Chicago Council of Lawyers finds 12 Cook County jurists Well Qualified for retention

The Chicago Council of Lawyers has released its Evalutaion Report for Cook County jurists seeking retention in the November 2024 General Eleciton. The second link in the preceding sentence will take you to the Council's complete report.

The Council has found 12 of the 78 Cook County jurists seeking retention to be "Well Qualified," the highest rating issued by the Council for this retention election. In this post, we look at what the Council had to say about the one Appellate Court justice and the 11 Circuit Court judges (though one of these is currently serving on the Appellate Court) who received the Council's Well Qualified rating.

The Council also found four Circuit Court judges "Not Recommended" for retention. FWIW will look at those ratings in a different post.

The CCL's "Well Qualified" ratings for candidates on the 2024 retention ballot follow, in ballot order:

Hon. Thomas Hoffman

Hon. Thomas Hoffman was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1971. He was appointed to the Circuit Court in 1984 and elected in 1988. He was assigned to the Appellate Court, First District in 1993 and elected in 1994. He previously served in the Law Division. Prior to becoming a judge, he was an Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Chicago and was in private practice.

Justice Hoffman is well known for his intellect, preparation, and active participation from the bench. He is praised for having a strong command of the appellate record and applicable case law, while being willing to apply a common-sense approach when appropriate. Some interviewed reported a sometimes “gruff” demeanor characterized by very pointed questioning, while others described similar behavior as Justice Hoffman being “involved” or “incisive.”

The Council finds him Well Qualified for retention to the Appellate Court.

Hon. Stuart Fredric Lubin

Hon. Stuart Fredric Lubin was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1974. He was appointed in 1991 and elected in 1994. Since 1991, he has been assigned to the Juvenile Justice Division and previously served in the First Municipal District. Prior to becoming a judge, Stuart Lubin was a career Assistant Cook County Public Defender.

Judge Lubin is regarded as an excellent jurist with very good legal ability. He is praised for his courtroom management skills, efficiently running court calls. He is reported to have a good temperament and to be helpful, patient, and respectful of all parties. He is praised for his integrity and impartiality.

The Council finds him Well Qualified for retention to the Circuit Court.

Hon. Carol M. Howard

Hon. Carol Howard was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1986. Judge Howard was elected in 2006 and, since 2009, has been assigned to the Criminal Division. Previously, she was assigned to the First Municipal District. Prior to becoming a judge, she was an Assistant Cook County Public Defender.

Respondents were overwhelmingly positive in their assessment of Judge Howard’s legal ability, demeanor, and integrity. She is described as respectful and professional, even in “chaotic environments.” Judge Howard is considered well-prepared, capable, and effective on the bench.

The Council finds her Well Qualified for retention to the Circuit Court.

Hon. Regina Scannicchio

Hon. Regina Scannicchio was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1989. She was elected to the bench in 2012, and, since 2022, has been Presiding Judge of the Domestic Relations Division, where she was previously assigned. Prior to becoming a judge, she was in private practice.

Judge Scannicchio is considered a dedicated and knowledgeable jurist, with an excellent courtroom demeanor. She is described as approachable and engaged as Presiding judge, as well as fair and considerate in court.

The Council finds her Well Qualified for retention to the Circuit Court.

Hon. Aicha Marie MacCarthy

Hon. Aicha Marie MacCarthy was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1997. She was elected to the bench in 2012 and, since 2013, has been assigned to the Probate Division. Previously, she served in the First Municipal District. Prior to becoming a judge, she was a solo practitioner and worked in government, at the Chicago Housing Authority and at the Chicago Department of Law.

Judge MacCarthy is considered to have excellent legal knowledge and ability. She is well-prepared and respected for direct and clear decisions. The issues in her courtroom can be complex and emotionally difficult, but she is adept at handling sensitive situations and known for treating everyone patiently, fairly, and with respect.

The Council finds her Well Qualified for retention to the Circuit Court.

Hon. Michael T. Mullen

Hon. Michael T. Mullen was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1981. He was elected in 2012 and, since 2013, has been assigned to the Chancery Division. Previously, he served in the First Municipal District. Prior to becoming a judge, he was in private practice and had served as a U.S. Attorney and in the Illinois Attorney General's Office.

Judge Mullen is described as a smart, kind, and well-organized judge. He is even-tempered and conducts his courtroom with patience and preparation. He is reported to be sensitive to issues of bias and good at maintaining order in his courtroom without losing his patience or becoming unkind. Feedback on Judge Mullen is uniformly positive.

The Council finds him Well Qualified for retention to the Circuit Court.

Hon. Kent Delgado

Hon. Kent Delgado was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1996. He was appointed to the Circuit Court in 2017 and elected in 2018. He is assigned to the Probate Division and previously served in the First Municipal District. Prior to becoming a judge, he was a solo practitioner and an Assistant State’s Attorney in Cook County.

Judge Delgado is generally described as knowledgeable in probate law. He is considered level-headed and respectful in the courtroom. Respondents noted his diligence, stating that he always provides the legal basis for his decision. He is described as always punctual, prepared, well-versed in the law and of optimal temperament. The steps he took during the first months of the pandemic and shutdown are said to exemplify his dedication to his duties, but also to the needs of the litigants.

The Council finds Judge Delgado Well Qualified for retention to the Circuit Court.

Hon. David R. Navarro

Hon. David R. Navarro was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1993. He was appointed to the Appellate Court, First District, in 2023. He was previously appointed to the Circuit Court in 2017 and elected in 2018. Prior to becoming a judge, he served in the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, as an Assistant State’s Attorney, and a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney.

Justice Navarro is reported to be a fair and knowledgeable judge. He is considered to have a fair and balanced approach, ensuring all parties receive equal treatment under the law. We note that he is being evaluated for retention to the Circuit Court, the position to which he was elected, and not the Appellate Court to which he is presently assigned.

