CCL evaluations -- 15th Subcircuit

For the complete report of the Chicago Council of Lawyers, follow this link (.pdf format).

Lipinski Vacancy

Linzey D. Jones -- Qualified
Linzey D. Jones, Jr. was admitted to practice in 1982. He is currently a partner with the law firm of Pugh Jones Johnson & Quandt, and has a labor and employment practice. He was an associate and partner with Sidley & Austin. He is past chairperson and a founding member of the Chicago Committee on Minorities in Large Law Firms. Mr. Jones has substantial litigation experience, although many of his trials settle before verdict. He has also acted as principal counsel in 15 arbitrations and 13 appellate matters. Mr. Jones is praised for his legal ability and temperament. He is reported to be always well-prepared. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Frank James Ryan -- Qualified
Frank James Ryan was admitted to practice in 1981. He is currently a sole practitioner focusing on domestic relations and criminal defense work. He reports serving as lead counsel in one jury matter, more than 50 bench trials in civil law matters, and more than 50 criminal law bench trials. Mr. Ryan is reported to have good legal ability and a good temperament. He is praised for being knowledgeable, and for knowing when to litigate and when to settle a case. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Pat Flanagan – Not Qualified
Patrick Dean Flanagan was admitted to practice in 1999 after a 22-year career in the U.S. Army. He is currently an associate in a small firm doing civil litigation, more than half of which is insurance defense work. He reports acting as lead counsel in seven jury trials and over 20 civil bench trials. While in the military he was an infantry officer. He has also served as a Professor of Military Science in the Chicago area ROTC program. Most respondents report that Mr. Flanagan is an intelligent and diligent lawyer who has a good temperament. The Council is concerned that he has only ten years of experience as a lawyer and his practice does not yet have sufficient depth and breadth. On balance the Council finds him Not Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Nicholas W. Karas – Not Recommended
Nicholas W. Karas refused to be evaluated. He is Not Recommended for the Circuit Court.

Richard G. Karwaczka – Not Qualified
Richard G. Karwaczka was admitted to practice in Illinois in 2001 and in Wisconsin in 2005. Mr. Karwaczka is currently in a small practice where he does criminal defense work. From 2002 to 2007, he was an Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney where he spent much of his professional time doing child support enforcement. He served as an instructor with the Northwestern Business College between 2004 and 2005. From 2001 to 2002 he was an Assistant Lake County State’s Attorney. He reports serving as lead counsel in five jury trials and 100 bench trials. Much of Mr. Karwaczka’s litigation experience, however, has been in less complex matters such as in high volume misdemeanor courts. Mr. Karwaczka is praised for his legal knowledge in his areas of practice and he is considered to have a good temperament. The
Council is concerned, however, that he does not yet have litigation experience in more complex matters and thus, has not demonstrated his ability to master new, sophisticated cases that he may be asked to consider as a judge. The Council finds him Not Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Karla Marie Fiaoni -- Qualified
Karla Marie Fiaoni was admitted to practice in 1989. She has been a sole practitioner doing criminal defense work since 2001. She served as Chief of Police for the City of Chicago Heights between 1994 and 1996 and was Superintendent of Police for Chicago Heights between 1996 and 1997. From 1997 to 2001, she served as the Project Director for the Domestic Violence Unit in the City of Chicago Heights. She served as a Cook County Commissioner in 2002. She reports acting as lead counsel in five jury trials and 15 bench trials. Before her current work, Ms. Fiaoni served as an Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney between 1989 and 1994. Ms. Fiaoni is considered to have good legal ability and temperament. She is praised for her knowledge of criminal law and procedure and for being hard-working and diligent. The Council finds her Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Michael Brendan Barrett – Qualified
Michael Barrett was admitted to practice in 1991. He has spent most of his career with his current firm, Barrett & Sramek doing civil litigation. He reports acting as lead counsel in 9 civil juries, 11 civil bench trials, and 6 criminal bench trials. Mr. Barrett is regarded as an experienced trial practitioner involved in a variety of matters. He is considered to be bright and knowledgeable and received high marks for his temperament. He has a reputation for being a good lawyer who is both fair and a zealous advocate. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Joan Marie G. Kubalanza – Qualified
Joan Kubalanza was admitted to practice in 1984. She is currently in private practice. From 1984 to 1986, Ms. Kubalanza served as a law clerk to Justice William Clark and then served as an Associate with what was Wilson & McIlvaine. She was an Associate and then a partner with Foley and Lardner from 1990 to 1998. For one year she served as an Associate Judge before going back to private practice. She reports acting as lead counsel in 1 civil jury trial and about 8 civil bench trials. She has been involved in extensive motion practice in complex matters. Ms. Kubalanza is considered to have good legal ability with solid litigation experience in more complex matters. She is praised for her temperament. The Council finds her Qualified for the Circuit Court.

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Panichi Vacancy

George F. Scully -- Qualified
Hon. George Francis Scully was admitted to practice in 1981 and was appointed to the bench by the Illinois Supreme Court in March 2009. He is currently assigned to the First Municipal District hearing traffic matters. Before taking the bench, Judge Scully was in private practice and served as general counsel to two banks and as an Illinois state legislator. He has substantial litigation experience in commercial litigation matters. He was well respected as a lawyer with good legal ability and temperament. Those appearing before him as a judge praise his court management skills and his temperament. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Mary Therese Quinn – Qualified
Mary Therese Quinn has been an Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney since her admission to the bar in 1988. She is currently assigned to a felony trial courtroom after having served in the Financial Crimes Unit. Ms. Quinn is considered to be a solid prosecutor with good legal ability and temperament. She is praised as being well-prepared and hard-working. The Council finds her Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Michael T. Huguelet – Not Qualified
Michael T. Huguelet was admitted to practice in 1979. He has been a sole practitioner since 1991. He is the Village Prosecutor for the Village of Orland Park. From 1983 to 1991, he served as a partner in a Florida law firm. He reports having no jury trial experience but reports acting as lead counsel in numerous bench trials, although many of these are in less complex matters, such as ordinance violations. Respondents consider Mr. Huguelet to have good legal ability and to possess a good temperament. The Council is concerned, however, that much of his practice has been involved in less complex litigation matters. The Council believes a judge must have experience in complex litigation matters before taking the bench. The Council finds Mr. Huguelet Not Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Peter A. Fera – Not Qualified
Peter A. Fera has been a lawyer since 1968. Mr. Fera is considered to be a highly experienced attorney in will and estates, trusts, banking regulations and compliance, mortgage law, and real estate work. He is considered to have good legal ability in transactional work. While his litigation work is limited, he has done some insurance defense litigation and eviction work during his career. Mr. Fera is a highly respected transactional lawyer who has demonstrated solid ability. The Council believes, however, that judges need to have substantial litigation experience before going on the bench. On balance, the Council finds him Not Qualified.

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Phelan Vacancy

John C. Griffin -- Qualified
Judge John C. Griffin was admitted to practice in 1976. For 31 years he was in private practice primarily handling real estate, zoning and development-related matters. In March 2008, he was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to a judicial vacancy. He has served in Traffic Court and currently presides over mortgage foreclosure matters in the Foreclosure/Mechanic’s Lien Section. Judge Griffin is reported to have good legal ability and an excellent temperament. He had a good reputation as a hard-working and knowledgeable attorney and is praised for his courtroom management skills and for being well-prepared. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Carl Evans, Jr. – Qualified
Carl Evans, Jr. has been a lawyer since 1993. He has been a sole practitioner for most of his career, concentrating in criminal defense and personal injury work. He has been an adjunct professor of law at John Marshall Law School since 2001, teaching legal writing, research, and oral advocacy for first-year students. He is considered to have good legal ability and an excellent demeanor. He is praised for being exceptionally hard working and well-prepared. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Nichole C. Patton – Not Qualified
Nicole Patton was admitted to practice in 1997. She is currently a sole practitioner and was an Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney having practiced in the areas of real estate taxation, delinquency, child protection, traffic, and appeals. She reports acting as lead counsel in 1 civil jury, 5 criminal juries, 200 criminal bench trials, and 100 civil trials. She has handled 25 cases on appeal. Ms. Patton is considered to have good legal ability and temperament and has the reputation of being a good attorney. The Council is concerned, however, because while Ms.
Patton has litigation experience, little of it is in more complex matters. She has the potential for being a good judge but the Council believes she is not yet ready for the bench. The Council finds her Not Qualified at this time.

