Puerto Rican Bar Association of Illinois: Recommended

Women's Bar Association of Illinois: Recommended

Endorsements

Cook County Democratic Party
Chicago Federation of Labor
IVI-IPO
Girl, I Guess
Fraternal Order of Police, Chicago Lodge No. 7
AMVOTE PAC
United Hellenic Voters of America
Teamsters Joint Council No. 25
IBEW Local 134
IUOE Local 150
IUOE Local 399
Cong. Jan Schakowsky
Personal PAC

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Leonard Murray - #135

Campaign Website

Bar Association Evaluation Narratives

The Chicago Bar Association says:

Judge Leonard Murray is "Qualified" for the office of Justice of the Illinois Appellate Court. Judge Murray was admitted to practice law in Illinois in 1974 and is highly regarded for his legal knowledge, ability and fairness. Before his appointment to the bench, Judge Murray had extensive appellate court experience and drafted an instruction manual for judges in the Eviction Courts.

The Chicago Council of Lawyers says:

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.

The Illinois State Bar Association says:

Hon. Leonard Murray has been licensed in Illinois since 1974. He was chosen as an associate judge in 2007 and retained as such in 2011 and 2015. He was elected to the Cook County Circuit Court in 2016. He is currently serving as a Supervising Judge, Municipal Department – Housing Section. Judge Murray has served on various committees, boards of various bar associations, including the Illinois State Bar Association, and has been a speaker on legal topics. He is a past president of the Cook County Bar Association, has chaired committees, been a board member of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association, and the National Bar Association. He has served on the Illinois Supreme Court committees and with various community organizations and received the Board of Governors Award in 2002 from the Illinois State Bar Association.

Attorneys reported that he has good legal knowledge in his current assignment and is sensitive to the many pro se litigants who appear before him and stated that he is efficient in getting cases resolved. ISBA finds Judge Leonard Murray highly qualified to be elected as Justice to the Illinois Appellate Court – First District.

Other Bar Association Evaluations

Arab American Bar Association: Not Evaluated (through no fault of the candidate)

Asian American Bar Association: Recommended

Black Men Lawyers' Association: Recommended

Black Women Lawyers' Association: Recommended

Cook County Bar Association: Highly Recommended

Decalogue Society of Lawyers: Recommended

Hellenic Bar Association of Illinois: Recommended

Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois: Recommended

Chicago's LGBTQ+ Bar Association (LAGBAC): Not Recommended

Puerto Rican Bar Association of Illinois: Recommended

Women's Bar Association of Illinois: Recommended

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