The Council finds him Well Qualified for retention to the Circuit Court.

Hon. Tiana Ellis Blakely

Hon. Tiana Ellis Blakely was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 2004. She was elected in 2018 and has served in the Sixth Municipal District in Markham since that election. Prior to becoming a judge, she worked as an Assistant Public Defender in Cook County.

Judge Blakely is widely regarded as an excellent criminal judge by both state's attorneys and defense attorneys. She is considered fair and respectful with a balanced approach. She receives praise for her courtroom management with regard to both efficiency and impartiality.

The Council finds her Well Qualified for retention to the Circuit Court.

Hon. Scott D. McKenna

Hon. Scott D. McKenna was admitted to the bar in 1996. He was elected in 2018 and, since 2023, has been assigned to the Law Division. Previously, he served in the First Municipal District. Prior to becoming a judge, he was in private practice.

Judge McKenna is generally well-regarded as a professional, ethical judge, who runs a courteous, well-managed courtroom. He is prepared, knowledgeable and effective. Many respondents consider him to be “one of the best.” Overall, respondents offered high praise for this judge in all aspects of judicial qualifications.

The Council finds him Well Qualified for retention to the Circuit Court.

Hon. Erika Lynn Orr

Erika Lynn Orr was admitted to practice in 1998. She was elected in 2018 and has been assigned to the Domestic Relations Division in the Sixth Municipal District in Markham. Prior to becoming a judge, she was a solo practitioner.

Judge Orr is consistently described as knowledgeable about the law and consistent in applying the law to facts before her. Many respondents note that her background in finance serves her well in domestic relations. She is praised for her sensitivity to cultural issues that arise in family matters and ensures self-represented litigants in her courtroom understand the process without ever crossing into legal advice or advocacy. She is considered to have the highest integrity and to be diplomatic, sometimes stern, but always patient and fair.

The Council finds her Well Qualified for retention to the Circuit Court.

Hon. Athanasios (Tom) S. Sianis

Hon. Athanasios (Tom) S. Sianis was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 2004. He was elected in 2018, and, since 2021, he has been Supervising Judge of the Traffic Division and previously served in the First Municipal District. Prior to becoming a judge, he was a Special Assistant Attorney General and an Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney.

Judge Sianis is very well respected by his colleagues and attorneys. He appears to value ongoing education, not simply in case law, but also in case management, diversity, and access to justice.

His rulings are characterized as fair and well-reasoned, and he is described as both patient and exemplary. Respondents remarked that he takes his role as judge seriously and is an excellent judge.

The Council finds him Well Qualified for retention to the Circuit Court.

Application process underway for five Cook County judicial vacancies

Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis has announced that applications will be accepted until 4:00 p.m. on September 16 for temporary appointments to five Cook County judicial vacancies, one countywide, one in the 8th Subcircuit, one in the 16th Subcircuit, and two in the 20th Subcircuit. These appointments, once made, will expire on December 7, 2026 (the first Monday of December) following the 2026 elections.

Application forms are available at this page of the Suprme Court website. Attorneys in good standing seeking appointment from a subcircuit must be a resident of that subcircuit. Attorneys wishing to seek appointment to both the countywide vacancy and a subcircuit vacancy must fill out separate application forms. However, the Court will require only one application for either of the 20th Subcircuit vacancies. All applications must be submitted electronically.

All applicants will be subject to "an evaluation and screening process," according to a press release issued by the Supreme Court announcing the application process.

According to the Supreme Court, the countywide vacancy arises from the January retirement of Judge Paul Karkula.

The 8th Subcircuit vacancy was created when Judge Celia L. Gamrath was appointed to the Appellate Court.

Gamrath's appointment is effective this coming Friday and will expire on December 2. That's when she will be sworn into the Appellate Court vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Mathias W. Delort. Gamrath is the only candidate for that vacancy on the November ballot. She is now being appointed "to the position currently held by the Honorable Mary Ellen Coghlan, who is retiring from judicial service on August 31, 2024." However, Justice Coghlan, who had been serving on the Appellate Court pursuant to Supreme Court appointment since 2019, was reassigned to the Delort vacancy last August. The Court's press release about the Gamrath appointment is here.

The 16th Subcircuit vacancy was created by conversion of the associate judgeship of Patricia Mendoza upon her retirement. Mendoza had served as an associate judge since 2005 and was most recently retained just last year.

The 20th Subcircuit vacancies also arise from the conversion of associate judgeships, specifically, those of David E. Haracz and Stephanie K. Miller.

Judge Haracz was a classmate of Judge Mendoza. Mendoza and Haracz have left, or are leaving, judicial service; that's why their associate judgeships are being converted.

But not so with Judge Miller. Her associate judgeship was converted to a 20th Subcircuit vacancy upon her appointment to the Pierce vacancy in the 14th Subcircuit. She is the only candidate on the ballot for that vacancy in November. Miller was one of 12 unopposed Circuit Court candidates appointed to the bench by the Illinois Supreme Court earlier this year.

79 Cook County jurists file for retention

Two Appellate Court justices and 77 Cook County Circuit Court judges filed for retention this year, according to records released by the Illinois Secretary of State and obtained by FWIW.

Appellate Court Justices David W. Ellis and Thomas E. Hoffman have indicated that they will ask voters for new 10-year terms. The 77 Circuit Court judges who filed for retention (seeking new six-year terms) include 21 countywide Circuit Court judges and 56 subcircuit judges.

If history is any guide, a few judges who file for retention will withdraw from the ballot prior to the November election; indeed, one, Judge Thomas W. Murphy, already has. (His July retirement will create a 3rd Subcircuit vacancy in 2026).

The retention ballot is a straight 'yes' or 'no' proposition. For each judge seeking retention, voters are asked, 'shall judge X be retained in office?' To be retained in office, a judge must receive 'yes' votes from more than 60% of those voting on the question (or, as it sometimes phrased, 60% + 1). This requirement applies to judges of all Illinois courts, including justices of the Appellate and Supreme Courts.