Thomas "TJ" Somer – Not Qualified
Thomas Joseph “TJ” Somer was admitted to practice in 1991, following 14 years as a police officer in Chicago Heights. After one year working on insurance defense cases for a large firm, he set up his own general practice firm in the south suburbs. Since 1997 he has served as a Supervisor for Bloom Township and, since 2006, he has also served as corporation counsel for the city of Chicago Heights. He was also an unsuccessful candidate for mayor of Chicago Heights and for Congress. Mr. Somer is reported to have good legal ability and temperament, although his practice is narrow. In addition to the narrowness of his practice, the Council is also concerned that Somer was a defendant in a law suit alleging illegal practices with respect to tax delinquent properties during the time he was the Bloom Township Supervisor. Although the trial court absolved Somer of wrongdoing, the Appellate Court reversed the trial court’s decision. Mr. Somer denies any culpability and insists that this program was appropriate and successful. The Council finds him Not Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Mary Beth Kent Duffy – Qualified
Mary Beth Duffy was admitted to practice in Illinois in 1992 and has been a Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney since 1996. She is currently prosecuting felonies as a “First Chair” prosecutor in the Markham courthouse. She has extensive bench and jury trial experience. Ms. Duffy has good legal ability and a good temperament. She is considered to be hard working. The Council finds her Qualified for the Circuit Court.

CCL evaluations -- 3rd Subcircuit

For the complete report of the Chicago Council of Lawyers, follow this link (.pdf format).

Carmody Vacancy

Allen F. Murphy -- Qualified (evaluated to fill a judicial vacancy in 2008. He was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to the Circuit Court bench in September 2008)
Allen Francis Murphy was admitted to practice in 1991. He served as an Assistant Cook County Public Guardian before becoming an Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney in 1995. Mr. Murphy is considered to have good legal ability. He is praised by opposing counsel as being knowledgeable and trustworthy. His temperament is described as low key and professional. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Peter M. Kramer – Not Recommended
Peter M. Kramer refused to be evaluated. He is Not Recommended for the Circuit Court.

Thomas G. O'Brien -- Not Recommended
Thomas G. O’Brien did not participate in the 2010 judicial evaluation process. He is Not Recommended for the Circuit Court.

Steven G. Watkins – Qualified
Steven G. Watkins was admitted to practice in 1991. Since 2001, he has been a sole practitioner focusing on criminal defense, civil litigation, and real estate work. Between 1991 and 2000, he was the founding partner of a three-lawyer firm. Mr. Watkins reports that he has acted as lead counsel in 10 jury trials in criminal matters, one civil jury trial, “at least” 43 bench trials in criminal matters and four civil bench trials. Mr. Watkins is considered to have a low-key, professional demeanor and is considered a diligent attorney. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Charles Francis Fitzgerald – Not Qualified
Charles Francis Fitzgerald was admitted to practice in 1981. He has been a part-time administrative law officer for the City of Chicago since 1999. In 1987, after serving as an Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney, Mr. Fitzgerald entered private practice, where he handles mainly criminal defense matters. Mr. Fitzgerald is reported to have good legal ability and a good temperament. The Council is concerned, however, that he lacks sufficient experience in more complex litigation. The Council finds him Not Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Daniela Silaides – Not Recommended
Daniela Silaides refused to be evaluated. She is Not Recommended for the Circuit Court.

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Darcy Vacancy

Edward Harmening – Qualified*
Edward Harmening was admitted to the bar in 1994. From 1994 to 1997, and since 2003, he has been an Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney. He spent 1997 to 2003 in private practice handling insurance defense matters. Mr. Harmening is reported to have good legal ability and temperament. He has had sufficient litigation experience in complex matters to overcome the relatively few number of years that he has been in practice. The Council finds him Qualified to serve in the Circuit Court.

James Patrick Doran -- Qualified
James Doran was admitted to practice in 1992. He serves as an Assistant Illinois Attorney General, handling litigation maters. He reports serving as lead counsel in 13 jury trials and in one bench trial. His practice includes both state and federal court litigation. Mr. Doran is considered to have good legal ability and has substantial experience in more complex litigation matters. He is reported to have a good temperament. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Thomas J. Murphy – Qualified
Thomas J. Murphy was admitted to practice in 1981. He is a sole practitioner at the Law Offices of Thomas J. Murphy (since 1989) and before that was an associate at Andich & Belgrade (1987-89) and an Assistant State’s Attorney in Cook County (1981-87). He reports being lead counsel in 30 trials that have gone to a jury verdict and 200 that have gone to a bench verdict. Mr. Murphy is reported to have good legal ability and temperament. He has substantial litigation experience in more complex matters and is described as well prepared and thorough. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.

David J. Coleman – Well Qualified
David Joseph Coleman was admitted to practice in 1993. He has served throughout his career as an Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney. He is currently assigned to the Special Prosecutions Unit where he prosecutes public corruption cases and cold case homicides. He reports serving as lead counsel in 24 jury trials and 500 bench trials. Lawyers report that Mr. Coleman has good legal ability and he is respected for his temperament. He has substantial litigation experience in exceptionally complex matters, and has been on the forefront of using new legal strategies and statutes to prosecute his cases. He is praised for his integrity. The Council finds him Well Qualified for the Circuit Court.

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* This evaluation was apparently prepared before Judge Harmening was appointed to this vacancy by the Illinois Supreme Court.

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"A" Vacancy

Daniel Malone – Qualified
Judge Daniel B. Malone was admitted to practice in 1986. He was appointed to the bench by the Illinois Supreme Court in February 2009 and currently sits in Traffic Court hearing minor and misdemeanor traffic cases. Before taking the bench, Judge Malone had been in private practice throughout his career with a focus on personal injury and workers’ compensation litigation. He has both jury and bench trial experience in more complex matters. Judge Malone is considered to have good legal ability and as a judge, is praised for his temperament and courtroom management. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Ronald Joseph Hurley – Not Recommended
Ronald Joseph Hurley refused to be evaluated. He is Not Recommended for the Circuit Court.

Mary McNamara – Not Recommended
Mary McNamara refused to be evaluated. She is Not Recommended for the Circuit Court.

Bernadette McNicholas -- Qualified
Bernadette McNicholas was admitted to practice in 1986. She is a sole practitioner focusing on domestic relations. She reports acting as lead counsel in four jury trials and more than 45 bench trials. Ms. McNicholas has substantial experience in more complex litigation matters. Lawyers report that she has good legal ability and a good temperament. She is praised for being hardworking and for her courtroom skills. The Council finds her Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Pamela Cotten – Not Qualified
Pamela Cotten was admitted to practice in 1995. She is currently employed by the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) as Assistant General Counsel II for Housing Policy and Legislation. She represents the CHA in complaints and petitions for certiorari in state and federal courts and in inquiries before various state and federal agencies. She represents the CHA in state and federal court. From 2000 to 2009, she represented the CHA at trial and arbitrations. From 1998 to 2000 she reviewed contracts as an attorney for the CHA. She was a law clerk to Justice Charles Freeman of the Illinois Supreme Court. She reports having no jury trial experience and has acted as lead counsel in two personal injury bench trials. She is also president of Urban Comforts Company, which is a family business. Ms. Cotten is reported to be smart and diligent. However, the Council is concerned that she has little significant trial experience, including litigation of more complex matters. The Council finds her Not Qualified for the Circuit Court.

CCL evaluations -- 1st Subcircuit

For the complete report of the Chicago Council of Lawyers, follow this link (.pdf format).

Coleman Vacancy

Thaddeus L. Wilson – Qualified (Evaluated to fill a judicial vacancy. He was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court in 2007 to fill a judicial vacancy.)
Thaddeus L. Wilson was admitted to practice law in 1994. He has been in private, small firm practice throughout his legal career. He currently serves as a hearing examiner for the Chicago Board of Elections. Mr. Wilson is reported to have good legal ability and is praised for his professional demeanor by both lawyers and judges. He has substantial trial experience in both civil and criminal law matters and practices in both the state and federal courts. He is also praised for his community service. The Chicago Council of Lawyers finds Mr. Wilson to be Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Linnae Bryant – Not Recommended
Linnae Bryant refused to be evaluated. She is Not Recommended for the Circuit Court.

