Sixteen New Associate Judges Appointed in Cook County

The names of 16 new associate judges, selected in a vote of Cook County Circuit Court judges, were announced today by Marcia M. Meis, director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts. With respect to the 17th vacancy, a tie prevents a winner from being declared. As such, a runoff is necessary.

Pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 39, "[where] a tie prevents a winner from being declared, reballoting shall proceed in the manner provided above for the first balloting except that ballots shall include only the names of those candidates whose tied voted prevented a winner from being declared." Consistent with the rule, the following candidates will be placed on the runoff ballot:

• Levander Smith Jr. 
• James Adolph Wright

Ballots listing the names of 34 finalists, chosen from 272 candidates, were distributed to 252 circuit judges. Ballots were due May 16, 2018.

The Alliance of Bar Associations and the Chicago Bar Association evaluated the candidates. Each candidate was interviewed by an 11-member nominating committee, comprised of Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans of the Cook County Circuit Court and 10 presiding judges.

Judge Evans certified the 34 finalists to the administrative director on April 18, 2018.

In accordance with the 1970 Illinois Constitution, the Administrative Office conducted the election pursuant to the provisions of Illinois Supreme Court Rule 39 which directs that twice as many candidates as vacancies be nominated. Supreme Court Rule 39 provides that the term for all associate judges expires on June 30, 2019. The 16 judges appointed today, as well as those associate judges currently serving, must be reappointed July 1, 2019. Cook County seats 146 associate judges.

The following is a list of the newly selected Cook County associate judges. 

• Charles Stanley Beach
• Joel David Buikema
• Jeffery George Chrones
• Gerald Vernon Patrick Cleary, III
• Jean Mary Golden
• Sanju Oommen Green
• James Edward Hanlon Jr.
• Joan Marie G. Kubalanza
• Myron Franklin Mackoff
• Stephanie Kathryn Miller
• Lisette Catherine Mojica
• Margaret Mary Ogarek
• Lori Michele Rosen
• Patrick Thomas Stanton
• Daniel Alexander Trevino
• William Yu

BIOGRAPHIES

Beach, Charles Stanley: Resident: Chicago, Illinois. Age: 48. Admitted to the Bar: 11/7/1996. College: Michigan State University. Law School: DePaul University College of Law. Current Affiliation: Judge, Circuit Court of Cook County, 50 West Washington Street, Room 400, Chicago, Illinois 60602.

Buikema, Joel David: Resident: Chicago, Illinois. Age: 46. Admitted to the Bar: 8/10/1997. College: Calvin College. Law School: Valparaiso University School of Law. Current Affiliation: Sandrick Law Firm, 16475 Van Dam Road, South Holland. Illinois 60473.

Chrones, Jeffery George: Resident: Glenview, Illinois. Age: 53. Admitted to the Bar 5/4/1993. College: Indiana University. Bloomington. Law School: Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Current Affiliation: Johnson & Bell, Ltd., 33 West Monroe Street, Suite 2700, Chicago, Illinois 60603.

Cleary, III, Gerald Vernon Patrick: Resident: Glenview, Illinois. Age: 54. Admitted to the Bar: 11/15/1989. College: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Law School: Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Current Affiliation: Judge, Circuit Court of Cook County, 50 West Washington Street, Suite 2810, Chicago, Illinois 60602.

Golden, Jean Mary: Resident: Winnetka, Illinois. Age: 65. Admitted to the Bar: 11/1/1977. College: Boston College. Law School: Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Current Affiliation: Cassiday Schade, LLP, 222 West Adams, Suite 2900, Chicago, Illinois 60606.

Green, Sanju Oommen: Resident: Chicago, Illinois. Age: 42. Admitted to the Bar: 11/13/2000. College: Loyola University Chicago. Law School: Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Current Affiliation: Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, 2600 South California Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60608.

Hanlon, Jr., James Edward: Resident: Northbrook, Illinois. Age: 58. Admitted to the Bar: 11/16/1984. College: DePaul University. Law School: DePaul University College of Law. Current Affiliation: Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, 50 West Washington Street, Room 500, Chicago, Illinois 60602.

Kubalanza, Joan Marie G: Resident: Palos Heights, Illinois. Age: 63. Admitted to the Bar: 11/16/1984. College: DePaul University. Law School: IIT/Chicago-Kent College of Law. Current Affiliation: Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith. LLP, 550 West Adams, Suite 300, Chicago, Illinois 60661.

Mackoff, Myron Franklin: Resident: Chicago, Illinois. Age: 49. Admitted to the Bar: October 1994. College: University of Michigan. Law School: Northwestern University School of Law. Current Affiliation: Judge, Circuit Court of Cook County, 50 \Vest Washington Street, Rm. CL-02, Chicago, Illinois 60602.

Miller, Stephanie Kathryn: Resident: Chicago, Illinois. Age: 46. Admitted to the Bar: 11/4/1999. College: Northwestern University. Law School: Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Current Affiliation: Judge, Circuit Court of Cook County, 2650 South California Avenue, Room H, Chicago, Illinois 60608.

Mojica, Lisette Catherine: Resident: Chicago, Illinois. Age: 45. Admitted to the Bar: 11/6/1997 College: Benedictine University. Law School: IIT/Chicago-Kent College of Law. Current Affiliation: City of Chicago Law Department, 30 North LaSalle St, Suite 1720, Chicago, Illinois 60602. 

Ogarek, Margaret Mary: Resident: Chicago, Illinois. Age: 45. Admitted to the Bar: 5/6/1999. College: Loyola University Chicago, Law School: Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Current Affiliation: Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, 1240 South Damen Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60608.

Rosen, Lori Michele: Resident: Chicago, Illinois. Age: 47. Admitted to the Bar: 11/1/1996. College: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Law School: Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Current Affiliation: Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, 50 West Washington Street, 3rd Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60602.

Stanton, Patrick Thomas: Resident: Chicago. Illinois. Age: 5I. Admitted to the Bar: 11/9/1993. College: University of Notre Dame. Law School: Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Current Affiliation: Judge, Circuit Court of Cook County, 50 Vest Washington Street, Room 400, Chicago, Illinois 60602.

Trevino, Daniel Alexander: Resident: Chicago, Illinois. Age: 43. Admitted to the Bar: 11/4/1999. College: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Law School: DePaul University College of Law. Current Affiliation: Hinshaw & Culbertson, LLP, 222 North LaSalle Street, Suite 300, Chicago, Illinois 60601.

Yu, William: Resident: Chicago, Illinois. Age: 49. Admitted to the Bar 11/7/1996. College: Oberlin College. Law School: The John Marshall Law School. Current Affiliation: Ulmer & Berne, LLP, 500 West Madison, #3600. Chicago, Illinois 60661.