This year's retention class is somewhat larger than those in recent years. For comparison sake, there were 58 Circuit Court judges filing for retention in 2022 (although there was a Supreme Court justice and six Appellate Court justices filing for retention then, too). In 2020, 64 Circuit Court judges (and two Appellate Court justices) filed for retention. In 2018, there were 61 Circuit Court judges (and one Suprme Court justice and one Appellate Court justice) who filed for retention.

Most of the Cook County judges up for retention were first elected in subcircuits. However, these judges, just like those initially elected countywide, must face the entire county electorate on the retention ballot. Generally, the longest serving judges are at the top of the ballot, the newest judges (those elected six years ago) are at the bottom. Judges with equivalent lengths of service (6 years, 12 years, 18 years, etc.) are listed in alphabetical order... some judges have longer service times because of Supreme Court appointments prior to their elections... but they are listed with the group according to the year they were first elected. Here, subject to correction as may (likely) be necessary, is a list of the judges filing for retention in expected ballot order (there are only 76 names because Judge Thomas Murphy's name has already been removed):

1. Kathy M. Flanagan
2. Martin B. Agran
3. Ronald F. Bartkowicz
4. Stuart F. Lubin
5. James M. Varga
6. E. Kenneth Wright, Jr.
7. Maura Slattery Boyle
8. Maragaret Mary Brosnahan
9. Daniel Patrick Brennan
10. Ellen L. Flannigan
11. Carol M. Howard
12. Jill C. Marise
13. Mike McHale
14. James Patrick Murphy
15. Ramon Ocasio, III
16. Mary Colleen Roberts
17. Carl Anthony Walker
18. Carl B. Boyd
19. Tommy Brewer
20. Michael R. Clancy
21. Daniel B. Degnan
22. John H. Ehrlich
23. Terry Gallagher
24. William G. Gamboney
25. Celia Louise Gamrath
26. Elizabeth Mary Hayes
27. Lionel Jean-Baptiste
28. Martin C. Kelley
29. Kimberly D. Lewis
30. Aicha Marie MacCarthy
31. Lisa Ann Marino
32. Diann Karen Marsalek
33. Michael Tully Mullen
34. Karen Lynn O'Malley
35. Paul S. Pavlus
36. Cynthia Ramirez
37. Erica L. Reddick
38. Beatriz Santiago
39. Regina Ann Scannicchio
40. Michael B. Barrett
41. Tianna Ellis Blakely
42. Joel Chupack
43. Elizabeth Ciaccia-Lezza
44. H. Yvonne Coleman
45. Kevin Patrick Cunningham
46. Colleen Reardon Daly
47. Adrienne Elaine Davis
48. Kent Delgado
49. Beatriz A. Frausto-Sandoval
50. Peter Michael Gonzalez
51. Ieshia Gray
52. Jack Hagerty
53. Robert Harris
54. Toya T. Harvey
55. Cecilia Anne Horan
56. Lindsay Huge
57. Preston Jones, Jr.
58. Kathaleen Theresa Lanahan
59. Thomas F. McGuire
60. Scott McKenna
61. David R. Navarro
62. Shannon O'Malley
63. Erika Orr
64. Linda Perez
65. Marian Emily Perkins
66. Clare Joyce Quish
67. Joanne F. Rosado
68. Stephnanie Saltouros
69. Debra A. Seaton
70. James "Jamie" Shapiro
71. Tom Sam Sianis
72. Rosa Maria Silva
73. Kathryn Maloney Vahey
74. Andrea Michelle Webber
75. Arthur Wesley Willis
76. Jeanne Marie Wrenn

A great night to be a slated Cook County judicial candidate

The majority of races were uncontested -- victory laps -- default judgments (that's a better legal term, anyway).

And in those countywide races where the party's judicial candidate faced an opponent, the party's candidate won:

• Justice Joy Virginia Cunningham keeps her seat on the Illinois Supreme Court by a nearly 3-1 margin, with similar lopsided margins in the City and suburbs alike.


• Appellate Court Justice Cynthia Y. Cobbs keeps her seat on the Appellate Court, winning by a roughly 70-30 margin in the City, and nearly as large as margin in the suburbs.


• Slated Appellate Court candidate Celia Louise Gamrath received over 72% of the suburban vote and nearly 71% of the City vote.


• All four slated candidates for the Circuit Court won their races, too. Pablo deCastro, Neil Cohen, Edward Joseph Underhill, and Debjani 'Deb' Desai compiled comfortable margins over their opponents.

It was a great night to be slated for judicial office countywide.

At this hour, it looks like former Appellate Court Justice Eileen O'Neill Burke will squeak past Clayton Harris III in the race for Cook County State's Attorney. She is running behind Harris in the latest City numbers, but by less than 2,000 votes with 91.25% of the votes counted. On the other hand, she is up by more than 15,000 in the suburbs, with 96% of the votes in.

And the Chicago transfer tax increase proposal is down by roughly 22,000 votes with 91.25% of the votes counted.

But the Devil is in the details... and there are mail-in ballots yet to be counted. So these seeming setbacks to the Party tidal wave may yet be overcome.

And, whether O'Neill prevails or not, it was a tidal wave: The Party's candidate for Clerk of the Circuit Court, Mariyana T. Spyropoulos, easily ousted incumbent Iris Y. Martinez. And Martinez was also defeated in her bid to remain 33rd Ward Committeeperson.

Subcircuit candidates running with the support of local Party leaders also fared well tonight... but not as well as those running countywide. We'll look at the subcircuits next.

Start here for the most complete information about every 2024 Cook County judicial race

Bumped up for greater visibility

This is the interactive, voter-friendly part of FWIW. What follows is a list of every Cook County judicial vacancy on the March primary ballot. Voters may be surprised to note how many are uncontested.