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Steele Vacancy

Sharon Oden-Johnson – Not Qualified
Sharon Dolores Oden-Johnson was admitted in 1996. She is a sole practitioner focusing on real estate, family law, probate, and small business matters. She reports having no jury trial experience and acting as lead counsel in 4 civil bench trials. She is very active in community activities and pro bono work. Ms. Oden-Johnson is praised as a smart lawyer with a good temperament. The Council is concerned, however, that she has little litigation experience in more complex matters. The Council believes that a judicial candidate must have substantial
litigation experience before becoming a judge. The Council finds her Not Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Michelle Hugghis Flagg – Not Qualified
Michelle Flagg was admitted to practice in Wisconsin in 2000 and in Illinois in 2003. She is currently a sole practitioner focusing on real estate matters. She served as an associate in a firm between 2000 and 2002. She is praised for her public service. She reports having no jury trial experience but she reports acting as lead counsel in two bench trials. Ms. Flagg is considered a knowledgeable lawyer who is public-minded. The Council is concerned that she has little litigation experience. The Council finds Ms. Flagg Not Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Jesse Outlaw -- Qualified
Jesse Outlaw was admitted to practice in 1980. He is a sole practitioner concentrating in commercial and residential real estate, bankruptcy, family law, and probate. He serves as a guardian ad litem in the Probate Division. Much of his current practice involves bankruptcy in Chapter 7 and 13 proceedings. He reports acting as lead counsel in two jury trials and ten civil bench trials. While he has had relatively few trials, he reports that much of his work as a lawyer involves motion practice. He has been an arbitrator with the Cook County arbitration program
for many years. Mr. Outlaw is praised for his temperament and for his diligence. He is considered an intelligent lawyer who is a zealous advocate for his clients. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Joseph Chico – Not Recommended
Joseph Chico refused to be evaluated. He is Not Recommended for the Circuit Court.

Theodore "Ted" London – Not Recommended
Theodore “Ted” London refused to be evaluated. He is Not Recommended for the Circuit Court.

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"A" Vacancy

Bonita Coleman-John – Not Qualified*
Bonita Coleman-John was admitted to practice in 1992. She has been in private practice for most of her career doing family law, criminal defense, and probate work. She reports acting as lead counsel in 2 criminal jury trials, and more than 100 bench trials. She serves on the ARDC Hearing Board. She is considered to have merely adequate legal ability and many respondents commented unfavorably on her demeanor. Some respondents indicate that she is sometimes late to court. Overall, she is not considered to possess the necessary skills. The Council finds her Not Qualified for the Circuit Court.

* Ms. Coleman-John is unopposed in the Democratic primary and has no Republican opponent in November.

CCL evaluations -- 11th Subcircuit

For the complete report of the Chicago Council of Lawyers, follow this link (.pdf format).

Steven J. Fruth – Qualified
Steven J. Fruth graduated from the John Marshall Law School in 1976 and received his license to practice in November of that year. He has been in private practice concentrating in personal injury litigation since 1977. Mr. Fruth is regarded as a well-prepared and hard-working trial lawyer. He is considered to have good legal ability and temperament. The Council finds Mr. Fruth Qualified to serve in Circuit
Court.*

Maritza Martinez -- Qualified
Maritza Martinez was admitted to practice in 1989. Since 2005 she has been an associate at the Law Offices of Robert Fisher doing criminal defense work. In 2004, she was at a small firm doing insurance defense and catastrophic loss work, and from 1991 until 2004, she was with the City of Chicago Department of Law doing prosecution and civil rights defense. Prior to 1991, she spent two years at a small firm doing real estate work. Since November 2007, she has also served part-time as a hearing officer with the Illinois Court of Claims, conducting trials and making recommendations to the Court of Claims judges regarding the disposition of various claims against the State of Illinois. She also currently serves on the Inquiry Board of the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission. Ms. Martinez reports that she has litigation experience in both state and federal courts, acting as lead counsel in two jury trials in criminal law matters, three juries in civil matters, and numerous prosecutions involving bench trials in municipal ordinance violations. Ms. Martinez is reported to have good legal ability and is considered knowledgeable about her areas of practice. She has had litigation experience in a variety of areas and she is reported to possess a good temperament. She is active in community activities. The Council finds her Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Ann Finley Collins – Well Qualified
Ann Collins was admitted in 1985. She is currently an Assistant Public Defender dealing with homicide cases. As lead trial counsel she has brought 75 criminal cases to a jury verdict and 60 to a bench verdict. Ann Collins is reported to have excellent legal ability and is praised as a fair but zealous advocate for her clients. She has a professional demeanor and is widely respected as a lawyer. The Council finds her Well Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Pamela McLean Meyerson -- Qualified
Pamela McLean Meyerson was admitted to practice in 1983. Since 1989, she has been a sole practitioner, handling civil and commercial litigation in the Circuit Court of Cook County. She also organizes and advises small businesses. Between 1983 and 1985 she was in private practice at Antonow & Fink and was an associate with Goldberg Kohn Bell Black Rosenbloom & Moritz between 1985 and 1989. She teaches trial practice at the University of Chicago Law School. Ms. Meyerson reports no jury trial experience but has acted as lead counsel in 17 civil law bench trials. Ms. Meyerson is reported to have good legal ability and a professional demeanor. She is respected as a hard-working, knowledgeable, and highly ethical practitioner. The Council finds her Qualified for the Circuit Court.

John Michael Lagattuta – Qualified
John Lagattuta was admitted to practice in 1985. He spent his initial three years in practice as an Assistant States’ Attorney in Cook County, followed by eleven years of general practice as an associate or sole practitioner handling a variety of civil and criminal litigation as well as real estate and domestic relations matters. Since 1999 he has held a variety of positions with the State Department of Financial and Profession Regulation, working his way up from a staff attorney prosecuting wayward doctors to the Acting Deputy Director of Statewide Enforcement, supervising approximately 20 attorneys and staff members, as well as handling legislative and policy matters. He has had extensive criminal and some civil litigation experience in his various positions. He is reported to have good legal ability and temperament. The Council finds him Qualified to serve in the Circuit Court.

Pamela M. Leeming – Not Qualified (Evaluated for Associate Judge in 2004 and reviewed in 2009. She was appointed to fill a judicial vacancy by the Illinois Supreme Court in 2009)
Pamela M. Leeming was appointed to the Circuit Court by the Illinois Supreme Court in October 2009. Before becoming a judge, she served an Assistant Cook County Public Defender since her admission to practice in 1990. She concentrated her practice in the areas of paternity, criminal misdemeanor, preliminary hearings, a variety of other pre-and post-trial matters, and appeals. Ms. Leeming is considered to have good legal ability and temperament. The Council is concerned, however, about the lack of breadth and depth in her legal experience, as well as an absence of sufficient experience in more complex litigation matters. The Council finds her Not Qualified for the Circuit Court at this time.

Thomas David Bilyk -- Qualified
Thomas Bilyk was admitted to practice in 1983. He is currently the Chief of the Juvenile Justice Division of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. He is a career prosecutor. From 1998 to 2007 he served in the Special Prosecutions Bureau. He has also served as the Supervisor of the Public Corruption and Financial Crimes Unit. He was assigned to the felony trial division between 1987 and 1998. He has extensive litigation experience in both jury and bench criminal law trials. Mr Bilyk is considered to be a very knowledgeable and able prosecutor with a wide variety of experiences in more complex criminal law matters. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Lisa A. Marino – Qualified
Lisa Ann Marino was admitted to practice in 1988. She is currently a sole practitioner focusing on real estate and zoning issues. From 1993 to 1997, she was an Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney in the civil division, real estate tax unit. From 1988 to 1993 she was an Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney where she conducted more than 200 misdemeanor bench trials and traffic offenses, and handled felony financial crime cases. Ms. Marino is considered to be very knowledgeable about her area of practice and she is reported to be a good lawyer with a good
temperament. She has experience in more complex litigation matters. The Council finds her Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Eugene Joseph Berkes – Not Qualified
Eugene Joseph Berkes was admitted to practice in 1983. He is a sole practitioner with a general practice of law. As part of his practice, he serves as an administrative law judge for the City of Berwyn, and is the elected City Clerk for the City of Berwyn. He reports acting as lead counsel in one jury trial, 60 civil bench trials, and 5 criminal bench trials. Respondents consider Mr. Berkes to have good legal ability and to possess a good temperament. The Council is concerned, however, that much of his practice has been involved in less complex litigation matters or in the real estate area. The Council believes a judge must have experience in complex litigation matters before taking the bench. In addition, his practice lacks sufficient breadth. The Council finds Mr. Berkes Not Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Kim R. Kardas – Well Qualified
Kim R. Kardas has been a lawyer since 1980. He has been a sole practitioner since 2004, specializing in both criminal and civil litigation. From 1992 to 2004, he was a partner in the firm of Belgrade & O’Donnell, litigating construction defense, maritime, admiralty and product liability cases. He was a Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney between 1981 and 1992 doing juvenile and adult criminal prosecutions. He was an adjunct professor at John Marshall law school between 1991 and 2000, teaching trial advocacy. He has extensive civil and criminal trial experience. Lawyers report that he has very good legal ability and temperament. He is widely praised for being well-prepared and hard-working. He has experience in both the civil and criminal law areas. The Council finds him Well Qualified for the Circuit Court.