Please note that unless otherwise indicated (with the phrase "November election contest") all of the persons running in uncontested races are as good as elected already (and in recognition of this fact, the Supreme Court has given several of these persons -- those not already serving on the bench by appointment -- a head start on their judicial careers). There are no Republican candidates except in those few subcircuit races where a November election contest is indicated. There are no Republican judicial candidates seeking any countywide vacancies, on any Cook County court. There are no Republican primary contests at all. The following is not a partisan statement; it is merely a statement of fact: In the March 19 primary, in order to have any say in who serves in our local courts, one has to take a Democratic ballot.

Of course, not all races are uncontested. These are the ones voters should be looking for. All the contested races in the list below are live links. When you click on any of these, you'll be taken to a post that will show all the candidates in that race, in ballot order, with all ratings and other information about each candidate that I've been able to assemble. Where a candidate has provided FWIW with a statement "in their own words", a link to that statement will be available from that post as well.

There is a link at the bottom of each of these Organizing the Data posts, so voters can examine each contested race in detail, one candidate at a time, and come right back here.

The linked posts will be updated as new information becomes available, right up until the polls close next Tuesday. This post will be at or near the top of FWIW until then.

And now the list:

Supreme Court - Burke Vacancy

Appellate Court - Connors Vacancy (uncontested)
Appellate Court - Cunningham Vacancy
Appellate Court - Delort Vacancy
Appellate Court - O'Neill Burke Vacancy (uncontested)

Countywide - Flannery, Jr. Vacancy
Countywide - Gaughan Vacancy (uncontested)
Countywide - Haberkorn Vacancy (uncontested)
Countywide - Hubbard Vacancy (uncontested)
Countywide - Maras Vacancy (uncontested)
Countywide - Mitchell Vacancy
Countywide - Murphy Vacancy
Countywide - Propes Vacancy
Countywide - Raines Vacancy (uncontested)
Countywide - Sullivan Vacancy (uncontested)
Countywide - Walker Vacancy (uncontested)

3rd Subcircuit - Brosnahan Vacancy
3rd Subcircuit - Harmening Vacancy (uncontested)

4th Subcircuit - Felice Vacancy (uncontested)
4th Subcircuit - King Vacancy (uncontested)
4th Subcircuit - Maloney Vacancy (uncontensted)

5th Subcircuit - Lewis Vacancy (uncontested)

7th Subcircuit - Solganick Vacancy

8th Subcircuit - Collins-Dole Vacancy (uncontested)

10th Subcircuit - McWilliams Vacancy (uncontested)
10th Subcircuit - Wojkowski Vacancy

11th Subcircuit - Collins Vacancy (uncontested)
11th Subcircuit - Daleao Vacancy

12th Subcircuit - Dickler Vacancy (uncontested)(November election contest)
12th Subcircuit - Quinn Vacancy (uncontested)(November election contest)
12th Subcircuit - Schleifer Vacancy (uncontested)(November election contest)

13th Subcircuit - Betar, III Vacancy (uncontested)
13th Subcircuit - Steffen Vacancy (uncontested)

14th Subcircuit - O'Hara Vacancy
14th Subcircuit - Pierce Vacancy (uncontested)

15th Subcircuit - Demacopoulos Vacancy
15th Subcircuit - Toomin Vacancy (uncontested)

16th Subcircuit - Converted from Flood Vacancy (uncontested)
16th Subcircuit - Converted from Griffin Jr. Vacancy (uncontested)

17th Subcircuit - Converted from Aguilar Vacancy (uncontested)
17th Subcircuit - Converted from Flaherty Vacancy (uncontested)

18th Subcircuit - Converted from Gottainer Edidin Vacancy
18th Subcircuit - Converted from Linn Vacancy (uncontested)(November election contest)

19th Subcircuit - Converted from Senechalle Jr. Vacancy

20th Subcircuit - Converted from Budzinski Vacancy

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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Back to "Start here for the most complete information about every 2024 Cook County judicial race"

Organizing the Data: Appellate Court - Cunningham vacancy

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.

Cynthia Y. Cobbs - #132

Campaign Website

Bar Association Evaluation Narratives

The Chicago Bar Association says:

Justice Cynthia Cobbs is "Highly Qualified" for the office of Justice of the Illinois Appellate Court. Justice Cobbs was admitted to practice law in Illinois in 1988. Justice Cobbs has over 20 years of Appellate experience as a judge and with the Administrative Offices of Illinois Courts. She has the highest rate of disposition of cases in her division and a very high affirmance rate for the decisions she has authored. Justice Cobbs has an excellent reputation among her peers and counsel appearing before her for oral argument. She is active in the profession and in the community and is a tremendous asset to the Illinois judiciary.

The Chicago Council of Lawyers says:

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.

The Illinois State Bar Association says:

Hon. Cynthia Y. Cobbs was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1988. Prior to her appointment as a circuit court judge in 2011, she was the Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts after holding other positions within the court system. She was subsequently elected to the circuit court in 2014 and has been assigned to the Appellate Court since 2015. She was retained as a circuit court judge in 2020. She is a former chair of the Illinois Judicial Council, committee chair and board member of the Illinois Judges Association, as well as being a member of various bar and legal organizations. Judge Cobbs has spoken at judicial conferences, received various awards, including the C.F. Stradford Award from the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office; the Trailblazer Award from the Cook County Bar Association; and the Illinois Judicial Council President’s Award.