John W. Chwarzynski – Not Recommended
Mr. Chwarzynski refused to be evaluated. The Council finds him Not Recommended for the Circuit Court.

Radusa Ostojic - Qualified
Radusa Ostojic was admitted to practice in 1986. She has been in private practice throughout her career doing tort litigation. She reports litigating 19 civil jury cases to verdict and an unspecified number of bench trials to verdict. She is praised for her pro bono activities. Ms. Ostojic is reported to have good legal ability and is praised for her management and litigation skills. The Council finds her Qualified for the Circuit Court.
(Note: An objection to this candidate's nominating petitions was recently sustained by the Cook County Electoral Board. The Illinois State Board of Elections does not yet show a final disposition and an appeal is reportedly pending.


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* This CCL evaluation was apparently prepared before Judge Fruth's appointment to the 11th Subcircuit Riley vacancy.

CCL evaluations -- 9th Subcircuit

For the complete report of the Chicago Council of Lawyers, follow this link (.pdf format).

Otaka Vacancy

Abbey Fishman Romanek – Qualified
Abbey Romanek has practiced law since 1987. Since 2004, she has been a Senior Assistant Attorney General in the Medicaid Fraud Division. From 1987 until 2004, she was in private practice first handling criminal defense matters and then focusing for the next eleven years on medical malpractice cases. Ms. Romanek is reported to have good legal ability and temperament. She has had substantial trial and appellate experience in complex civil and criminal law matters. The Council finds her Qualified to serve in the Circuit Court.

Yehuda Lebovits – Not Qualified (Evaluated to fill a vacancy in 2006 and reviewed in 2009)
Yehuda Lebovitz was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court in 2009 to fill a judicial vacancy. He has heard traffic court matters since his appointment. He was admitted to practice in 1983. Before his judicial appointment, he had since 2000 been the Director of the Expedited Child Support Program for the Circuit Court of Cook County. From 1992 to 2000, he was Director of Statewide Judicial Enforcement and Legal Counsel to the Division of Child Support Enforcement for the Illinois Department of Public Aid. From 1985 to 1992, he was a trial attorney at the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation. Before that, he spent two years as a sole general practitioner. Mr. Lebovitz was considered to be an excellent and dedicated administrator. Lawyers appearing before him in traffic court matters find him a capable jurist. He is praised for his temperament and for his willingness to work for systemic reform. The Council in 2006 found then Mr. Lebovitz Not Qualified because of his lack of substantial experience in litigation matters. While Judge Lebovitz receives good marks for handling a high volume court call, he has had little experience as a judge and has not yet been given a challenging judicial assignment. The Council believes that judges must have substantial litigation experience before going onto the bench or demonstrate an ability to handle a variety of challenging judicial assignments. On balance, the Council finds Judge Lebovitz Not Qualified for the Circuit Court at this time.

Geary W. Kull – Well Qualified (Evaluated for Associate Judge in 2004. Judge Kull was appointed to the bench in 2009 by the Illinois Supreme Court)
After being admitted to practice in 1974, Geary Kull served as an Assistant Cook County Public Defender until 1981, when he left to establish a private criminal defense practice as a sole practitioner. Mr. Kull is considered to have very good legal ability, an excellent temperament, and unquestioned integrity. He has extensive litigation experience in complex matters. Mr. Kull is a solid practitioner who has earned the respect of his colleagues, lawyers and judges alike, who uniformly praise him highly. The Council finds him Well Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Dennis Michael Fleming – Qualified
Dennis M. Fleming was admitted to practice in 1976. He currently has a sole practice litigating criminal, civil, and administrative matters. From 1987 until 2001, he was a partner at Wahler, Pecyna & Fleming. From 1978 to 1987, Mr. Fleming was a sole practitioner. He spent the first year of his legal career as an Assistant Cook County Public Defender. Mr. Fleming has been a hearing officer for the City of Chicago Department of Personnel since 1997; he has also been an administrative law officer with the Chicago Department of Administrative Hearings since 1996. He has been a hearing officer for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (1993-1994) and a trial judge for the Commissioner of the State Board of Claims (1982-1983). Mr. Fleming is a 1976 graduate of DePaul University College of Law.

Mr. Fleming is praised for his extensive litigation experience in both criminal and civil matters. He litigates complex cases with great competence and fairness. He is considered to have overall good legal ability. Adversaries describe him as a good practitioner who is honest, courteous, even-tempered and highly professional. The Council finds Mr. Fleming Qualified to serve in Circuit Court.

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"A" Vacancy

Steven James "Steve" Bernstein – Not Qualified
Steven James Bernstein was admitted to practice in 1971. He is currently the Acting General Counsel for the Illinois Criminal Justice Authority where he drafts inter-agency agreements, drafts legislation, and prepares and delivers training programs. He is very active in community affairs, including as an elected official. He reports acting as lead counsel in 1 criminal and 1 jury trial, as well as in 90 civil bench trials and 150 criminal bench trials. However, most of Mr. Bernstein’s recent legal work involves real estate matters, and trial work cited in his evaluation materials were from as many as 30 years ago. He is very active in community affairs. Mr. Bernstein is considered to have good legal ability and temperament. The Council is concerned that he has little litigation experience in more complex matters and has little recent litigation experience at all. The Council finds him Not Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Michael Ian Bender – Qualified
Judge Michael I. Bender was admitted to practice in 1991. He was appointed to the bench by the Illinois Supreme Court in 2008. Before being appointed, he was with a firm concentrating in family law. He has served as an assistant corporation counsel for the village of Skokie and was a sole practitioner for 10 years. He clerked for Illinois Appellate Court Justice Allen Hartman after graduating law school. As a lawyer, Mr. Bender was reported to have good legal ability and temperament. The Council, in 2007, was concerned, however, that he lacked sufficient experience in complex litigation matters. Since being appointed to the bench, he has been assigned to Traffic Court, but has also presided over misdemeanor criminal bench trials and
motions, misdemeanor criminal jury trials, and civil trials and motions in the First Municipal District. Respondents in general praise his judicial abilities, saying that he has done a good job grasping new concepts, understanding the issues, managing the courtroom, and having a good temperament. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Jeffrey Dov Greenspan – Not Qualified
Jeffrey Dov Greenspan was admitted to practice in 1979. He is currently an attorney with Pomper & Goodman doing plaintiffs’ personal injury work and workers’ compensation cases. From 2003 to 2008 he was the senior project manager for The Trust for Public Land, where among other duties he negotiated and acquired land for use by local and state governments as parks. From 2001 to 2003 he was General Counsel and Director of Land Organization for Corlands, where among other duties, he negotiated land purchases for parks and open space preservation. From 1999 to 2001, he was a partner with Fioretti and Des Jardins, Ltd where he had a general practice with a concentration in local government law. From 1991 to 1999 he was a senior associate with Ancel Glink, Diamond & Cope where he advised and represented local governments, including state and federal litigation matters. From 1981 to 1991, he served as an Assistant Corporation Counsel for the Village of Skokie. From 1980 to 1981, he served as an Assistant Cook County Public Defender. He reports acting as lead counsel in one criminal law jury matter, four civil jury trials, and four bench trials in civil matters. He has a significant history of community service. Mr. Greenspan is considered to be a smart and hard-working lawyer with a variety of experiences, but he lacks significant recent litigation experience. The Council finds him Not Qualified for the Circuit Court.

William Joseph Luby – Qualified
William Luby was admitted in 1994. He has always served as a sole practitioner practicing primarily criminal trial law. He reports that he has taken 2 criminal trials to a jury verdict as well as 15 civil and 35 criminal trials to a bench verdict. He has litigated 7 appellate cases. His practice includes a variety of cases, including murder trials and other more complex matters. Mr. Luby is reported to have good legal ability and is praised as a good practitioner who is fair and zealous. He has a good temperament. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Scott Bagnall – Not Qualified
Scott Bagnall was admitted to practice in 1986. He is a sole practitioner focusing on personal injury, workers’ compensation, and real estate matters. He has been in private practice throughout his career. He reports acting as lead counsel in more than 12 jury trials and more than 20 civil bench trials and five bench trials in criminal cases. Mr. Bagnall, according to his investigation, is considered to have good legal ability and a professional demeanor. He has litigation experience but much of it is in less complex matters. The Council finds him Not Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Mary S. Trew – Qualified
Mary S. Trew was admitted to practice law in Michigan in 1981 and in Illinois in 1991. Since 1991, she has been with Pro Bono Advocates first as a supervising attorney and currently as the Executive Director. Before 1991, Ms. Trew practiced in Detroit. For one year, she was the supervising staff attorney at the Women’s Justice Center. From 1982 to 1989, she was in private practice doing primarily criminal defense work. From 1980 to 1981, she was at the Misdemeanor Defender Office, first as a student and later as a lawyer. Ms. Trew is a 1981 graduate of the Detroit College of Law at Michigan State University.