Attorneys consider her to be smart, knowledgeable, patient, and hard working. They report that she issues fair and well-reasoned decisions. ISBA find Justice Cynthia Y. Cobbs highly qualified to be elected as a 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: Highly Recommended

Decalogue Society of Lawyers: Highly Recommended

Hellenic Bar Association of Illinois: Recommended

Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois: Qualified

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
AMVOTE PAC
IVI-IPO
Girl, I Guess
IBEW Local 134
IUOE Local 150
IUOE Local 399
Teamsters Joint Council No. 25
Personal PAC

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Carolyn J. Gallagher - #133

Campaign Website

Bar Association Evaluation Narratives

The Chicago Bar Association says:

Judge Carolyn Gallagher is "Highly Qualified" for the office of Justice of the Illinois Appellate Court. Judge Gallagher was admitted to practice law in Illinois in 1982 and was elected to the Circuit Court of Cook County in 2016. Judge Gallagher is currently assigned to the Probate Division. Judge Gallagher clerked for an Appellate Court Justice from 1982-1985 and during her legal career she had extensive trial and appellate practice experience. Judge Gallagher is highly regarded for her knowledge of the law, legal ability, and strong credentials in legal research and legal writing.

The Chicago Council of Lawyers says:

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.

The Illinois State Bar Association says:

Hon. Carolyn Gallagher was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1982. She was elected to the Cook County Circuit Court in 2016, retained in 2022, and has been assigned to the Probate Division since 2018 after first sitting in Housing and Traffic Courts. In July 2023, she became Supervising Judge of the Surety Section of the Probate Division. Judge Gallagher created the bench book for Minor Guardianship and is a member of various groups including the National College of Probate Judges. She has taught at DePaul College of Law.

Concerns were raised regarding the lack of diligence and punctuality in the courtroom, as well as the lack of diligence in the preparation of her application that contained numerous typos and grammatical errors. ISBA finds Judge Carolyn J. Gallagher not qualified to be elected as a 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: Not Recommended

Hellenic Bar Association of Illinois: Not Recommended

Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois: Recommended

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

Puerto Rican Bar Association of Illinois: Recommended

Women's Bar Association of Illinois: Recommended

Endorsement

Fraternal Order of Police, Chicago Lodge No. 7

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Back to "Start here for the most complete information about every 2024 Cook County judicial race"

CBA releases narrative explanations of its Cook County judicial candidate ratings

The Chicago Bar Association has released its ratings of candidates running in next week's primary election.

The ratings themselves were released at the end of last week (March 8), and are available at this link. The complete Judicial Voters Guide, which contains the narrative explanations of the CBA's ratings, is in the process of being linked from this page this evening. As of 5:00 p.m. this evening (March 12), the link was not live, but FWIW has been advised that it will be live very soon.

Meanwhile, we have the narratives here.

In this post, we will look at the CBA's explanations of its ratings in the contested primary races for the Supreme and Appellate Court. In separate posts later this evening, we will publish the CBA's ratings in contested countywide races and in contested subcircuit races.

In releasing its ratings, the CBA explained that its non-partisan evaluations are the product of a comprehensive, peer-to-peer review process conducted as a long-standing public service by the CBA’s Judicial Evaluation Committee. Candidates who submit a questionnaire and participate in the screening process are evaluated based on seven criteria: integrity, legal knowledge, legal ability, professional experience, judicial temperament, diligence, and punctuality.

Candidates must also participate in a personal interview before members of the evaluation committee. They must receive a 60 percent favorable vote of the hearing panel members to receive a “Qualified” finding and an 80 percent favorable vote to receive a “Highly Qualified” finding. Candidates who receive less than a 60 percent favorable vote receive a “Not Recommended” finding, as do candidates who decline to participate in the evaluation process.

"With 69 judicial candidates on the ballot this primary, it is imperative for each candidate's qualifications to be accessible to Cook County voters," said Michelle Carey, Chair of the CBA's Judicial Evaluation Committee. "The CBA's 'Judge Smart Pocket Guide' is a valuable tool to help voters cast smart and informed votes for judicial candidates."

Supreme Court

Vacancy of the Hon. Anne M. Burke

Joy Virginia Cunningham - Highly Qualified
Justice Joy V. Cunningham is “Highly Qualified” for Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court. Justice Cunningham was admitted to practice law in Illinois in 1982. She has served with distinction at every level of the judiciary. Justice Cunningham is highly respected for her legal knowledge and ability, unquestioned integrity and outstanding temperament.

Jesse G. Reyes - Highly Qualified
Justice Jesse G. Reyes is "Highly Qualified" for the office of Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court. Justice Reyes was admitted to practice law in Illinois in 1984 and served as a Cook County Associate Judge from 1997-2008; Circuit Court of Cook County Judge from 2008- 2012; and as a Justice of the Illinois Appellate Court from 2012-present. Justice Reyes is well regarded for his diligence, judicial experience, and passionate commitment to the law and our justice system.

Appellate Court

Vacancy of the Hon. Joy V. Cunningham

Cynthia Y. Cobbs - Highly Qualified
Justice Cynthia Cobbs is "Highly Qualified" for the office of Justice of the Illinois Appellate Court. Justice Cobbs was admitted to practice law in Illinois in 1988. Justice Cobbs has over 20 years of Appellate experience as a judge and with the Administrative Offices of Illinois Courts. She has the highest rate of disposition of cases in her division and a very high affirmance rate for the decisions she has authored. Justice Cobbs has an excellent reputation among her peers and counsel appearing before her for oral argument. She is active in the profession and in the community and is a tremendous asset to the Illinois judiciary.

Carolyn J. Gallagher - Highly Qualified
Judge Carolyn Gallagher is "Highly Qualified" for the office of Justice of the Illinois Appellate Court. Judge Gallagher was admitted to practice law in Illinois in 1982 and was elected to the Circuit Court of Cook County in 2016. Judge Gallagher is currently assigned to the Probate Division. Judge Gallagher clerked for an Appellate Court Justice from 1982-1985 and during her legal career she had extensive trial and appellate practice experience. Judge Gallagher is highly regarded for her knowledge of the law, legal ability, and strong credentials in legal research and legal writing.

Vacancy of the Hon. Mathias W. Delort

Celia Louise Gamrath - Highly Qualified
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.

Leonard Murray - Qualified
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.

IUOE Local 399 offers endorsements in some Cook County judicial races

The International Union of Operating Engineers Local 399 has published its endorsements in a number of state, federal, and local races in anticipation of the March primary. Local 399's complete endorsement list can be found at this link.

In contested Cook County judicial races, Local 399 has made these endorsements:

Supreme Court Vacancy

Joy Virginia Cunningham

Appellate Court Vacancies

Cynthia Y. Cobbs (Cunningham vacancy)
Celia Louise Gamrath (Delort vacancy)

Circuit Court Vacancies

Pablo F. deCastro (Flannery, Jr. vacancy)
Wende Williams (Mitchell vacancy)
Edward Joseph Underhill (Murphy vacancy)
Debjani 'Deb' Desai (Propes vacancy)

Subcircuit Vacancies

Owens J. Shelby (7th Subcircuit - Solganick vacancy)
James V. Murphy (10th Subcircuit - Wojkowski vacancy)
Kim Przekota (11th Subcircuit - Daleo vacancy)
Steve Demeitro (14th Subcircuit - O'Hara vacancy)
Luciano "Lou" Panici, Jr. (15th Subcircuit - Demacopoulos vacancy)
Jeffrey G. Chrones (18th Subcircuit - Converted from Edidin vacancy)
Bridget Colleen Duigan (19th Subcircuit - Converted from Senechalle, Jr. vacancy)
Michael J. Zink (20th Subcircuit - Converted from Budzinski vacancy)

Local 399 also endorsed four subcircuit candidates who are unopposed in the Democratic primary, but who face Republican opponents in November. These are Alon Stein (12th Subcircuit - Dickler vacancy), Frank J. Andreou (12th Subcircuit - Quinn vacancy), James "Jack" Costello (12th Subcircuit - Schleifer vacancy), and John Hock (18th Subcircuit - Converted from Linn vacancy).

In other races of particular interest to FWIW readers, Local 399 has endorsed former Appellate Court Justice Eileen O'Neill Burke for State's Attorney, but chosen to remain "Neutral" in the race for the Clerk of the Circuit Court.

Teamsters Joint Council 25 makes endorsements in Cook County judicial races

This list comes from the website of Teamsters Local 710, which represents 12,000 members, including UPS workers and other warehouse workers "throughout the Chicago metropolitan area, as well as ramp workers, spotters, highway drivers and even more in the freight and transportation industries."

FWIW previously posted Cook County endorsements by Teamsters Local 700, which represents public employees, but also under the apparent umbrella of Teamsters Joint Council No. 25.

All this may be obvious stuff to the professional political class, but it is new and different to me, and perhaps some FWIW readers as well.

Teamsters Joint Council No. 25 has made endorsements in a host of races around the state (click here for the full list), but these are their choices in contested Cook County judicial races:

Supreme Court Vacancy

Jesse G. Reyes

Appellate Court Vacancies

Cynthia Y. Cobbs (Cunningham vacancy)
Celia Louise Gamrath (Delort vacancy)

Circuit Court Vacancies

Pablo F. deCastro (Flannery, Jr. vacancy)
Neutral (Mitchell vacancy)
Edward Joseph Underhill (Murphy vacancy)
Debjani 'Deb' Desai (Propes vacancy)

Subcircuit Vacancies

Owens J. Shelby (7th Subcircuit - Solganick vacancy)
James V. Murphy (10th Subcircuit - Wojkowski vacancy)
Kim Przekota (11th Subcircuit - Daleo vacancy)
Steve Demeitro (14th Subcircuit - O'Hara vacancy)
Luciano "Lou" Panici, Jr. (15th Subcircuit - Demacopoulos vacancy)
Jeffrey G. Chrones (18th Subcircuit - Converted from Edidin vacancy)
Bridget Colleen Duigan (19th Subcircuit - Converted from Senechalle, Jr. vacancy)
Michael J. Zink (20th Subcircuit - Converted from Budzinski vacancy)

Teamsters Joint Council No. 25 also endorsed four subcircuit candidates who are unopposed in the Democratic primary, but who face Republican opponents in November. These are Alon Stein (12th Subcircuit - Dickler vacancy), Frank J. Andreou (12th Subcircuit - Quinn vacancy), James "Jack" Costello (12th Subcircuit - Schleifer vacancy), and John Hock (18th Subcircuit - Converted from Linn vacancy).

In other races of particular interest to FWIW readers, Teamsters Joint Council No. 25 has endorsed former Appellate Court Justice Eileen O'Neill Burke for State's Attorney and Mariyana Spyropoulos for Clerk of the Circuit Court.

ISBA releases narrative explanations of its candidate ratings in contested Supreme and Appellate Court races

The Illinois State Bar Association has published explanations for its ratings of Cook County judicial candidates on its website. To access these narratives, interested persons must first click on the Judicial Evaulations and Advisory Polls by County page, then click on the Cook County link.

Clicking in this fashion will bring up a candidate list, by office, first in ballot order and, then, in subcircuit order. (Clicking on the "Cook County" link in the preceding paragraph seems to go directly to the list, both on a desktop and phone. -- Ed.) One must click on the "read evaluation" link in order to read any narrative.

An ISBA spokesperson said that all this is supposed to make accessing the ISBA's information easier by phone and, therefore, since voters are allowed to carry their phones into the polling booth, that much more helpful to voters.

In this post, FWIW looks at the narratives released by the ISBA in contested races for the Appellate and Supreme Courts. In upcoming posts, we will look at the ISBA's narratives in contested countywide and subcircuit Circuit Court races.