Ms. Trew is considered to have good legal ability and temperament. She has a variety of litigation experience in both civil and criminal law matters. She is dedicated to public service and has a reputation as a hard-working and extremely well-prepared lawyer. The Council finds Ms. Trew Qualified to serve in the Circuit Court.

CCL evaluations -- countywide vacancies

For the complete report of the Chicago Council of Lawyers, follow this link (.pdf format).

Berland Vacancy

William H. Hooks – Well Qualified
William H. Hooks received his law degree from ITT Chicago-Kent in 1981 and was admitted to the Illinois bar in that year. An officer in the U.S. Marine Corps and Reserves, he resumed active duty as a Judge Advocate, and in that capacity prosecuted and defended criminal cases. He left active duty in 1985 (though remained in the Reserves for an additional 10 years) and until 1991 practiced civil litigation (mainly insurance defense) with Pretzel & Stouffer, Hinshaw & Culbertson, and Garland W. Watt and Associates. Since 1995, he has practiced on his own and in partnership with others, concentrating on criminal defense and a wide range of civil litigation. He has extensive jury and bench trial experience in both federal and state courts, and since 1992 has served as a hearing officer and hearing board chair for the ARDC. He has taught at the DePaul University College of Law and the Mandel Legal Aid Clinic of the University of Chicago Law School. He lectures frequently in continuing legal education and public information seminars, and has published practice-related articles. Mr. Hooks is regarded as a knowledgeable, skillful, and aggressive advocate. His professional conduct and personal integrity are above reproach. He convincingly expresses his desire to take the bench as a wish to devote himself to public service. The Council finds him Well Qualified.

Deidre Baumann – Not Qualified
Deidre Baumann was admitted to practice in 1992. She has spent her career in private practice with a small firm or as a sole practitioner. She handles civil litigation primarily, in both state and federal courts. She reports acting as lead counsel in 12 civil and 8 criminal cases. She also reports having significant appellate experience. While many respondents had a favorable impression of her litigation experience, a significant number questioned whether she had been knowledgeable enough in the cases they had opposed her. Ms. Baumann has been the subject of unfavorable written opinions by two judges. Most respondents say that she has a good temperament. While Ms. Baumann appears to be a respected attorney by many, there are attorneys who question her level of knowledge in some of her cases. On balance, the Council finds her Not Qualified for the Circuit Court.

William B. Raines – Qualified
William B. Raines was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1993 after a number of years in law enforcement. The candidate worked as a Cook County State’s Attorney for a little over one year, from January 1994 through June 1995, in the Narcotics Division. He was Special Counsel to the Freemont Corporation Insurance Company from May 1995 through May 2001. He then became Special Counsel to the National Insurance Crime Bureau’s criminal and civil fraud prosecution department. He remained in this last position until November 2001 when he opened his law practice. During the last few years, Mr. Raines has acquired substantial trial experience to go along with his substantial non-litigation experience. He is considered to have good legal ability
and temperament. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.

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Bronstein Vacancy

Terry MacCarthy – Well Qualified
Terry MacCarthy has been a lawyer since 1990. Since 2003 he has been a Supervisor in the felony trial division of the Office of the Cook County Public Defender. He is a career Assistant Public Defender. Mr. MacCarthy is reported to have good legal ability and is praised for being thoughtful and respectful while being a zealous advocate. He reports substantial community involvement. He teaches in the Mandel Legal Aid Clinic at the University of Chicago Law School and has taught advanced trial advocacy at the DePaul law school since 2002. The Council finds him Well Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Diann K. Marsalek – Not Qualified
Diann Marsalek was admitted to practice in 1989. She spent 16 years in the Illinois Attorney General’s office doing litigation primarily for the Illinois Department of Corrections (DOC). Her initial 13 years in practice were primarily spent defending Section 1983 cases against the DOC in federal court, though she did also have some limited litigation experience in state court during this period. Her final 3 years in the AG’s office were spent as a “facilitator” for litigation involving the DOC and as a policy advisor concerning litigation and legislation. Ms. Marsalek is
reported to have good legal ability and temperament. The Council is concerned, however, that most of her litigation experience was earlier in her career and was in federal court. The Council finds her Not Qualified to serve in the Circuit Court.

Sharon Finegan Patterson – Qualified
Sharon Finegan Patterson was admitted to the bar in 1980. She has been a solo practitioner handling employment and personal injury litigation since 1995. From 1982 to 1995, she was an associate at Lord, Bissell & Brook. From 1980 to 1982, she was law clerk to Hon. Daniel J. McNamara of the Illinois Appellate Court. Ms. Patterson is considered to have good legal ability and temperament. She is praised as being particularly hard-working with good analytical skills. The Council finds her Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Thomas William Flannigan – Qualified
Thomas Flannigan has been a lawyer since 1983. He has a MA degree in International Relations. After clerking with Illinois Supreme Court Justice William Clark, he served as an attorney with the firms of Arvey Hodes and Freeborn & Peters, concentrating on international business transactions and litigation. He worked as an attorney in Japan in 1988 and between 1991 and 1992. Since 1990, he has been a sole practitioner focusing on civil litigation, intellectual property matters, and estate planning. He has had a limited number of cases go to trial but has been involved in other aspects of complex civil litigation matters. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.

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Dolan Vacancy

Susan Kennedy Sullivan -- Qualified
Susan Kennedy Sullivan was admitted to practice in 1994. She is a sole practitioner focusing on probate and estate planning. She has been a registered nurse since 1974. She reports serving as lead counsel in two civil jury trials and more than 100 civil bench trials. Many of her litigation matters involve lengthy trials. She has published articles and is active in pro bono matters. Ms. Sullivan is reported to have good legal ability and she is praised as being hard-working. She is respected as a zealous advocate with a professional demeanor. The Council finds her Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Linda Pauel – Qualified
Linda Pauel was admitted to practice in 1991. She has been an Assistant Corporation Counsel with the Chicago Department of Law since 1994; she has served as a Senior Counsel since 1998. She started her career as a litigation associate with what was Sachnoff & Weaver. She reports acting as lead counsel in 4 civil jury trials and over 300 civil bench trials. She is active in community activities. Ms. Pauel is considered to be a very good lawyer with good legal ability and a professional demeanor. She has substantial trial and supervisory experience in more complex matters, having worked in municipal prosecutions, the torts division, and most recently as senior counsel responsible for the day to day supervision of attorneys handling administrative cases before the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection. The Council finds her Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Kevin J. Murphy – Not Qualified
Kevin J. Murphy was admitted to practice in 1981. He is currently a sole practitioner focusing on real estate, probate, and personal injury matters. Before becoming a sole practitioner, he worked for two years at Parrillo Weiss & O’Halloran defending against auto cases for insurance companies. He is considered to be a diligent lawyer. He reports acting as lead counsel in 35 jury trials, 60 civil bench trials and 150 criminal law bench trials. However, many of these actions involve less complex matters such as traffic tickets or other types of misdemeanors. On balance the Council finds him Not Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Ubi O’Neal – Not Qualified
Ubi O’Neal was admitted to practice in 1993. He is a sole practitioner focusing on personal injury and criminal defense matters. Mr. O’Neal has litigation experience, but the Council is concerned he has little experience in more complex matters. The Council is also concerned that Mr. O’Neal was censured by the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission in 1999. The Council finds Mr. O’Neal Not Qualified for the Circuit Court.

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Hayes Vacancy

Raymond William Mitchell – Qualified
Judge Raymond William Mitchell was admitted to practice in 1993. He was appointed to the bench by the Illinois Supreme Court in October 2008. From 1998 to 2008 he was an associate and then partner with the law firm of Winston & Strawn where he was involved in all aspects of more complex litigation matters. He served as an associate lawyer with Gardner, Carton & Douglas. Prior to his appointment to the bench, he reports being involved in numerous pro bono efforts. Judge Mitchell is considered to have good legal ability and was well-respected as an attorney in private practice. Lawyers appearing before him in Traffic Court, where he now sits, report that he has a very good temperament and demonstrates good legal ability. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Bonnie McGrath – Not Qualified
Bonnie McGrath was admitted to practice in 1993. She has been a sole practitioner since 1996 and served as a prosecutor with the Chicago Department of Law between 1992 and 1996. She has no jury trial experience, but reports acting as lead counsel in hundreds of civil bench trials. Ms. McGrath is a former journalist who now teaches at Columbia College. Her litigation experience does not include involvement with more complex matters. Ms. McGrath is praised for her temperament and is a prolific writer in legal journals. The Council, however, believes that Ms. McGrath has not demonstrated the ability to handle complex legal matters in the courtroom. The Council finds her Not Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Carl B. Boyd – Not Recommended
Carl B. Boyd refused to be evaluated. He is Not Recommended for the Circuit Court.

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Kelley Vacancy

John Patrick Callahan, Jr. – Qualified
John Callahan was admitted to practice in 1988. From 1996 to the present he has been in private practice doing general civil litigation and criminal defense. He served as an Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney between 1989 and 1996. He reports acting as lead counsel in 1 civil jury, 23 criminal jury trials, 4 civil bench trials, and more than 250 criminal bench trials. Mr. Callahan is considered to have good legal ability and trial experience. He has a reputation of being exceptionally fair while having a calm and professional demeanor. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Joanne F. Fehn – Not Qualified
Joanne F. Fehn was admitted to practice in 1993. She is currently General Counsel of Anchor Companies where she manages legal affairs and oversees outside counsel. Since 2003 she has served as the owner and founder of Mortgage Title Services. From 1998 to 2001, she worked at Chicago Title Insurance Company as an Attorney Technical Advisor. From 1994 to 1998, she was an Attorney Closing Officer with Urban Search Corporation. She has no jury trial experience and has never acted as lead counsel in bench trials. Ms. Fehn is praised as being smart and for having a good temperament. However, her practice has been limited to real estate matters and the Council is also concerned that she has very little litigation experience in more complex matters. The Council finds her Not Qualified for the Circuit Court.

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McCarthy Vacancy*

Daniel J. Gallagher – Qualified
Daniel James Gallagher was admitted in 1994. He is currently an Assistant Public Defender (APD) in the Felony Trial Division, and has been in the office since 1996. He was in private practice before becoming an APD. As lead trial counsel he reports taking one civil case and 35 criminal cases to a jury verdict, as well as approximately 20 civil and 100 to criminal cases to a bench verdict. Mr. Gallagher is reported to be a diligent, fair, and zealous advocate. He is praised as being well prepared with a professional demeanor. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.

* Gallagher is unopposed in the Democratic primary. Two Republicans filed in this race. They are:

Maureen H. Masterson Pulia – Not Qualified
Maureen Pulia was admitted to practice in 1984. From 2003 to present, she has been an Arbitrator with the Illinois Workers Compensation Commission. From 1997 to 2003 she was Senior Public Service Administrator and Staff Attorney for the Illinois Workers Compensation Commission. Ms. Pulia is reported to have good legal ability and temperament. The Council is concerned, however, that her practice has been narrow and that she lacks sufficient litigation experience as a practitioner in complex matters. The Council finds her Not Qualified to serve in the Circuit Court.

Michaela Nolan Ryan – Not Recommended
Michaela Nolan Ryan refused to be evaluated. She is Not Recommended for the Circuit Court.

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O'Malley Vacancy**

Thomas V. Lyons – Qualified (He was evaluated to fill a judicial vacancy in 2008. He was appointed to the Circuit Court by the Illinois Supreme Court in August 2008)
Judge Thomas V. Lyons II was admitted to practice in 1987. He serves as an Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney. Lawyers report that he has good legal ability and temperament. He has substantial experience in both bench and jury trials involving criminal law matters. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.

** Judge Lyons is unopposed in the Democratic primary and has no Republican opponent in November.


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Riley Vacancy

Sandra Ramos – Not Qualified
Sandra Ramos was admitted to practice in 1986. She has been a sole practitioner since 1993 doing mostly criminal defense work, and served for nine years as an Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney (1986 to 1995). She reports acting as lead counsel on about 30 criminal jury trials and numerous bench trials. The investigation of Ms. Ramos yielded decidedly mixed results. Some lawyers and judges say she has good legal ability and temperament. But many others question her diligence and temperament. In light of these criticisms and the narrowness of her practice, the Council finds her Not Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Russell William Hartigan -- Qualified
Russell William Hartigan was admitted to practice in 1976. He has been in private practice throughout his career with extensive personal injury litigation experience. He reports acting as lead counsel in 45 civil jury trials and in numerous arbitrations. He has personally handled fifteen cases as principal appellate counsel and argued orally eight of these in the U.S Court of Appeals, the Illinois Appellate Court, and the Illinois Supreme Court. He is active in bar association activities, and currently is on the Illinois State Bar Association Board of Governors. He has published articles on civil practice matters and is active in community affairs. Mr. Hartigan is reported to have good legal ability and a very good temperament. He is praised as a hard-working, conscientious, and knowledgeable practitioner. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.

James M. Bailey, II – Qualified
James M. Bailey, II has been an Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney since his admission to the bar in 1984. His practice currently involves appellate criminal and civil litigation. Mr. Bailey is a 1983 graduate of the John Marshall Law School. He has been a guest lecturer on Advanced Trial Practice at Chicago-Kent and on Drug Asset Forfeiture at the Cook County Sheriff’s Department. Mr. Bailey is considered to have good legal ability and temperament. He is praised as a solid prosecutor with experience in both criminal and civil law matters. The Council finds Mr. Bailey Qualified to serve in Circuit Court.

John Patrick Nyhan – Not Recommended
John Patrick Nyhan refused to be evaluated. He is Not Recommended for the Circuit Court.

Edmund Paul Michalowski – Not Recommended
Edmund Paul Michalowski refused to be evaluated. He is Not Recommended for the Circuit Court.

Marvin W. Gray – Qualified
Marvin W. Gray was admitted to practice in 1972. He has been a sole practitioner for most of his career, doing mostly civil litigation. He worked as an employee of the law department of the Chicago Transit Authority doing civil litigation defense between 1987 and 1991. He reports acting as lead counsel in 10 criminal and 75 civil jury trials, and 250 civil and 25 criminal bench trials. Mr. Gray is considered to be a good attorney with extensive litigation experience. While much of this experience involves cases that are short in duration and lesser value personal injury matters, he has had litigation matters throughout his long career involving more complex matters. Lawyers report that he has good legal ability and a good temperament. The Council finds him Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Tracey Stokes – Qualified
Tracey Stokes was admitted to practice in 1985. She has been in private practice doing insurance defense work throughout her career. She reports acting as lead counsel in 22 civil juries and 8 civil bench trials. Ms. Stokes has substantial litigation and trial experience over the course of her career. She is considered to have good legal ability and temperament. She is respected by her peers as a good attorney who is knowledgeable and diligent. The Council finds her Qualified for the Circuit Court.

Chicago Council of Lawyers releases judicial candidate ratings

The Chicago Council of Lawyers has released its ratings of judicial candidates for the upcoming primary. That's a link to the complete CCL report in the preceding sentence (.pdf format).

Of all the bar associations that release ratings on judicial candidates, only the CCL and the Chicago Bar Association also release explanations for their ratings and, in the next several posts, I'll start getting into the CCL's findings on a race by race basis.

The CBA ratings will be released on line tomorrow, according to an announcement this evening on the CBA website.

CBA candidate evaluations to be released tomorrow

Announcement this evening on the Chicago Bar Association website: "The CBA's Judicial Evaluation Committee has released its evaluations of judicial candidates running for vacancies on the Illinois Appellate Court and the Circuit Court of Cook County in the February 2, 2010, Primary Election. The Green Guide will be available online the afternoon of January 8th."

I'll start putting that information up as soon as it's released on line.

Links to Electoral Board decisions

I've mentioned on several occasions now Cook County Clerk David Orr's website where the status of objections to candidates' nominating petitions may be tracked. Those challenges are over now as are (so far as I know) all challenges to judicial nominating petitions that were taken to the County Division of the Circuit Court.

But confusion and misinformation persists in certain quarters about some challenges so I was gratified to find, when I returned today to Mr. Orr's website, that links have been posted to Electoral Board decisions.

Click on the case number (the objections to judicial candidacies are all labeled with the prefix "JUD") and you will be conveyed, through the miracle of the Internet, to a .pdf copy of the Board's Decision in that particular case.

The Tribune editorializes in favor of "merit selection"

And a certain balance is restored to the Universe.