Supreme Court

Burke Vacancy

Jesse G. Reyes -- Highly Qualified
Hon. Jesse G. Reyes has been licensed in Illinois since 1984. He currently sits on the Appellate Court – First District. He was selected as an associate judge in 1997, elected to the circuit court in 2008 and, subsequently, elected to the Appellate Court – First District in 2012. While a circuit court judge he sat in Mortgage Foreclosure, Traffic, Domestic Violence, and the Sixth Municipal District (Markham). Before taking the bench, he was an assistant corporation counsel and an attorney for the Chicago Board of Education. Judge Jesse is a former president of the Illinois Judges Association, the Latin American Bar Association; former secretary of the Chicago Bar Association; and a former assembly member with the Illinois State Bar Association in addition to other committee work. He has lectured on legal topics and has been the recipient of several awards. He is the current president and a founding member of the Diversity Scholarship Foundation and sits on the board of the North Suburban Bar Association. The several awards, including most recently, the 2022 Distinguished Service Award from the Arab American Bar Association, the 2023 Socrates Dikastes Award from the Hellenic Bar Association, and a 2023 Appreciation Award from the Hispanic Illinois State Law Enforcement Association.

Attorneys described him as a hard worker who is prepared, strict and fair. He writes well-reasoned opinions and issues them in a timely fashion. ISBA finds Justice Jesse G. Reyes highly qualified to be elected as a Justice to the Illinois Supreme Court – First District.

Joy Virginia Cunningham -- Highly Qualified
Hon. Joy Virginia Cunningham has been licensed in Illinois since 1982. In December 2022, she was appointed to the Illinois Supreme Court upon the retirement of Justice Anne M. Burke. Prior to the appointment Justice Cunningham had served on the Appellate Court since 2006; prior to her election to the Appellate Court, she has been Senior Vice President and General Counsel for Northwestern Memorial System for six years. Justice Cunningham had also served as an associate judge in the Cook County Circuit Court between 1996 and 2000, where she presided over civil litigation. She is past president and a member of the Chicago Bar Association, including ISBA, Cook County Bar Association, Women’s Bar Association, Black Women Lawyer’s Association, and the Illinois Judges Association. Justice Cunningham has served on various Appellate Court and Supreme Court committees; has taught at judicial education conferences and written on various legal topics. She is the recipient of several awards, including most recently, the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Judicial Achievement Award in 2023 for the Women’s Bar Association and Judge Ann Claire Williams Award in 2023 from the Black Women Lawyer’s Association.

Attorneys described her as well-respected, diligent, and fair, with excellent legal knowledge and ability. They reported that she asks relevant questions, has a calm demeanor, and is known for her good character and high integrity. ISBA finds Justice Joy Virginia Cunningham highly qualified for election to the Illinois Supreme Court – First District.

Appellate Court

Cunningham Vacancy

Carolyn J. Gallagher -- Not Qualified
Hon. Carolyn Gallagher was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1982. She was elected to the Cook County Circuit Court in 2016, retained in 2022, and has been assigned to the Probate Division since 2018 after first sitting in Housing and Traffic Courts. In July 2023, she became Supervising Judge of the Surety Section of the Probate Division. Judge Gallagher created the bench book for Minor Guardianship and is a member of various groups including the National College of Probate Judges. She has taught at DePaul College of Law.

Concerns were raised regarding the lack of diligence and punctuality in the courtroom, as well as the lack of diligence in the preparation of her application that contained numerous typos and grammatical errors. ISBA finds Judge Carolyn J. Gallagher not qualified to be elected as a Justice to the Illinois Appellate Court – First District.

Cynthia Y. Cobbs -- Highly Qualified
Hon. Cynthia Y. Cobbs was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1988. Prior to her appointment as a circuit court judge in 2011, she was the Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts after holding other positions within the court system. She was subsequently elected to the circuit court in 2014 and has been assigned to the Appellate Court since 2015. She was retained as a circuit court judge in 2020. She is a former chair of the Illinois Judicial Council, committee chair and board member of the Illinois Judges Association, as well as being a member of various bar and legal organizations. Judge Cobbs has spoken at judicial conferences, received various awards, including the C.F. Stradford Award from the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office; the Trailblazer Award from the Cook County Bar Association; and the Illinois Judicial Council President’s Award.

Attorneys consider her to be smart, knowledgeable, patient, and hard working. They report that she issues fair and well-reasoned decisions. ISBA find Justice Cynthia Y. Cobbs highly qualified to be elected as a Justice to the Illinois Appellate Court – First District.

Delort Vacancy

Celia Louise Gamrath -- Highly Qualified
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.

Leonard Murray -- Highly Qualified
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.

Fraternal Order of Police, Chicago Lodge No. 7, offers endorsements in some Cook County judicial races

The Fraternal Order of Police, Chicago John Dineen Lodge No. 7 has published endorsements in several local races, including several contested Cook County judicial primaries. A complete list of those endorsements currently shows as a 'pop-up' on the Lodge's home page; click here for a stand-alone .pdf copy.

In contested Cook County judicial races, the FOP has made the following endorsements:

Supreme Court Vacancy

Joy Virginia Cunningham

Appellate Court Vacancies

Carolyn J. Gallagher (Cunningham vacancy)
Celia Louise Gamrath (Delort vacancy)

Circuit Court Vacancy

Debjani 'Deb' Desai (Propes vacancy)

Subcircuit Vacancies

James V. Murphy (10th Subcircuit - Wojkowski vacancy)
Kim Przekota (11th Subcircuit - Daleo vacancy)
Bridget Colleen Duigan (19th Subcircuit - Converted from Senechalle, Jr. vacancy)

Readers will notice that Justice Cunningham has now been endorsed by both the CTU and the FOP. This may be the first time in some time that the Chicago teachers and police unions have agreed with each other on anything. (Cunningham has also been endorsed by Girl, I Guess.) (For what it's worth, I argue, in this post, published this morning, that endorsements from groups that ordinarily disagree with one another about the color of the sky should be seen as a positive reflection on the candidate's reputation for fairness.)