Early last month I discovered that the Tribune was running candidates' responses (including judicial candidates' responses) to its questionnaires on the newspaper's website. I wrote then that I found myself in a "pleasant state of shock" at the discovery. After all, historically, at least until it makes its endorsements, the Tribune refuses to pay any attention at all to judicial races. In a typical election cycle it might run a single story, usually slamming one candidate in particular for something or other, and closing with a plea for merit selection better suited to the editorial page.

This year, the Tribune may have skipped the news story (though there's still time!) and gone straight to the editorial. I reproduce this morning's linked editorial herewith, along with my own comments thereon:

In a few weeks, Illinois primary voters will choose candidates for governor, for Congress, for the legislature and several other offices. Most voters will have a pretty firm opinion about the high-profile races. But down the ballot, they'll face the names of some complete strangers. Those strangers are running for judge. We're working now to make those strangers more familiar to you.

This would have been a great place for for the Tribune to plug the link to judicial candidate questionnaires it has done, wouldn't it? It would have been a great place to plug the site... if that were the point of the editorial.

We're evaluating judicial candidates, and we'll make endorsements soon. But let's face it, a lot of voters will do something akin to throwing darts at the board. They'll pick the nicest sounding name. Or the one that sounds vaguely familiar. Or they'll skip the judicial races altogether.

In one subcircuit race in Cook County, 12 Democrats are running. There are eight Democrats in another race.

Which one has the best command of the law? Who will be fair and impartial? Who won't hold a grudge ... or take a bribe? Candidate A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H ...?

Gosh, don't you wish we had a newspaper in this town? A newspaper might be just the place to look for information about people running for public office....

This page has long argued that Illinois should drop judicial elections and go to a system in which judges are appointed on merit. Illinois is one of 27 states that elect judges.

Elections force judicial candidates to raise large sums of money, creating the risk of favoritism on the bench. Elections give power to political parties that endorse judicial candidates and expect loyalty in return.

I agree that political fundraising -- and particularly political fundraising by judicial candidates -- is distasteful. I don't think there's anyone who's ever run for judge who's had any enthusiasm for fundraising. But judicial candidates aren't funded by political parties; historically, political parties have expected financial support from judicial candidates in exchange for the benefit of being slated. Most judicial candidates aren't running with support from any political organization at all. If historic patterns hold, some of these non-slated individuals will win anyway. I rather doubt that this would foster long-lasting party loyalty from the successful judicial candidate -- particularly given Illinois' wholly non-partisan retention process.

If there were instances of judges making decisions according to political loyalty instead of following the law, that might be something that... let's see... investigative reporters might cover. If only the Tribune had a staff of investigative reporters that could document this very serious charge in particular cases....

Illinois has seen some gaudy examples of special interests bankrolling judicial races. Candidates spent $9.4 million on a 2004 race for the Illinois Supreme Court and $3.3 million on a 2006 state appellate court race.

Illinois needs a constitutional amendment to create a merit selection system for judges.

Now, at the end, we come to the real point.

That effort has gone nowhere. But it might be in line for a boost.

Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor has launched a campaign to end state judicial elections. The O'Connor Judicial Selection Initiative was created by the University of Denver's Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System.

The institute encourages states to adopt the best practices of states that have moved to merit selection. Example: Let governors appoint judges from lists of candidates who are nominated by bipartisan evaluation panels. Make the process completely transparent. Have a diverse membership on the panel, with more nonlawyers than lawyers. Appoint judges to an initial term of two to three years, then evaluate their performance. If they pass muster on command of the law, impartiality, temperament, and other factors, grant them a longer term. These are all good ideas -- and much better than throwing darts at a board on Election Day.

The goal of the O'Connor initiative is to educate the public to the dangers of judicial elections and build public support for change, one state at a time. Nevada will vote in November on a constitutional amendment for merit selection.

Illinois needs to do this. Until it does, we don't want you to have to vote for strangers.

We'll help you find some good, honest candidates. Watch for our endorsements.

Let governors appoint judges? Do the Tribune editorialists ever actually read the news? Rod Blagojevich is about to make an appearance on Celebrity Apprentice -- and then as a criminal defendant on Federal corruption charges including, but not limited to, allegedly trying to sell Barack Obama's Senate seat. Mr. Blagojevich's predecessor, George Ryan, is in jail.

Oh... but the governor would pick from "lists of candidates who are nominated by bipartisan evaluation panels."

Sure.

And who would be on those panels? The bar associations and the law schools would fall over themselves pushing forward their candidates, but what's to stop the next Tony Rezko or Chris Kelly from being appointed to the nomination panels instead?

I'd welcome "merit selection" -- if it were realistic. But in the meantime, we already have a broad-based nomination panel with a "diverse membership" that truly reflects our communities. It's called the electorate.

You're reading this blog so you're already interested in learning about judicial candidates in Cook County. But tell your neighbors. There's a lot that you can discover about judicial candidates on line. Let me mention the Tribune website again. There's also IllinoisJudges.net. And, of course, there's information right here on this blog, and more will be forthcoming in the days and weeks leading up to the primary. The Tribune need not worry: You don't have to vote for strangers.

Linda J. Pauel interviewed on NTNM

One of Avy Meyers' five guests on the next edition of North Town News Magazine is a Cook County judicial candidate. Linda J. Pauel, who is running for the countywide Dolan vacancy, is a guest on the program, which airs tonight, January 7, at 7:30pm on CAN-TV, Channel 19 in Chicago. If you can't tear yourself away from the BCS Championship game, you can catch the rebroadcast of NTNM tomorrow afternoon at 2:30pm. Suburban viewers can watch tonight at 8:00pm (Evanston only) on ECMC Channel 6, or in other suburbs on Monday, January 11, at 6:00pm on Comcast Channels 19 or 35. Check your local listings.

If all of this sounds too complicated, you can watch Pauel's interview right now by clicking on this link to page two.

Meyers' other guests on the next edition of NTNM are Terry O'Brien, Democratic candidate for Cook County Board President; David Ratowitz, Republican candidate for Congress in the 5th District; Scott Lee Cohen, a Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor; and Stella Black, a Democratic candidate for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD).

Tracey J. Stokes website, fundraiser announced

Per email received today from attorney Peter D. Finocchiaro, a campaign website has been launched for Tracey J. Stokes, a candidate for the countywide Riley vacancy. That's a link to the campaign website in the preceding sentence. A link has also been added to the Sidebar.

Finocchiaro also writes that a fundraiser has been set by the Stokes campaign for Tuesday, January 12, from 5:00 to 7:00pm at the Blackbird Restaurant, 619 W. Randolph in Chicago.

Individual tickets for the event are priced at $75. However, 'friend' level tickets may be obtained for $500, 'supporter' tickets for $1,000, and 'sponsor' tickets for $1,500. For additional information about the fundraiser, or to order tickets, see this page of the Stokes website or contact attorney Karen S. Bogusz, the campaign treasurer.

Will John Garrido be a factor in Cook County judicial races?

Pictured at left is John Garrido. He is a lawyer (according to Sullivan's, his office is at Foster & Harlem in Chicago) -- but he's not running for judge.

Nevertheless, Garrido may have a significant impact on the upcoming Cook County judicial primary.

If you followed the link in the opening paragraph of this post, you'd discover that Garrido is, in addition to being a lawyer, a Chicago Police lieutenant. And Garrido is running for President of the Cook County Board -- as a Republican.

Garrido signs are popping up all over my neighborhood on the Northwest Side of Chicago. A lot of Chicago policemen live up that way as well. A friend of mine from the neighborhood, who happens to be CPD, has touted me on Garrido's candidacy. My suspicion is that Mr. Garrido is receiving significant support from his police colleagues.

Some of these policemen might have voted in the Republican primary anyway. I live in the one and only Chicago ward (41) which has a Republican alderman.

But I am beginning to suspect that Mr. Garrido will draw some voters into the Republican primary next month -- voters who would otherwise have taken Democratic ballots. Most policemen care very deeply about judicial races. (Note that I didn't say that most policemen necessarily care very much for judges. Anyone struggling to understand the distinction here need only read Second City Cop for a couple of days.)

Policemen who take a Republican ballot on Groundhog's Day, however, will forfeit their opportunity to vote in all but one judicial race: There are Republican candidates only in the race for the countywide McCarthy vacancy. The winners of the Democratic primaries in each of the other races, countywide and subcircuit, are unopposed in November.

Primary elections are all about turnout -- and no matter how many (or how few) show up at the polls, history shows that a significant portion of these will not vote all the way down the ballot. Many will pass by the judicial races entirely. Conventional wisdom holds that Chicago policemen are among those most likely to work all the way through the judicial races -- but not those who follow Mr. Garrido into the Republican primary this year. Thus, all by himself, John Garrido may become a significant factor in the outcome of judicial races in Cook County.

Illinois Civil Justice League begins posting judicial canditates' responses to questionnaires

The Illinois Civil Justice League has begun posting responses by judicial candidates to its questionnaire on its IllinoisJudges.net website.

Posted this morning are the responses of Diann Marsalek (countywide Bronstein vacancy), Russell William Hartigan (countywide Riley vacancy), Marvin Gray (countywide Riley vacancy), Joan Marie Kubalanza (15th Subcircuit, Lipinski vacancy), Thomas "TJ" Somer (15th Subcircuit, Phelan vacancy), Linda Pauel (countywide Dolan vacancy) and Raymond Mitchell (countywide Hayes vacancy). (These responses are in .pdf format.)

The ICJL asked Cook County Circuit Court candidates to respond to these seven questions:

1. State the qualifications and experiences that make you qualified to serve on the bench in Illinois.

2. One prominent Illinois judicial evaluation survey asks attorneys to evaluate candidates on Integrity, Impartiality, Legal Ability and Temperament. Critique yourself in these four areas as to how they make you qualified to serve on the bench.

3. Describe the case in which you are most proud of your work as a lawyer.

4. Name one change you would make in the Illinois court system.

5. Are there civil litigation reforms that you would like to see enacted to remedy particular problems that you have detected, either as a practicing lawyer or as a sitting judge? Are there reforms that would benefit the civil justice system? What needs to be changed? Should the enactment of any such changes be the province of the legislature, the Supreme Court or by Constitutional amendment?

6. Do you believe that our judicial system adequately deters and penalizes frivolous litigation? If not, what reforms would you like to see?

7. Do you believe the Illinois Constitution precludes legislative establishment of limitations on civil damages? Are there or should there be distinctions among economic, non-economic and punitive damages?

Although the Appellate Court races are beyond the scope of the usual coverage here, it should be pointed out that the ICJL has released questionnaire responses from these three Cook County Appellate Court candidates: Arnette Hubbard (McNulty vacancy), Kathleen Kennedy (McNulty vacancy), and Don Sampen (O'Malley vacancy).

The ICJL is covering judicial races statewide, not just in Cook County, and links to each race in Illinois may be found at IllinoisJudges.net. The Illinois Civil Justice League bills itself as "a coalition of Illinois citizens, small and large businesses, associations, professional societies, not-for-profit organizations and local governments that have joined together to work for fairness in the Illinois civil justice system."

My thanks to the ICJL's Allen Adomite for letting me know that the questionnaire responses have begun appearing.

43rd Ward Dems to host Candidate Fair Saturday

Per email received from 43rd Ward Democratic Committeeman Michelle Smith, the 43rd Ward Democrats are hosting a Candidates Fair at the St. Vincent DePaul Center, 2145 N. Halsted on Saturday, January 9 from 10:00am until noon. Smith advises that underground parking is available and that it will be "FREE." (Emphasis supplied in source email. There are few more powerful incentives in that part of the city.)

Smith writes that, "Many, many candidates will be in attendance, including many judicial candidates. It's an opportunity to meet candidates and ask questions."

I will amend this post with additional information should it become available.

Gallagher campaign plans fundraiser tomorrow

Cook County Assistant Public Defender Daniel Gallagher may be unopposed in his bid for the countywide McCarthy vacancy, but he will face a Republican challenger in November and his campaign committee is gearing up with that in mind.

Per email received from Dawn Gonzalez, the Committee to Elect Daniel Gallagher will have a fundraiser tomorrow evening, Wednesday, January 6, from 5:00 to 7:30pm at Cardozo's Pub, 170 W. Washington. Appetizers and drinks are on the menu.

The suggested donation is $50 but -- the email advises -- other donations will be accepted at the door. In addition to Gonzalez, other co-hosts of the event tomorrow are Kent Sinson and Luke Casson.

Jeffrey Greenspan: In his own words

Jeffrey Greenspan is a candidate for the "A" vacancy in Cook County's 9th Judicial Subcircuit.

In this election, the voters of the 9th judicial sub-circuit have the oppourtunity to select for judge a member of their community, Jeffrey Dov Greenspan. I have served the community in many capacities and am an experienced and well qualified lawyer. I have over 30 years of legal experience in litigation, local government, real estate and energy law. For a complete description of my background and experience go to: www.greenspanforjudge.com.

Working for CorLands and The Trust for Public Land, I acquired hundreds of acres of land for parks and open space throughout Northern Illinois. I am a former Assistant Corporation Counsel for the Village of Skokie and Attorney for the Village of Lincolnwood and the Skokie Park District. I represented the Village of Skokie in all litigation. I served as the Village prosecutor for Skokie, Lincolnwood and Hainseville and worked as a Cook County Public Defender. As an attorney for the Governor’s Office of Consumer Services, I represented consumers in utility rate cases where I advocated for energy conservation as the most cost effective way to meet our energy needs.

Serving my community, I have been committed to education, youth programs, the environment and the arts. I serve as a Niles Township High School District 219 Board member for over 10 years. I was chair of the Niles Township Committee on Youth and was the founder of TRY (Township Reach out to Youth). I am a member of the Northern Illinois Regional Water Planning Supply Group. I recently joined the local USGBC schools committee as District 219 seeks to be one of the first school districts in Illinois to LEED certify its existing buildings. I am a member of the board of the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, home of Centreast, Northlight and the Skokie Valley Symphony.

I have a B.S. in Economics from the College of Commerce at the University of Illinois and a J.D. from IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law. I grew up and live in Skokie, with my wife Eleanor and our four children, Eva, Michael, Jered and Jason.

With my broad experience, I will be a judge that is knowledgeable, thoughtful and one who will be fair and impartial. I can serve with an understanding of the community in which I live. I plan to oversee that any court to which I may be assigned operates efficiently and with the proper decorum. I would insure all attorneys and parties to conduct themselves with civility.

Deadlines looming as early primary approaches

The Chicago Tribune's Clout Street blog warns that Tuesday, January 5, is the last day to register to vote for the February 2 primary.

Early voting starts January 11.

The various bar associations are scrambling to finish candidate evaluations and these will be released in about a week.

Unions, community groups and other organizations are making endorsements. Those that have been released publicly have been posted here -- but, oddly enough, a lot of endorsements are not immediately released to the general public.

Readers: You can help the voter education process if you can supply a list of endorsements from any group that you know about. Send me an email (jackleyhane@yahoo.com).

Candidates: There's still time to put up your candidate statement on this site. Send it to me at the above email address.

IVI-IPO endorsements in Cook County judicial races

From the IVI-IPO website:

Cook County Countywide Judicial Vacancies

Berland Vacancy
William H. Hooks

Bronstein Vacancy
Terry MacCarthy

Dolan Vacancy
Linda J. Pauel

Hayes Vacancy
Bonnie Carol McGrath

Kelley Vacancy
John Patrick Callahan, Jr.

O'Malley Vacancy
Thomas V. Lyons

Riley Vacancy
Russell William Hartigan

Cook County Judicial Subcircuit

1st Subcircuit - Coleman Vacancy
Thaddeus L. Wilson

1st Subcircuit - Steele Vacancy
Joseph Chico

9th Subcircuit - "A" Vacancy
Steven Bernstein

9th Subcircuit - Otaka Vacancy
Abbey Fishman Romanek

11th Subcircuit - Riley Vacancy
Ann Finley Collins

15th Subcircuit - Phelan Vacancy
John C. Griffin

49th Ward Organization makes endorsements in 9th Subcircuit judicial races

From Democratic Party - 49th Ward, the blog/website of David Fagus, 49th Ward Committeeman, the results of a membership poll deciding endorsements in the 9th Subcircuit races:

9th Sub-Circuit - Otaka
4.3% DENNIS MICHAEL FLEMING
0.0% GEARY W. KULL
10.9% YEHUDA LEBOVITS
84.8% ABBEY FISHMAN ROMANEK
Abbey Romanek is endorsed By the Membership

9th Sub-Circuit - Vacancy A
0.0% SCOTT BAGNALL
8.2% MICHAEL IAN BENDER
73.5% STEVEN JAMES BERNSTEIN
4.1% JEFFREY GREENSPAN
6.1% WILLIAM JOSEPH LUBY
8.2% MARY S. TREW
Steve Bernstein is Endorsed By the Membership