In other races of interest to FWIW readers, the FOP did endorse Iris Y. Martinez for Clerk of the Circuit Court... but it did not endorse Eileen O'Neill Burke for Cook County State's Attorney.

The FOP certainly appears inclined in Burke's favor. However, according to an article by Mitchell Krugel in the March issue of Lodge 7's Official Magazine, Burke did not ask for the police endorsement. Krugel writes:

It's not what you think. [Burke] revealed to [Lodge 7 Political Director Mike] Cosentino on a couple of occasions why a Lodge 7 endorsement would not be in her best interest.

"She has to oversee police officers and sheriffs, and some cases might come in front of her for criminal prosecution," he added. "She does not believe that getting an endorsement or money from any police organization or any sheriff's organization would be the correct thing to do. She said, 'To me, that's hypocritical, and I won't do it.'"

IUOE Local 150 offers some endorsements in Cook County Judicial races

The International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 150 has announced endorsements in a great many races, both in Cook County, in surrounding counties, and in 16 of the 17 Illinois congressional races.

For the complete list, click here.

Among these many endorsements are some endorsements in Cook County judicial races. Local 150 has not made any endorsements in Cook County subcircuit races. In contested countywide races for the Circuit Court, Local 150 has endorsed only Debjani 'Deb' Desai (Propes vacancy).

For the First District vacancy on the Illinois Supreme Court, Local 150 has endorsed Appellate Court Justice Jesse G. Reyes. In the contested races for the First District Appellate Court, Local 150 has endorsed Justice Cynthia Y. Cobbs (Cunningham vacancy) and Judge Celia Louise Gamrath (Delort vacancy).

In other Cook County races of likely interest to FWIW readers, Local 150 has endorsed former Appellate Court Justice Eileen O'Neill Burke for State's Attorney and Iris Y. Martinez for Clerk of the Circuit Court.

IBEW Local 134 announces endorsements in Cook County judicial races

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 134 has announced endorsements for the forthcoming primary, including endorsements in several contested Cook County judicial primary races.

The complete list of Local 134s endorsments is here.

In contested Cook County judicial races, Local 134 has made these endorsements:

Supreme Court Vacancy

Jesse G. Reyes

Appellate Court Vacancies

Cynthia Y. Cobbs (Cunningham vacancy)
Celia Louise Gamrath (Delort vacancy)

Circuit Court Vacancies

Pablo F. deCastro (Flannery, Jr. vacancy)
Neil Cohen (Mitchell vacancy)
Edward Joseph Underhill (Murphy vacancy)
Debjani 'Deb' Desai (Propes vacancy)

Subcircuit Vacancies

Owens J. Shelby (7th Subcircuit - Solganick vacancy)
James V. Murphy (10th Subcircuit - Wojkowski vacancy)
Kim Przekota (11th Subcircuit - Daleo vacancy)
Luciano "Lou" Panici, Jr. (15th Subcircuit - Demacopoulos vacancy)
Jeffrey G. Chrones (18th Subcircuit - Converted from Edidin vacancy)
Bridget Colleen Duigan (19th Subcircuit - Converted from Senechalle, Jr. vacancy)
Michael J. Zink (20th Subcircuit - Converted from Budzinski vacancy)

IBEW also endorsed four subcircuit candidates who are unopposed in the Democratic primary, but who face Republican opponents in November. These are Alon Stein (12th Subcircuit - Dickler vacancy), Frank J. Andreou (12th Subcircuit - Quinn vacancy), James "Jack" Costello (12th Subcircuit - Schleifer vacancy), and John Hock (18th Subcircuit - Converted from Linn vacancy).

In other races of particular interest to FWIW readers, IBEW has endorsed former Appellate Court Justice Eileen O'Neill Burke for State's Attorney and Mariyana Spyropoulos for Clerk of the Circuit Court.

Updated Alliance grids -- filling in many of the blanks

The pace has quickened noticeably (and not a moment too soon).

The Alliance of Bar Associations for Judicial Screening is out this morning with "major updates" to its evaluation grids -- many blanks filled in and corrections on two AABAR ratings. For persons not familiar with the Alliance grids, here is the ratings key:

The hard one to spot, depending on the device on which you're viewing this, may be the superscript ¹ in several boxes. This symbol denotes that the particular group was unable to evaluate the particular candidate, and it's not the candidate's fault.

A complete list of all the Alliance bar groups and links to their respective websites follows at the end of this post. This may be an opportune moment to remind readers unfamiliar with the evaluation process that the Alliance does not include the Chicago Bar Association. CBA ratings are not yet out, but are expected shortly. When I have them, you will find them here on FWIW.

Enough preface.

Here are the updated Alliance grids (click on any image to enlarge or clarify):

The Alliance of Bar Associations for Judicial Screening is comprised of the Arab American Bar Association (AABAR), the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Chicago Area (AABA), the Black Men Lawyers’ Association (BMLA), the Black Women Lawyers’ Association of Greater Chicago (BWLA), the Chicago Council of Lawyers (CCL), the Cook County Bar Association (CCBA), the Decalogue Society of Lawyers (DSL), the Hellenic Bar Association of Illinois (HBA), the Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois (HLAI), the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA), Chicago’s LGBTQ+ Bar Association (LAGBAC), the Puerto Rican Bar Association (PRBA), and Women’s Bar Association of Illinois (WBAI), working collaboratively to improve the process of screening judicial candidates in Cook County, Illinois.

In looking at these evaluations, keep this statement from the Alliance in mind: "Judicial candidates are rated by the Alliance members based on detailed information supplied by candidates, a background check by trained lawyers/investigators, and interviews of each candidate. Ratings reflect the Alliance's opinion of whether candidates have the necessary qualifications for judicial service or ascension to a higher office and are not a reflection of the candidates' abilities as lawyers or judges."

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.