Illinois Supreme Court

Joy V. Cunningham received her law degree from University of Illinois Chicago, John Marshall Law School. She has had a very diverse legal career, including serving as senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary for the Northwestern Memorial Healthcare System; Cook County Circuit Court Judge; Assistant Illinois Attorney General; Civil Litigator; Associate General Counsel of Loyola University; and first black woman President of the Chicago Bar Association, the nation’s largest municipal bar association. She was elected to the Illinois Appellate Court in 2006 and has served as chair of the Executive Committee as well as co-chair of the Diversity Committee of the Appellate Court for the First Judicial District.

Justice Cunningham is active in judicial education and mentorship. She serves on a variety of not-forprofit boards and has been involved with organizations which educate and foster civic knowledge within the community at large. In December 2022, the Illinois Supreme Court selected Justice Cunningham to suceed retiring Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne M. Burke. Justice Cunningham has served at all levels of the judiciary in the State of Illinois.

To learn more or get involved: https://ww.joyforjustice.com

Illinois Appellate Court

Justice Mikva has successfully run countywide for retention in 2010, 2016 and 2022. She received positive bar ratings each time she ran from all bar associations. These included a rating of “Well Qualified” by the Chicago Council of Lawyers and “Highly Recommended” by the Suburban Bar Association in 2022. Throughout her judicial career Justice Mikva has been active in judicial education.

Justice Mikva is part of the Access to Justice Remote Access Committee of the Illinois Supreme Court. She has been active in the Illinois Judges Association. She has judged numerous moot court and trial competitions for Chicago’s law schools and for the ABA and for the ISBA High School Mock Trial Competition. She remains involved with the Mikva Challenge, an organization that was started in honor of her parents and whose mission is to develop youth to be empowered, informed and active citizens.

To learn more or get involved: https://marylanemikva.com/

Illinois Appellate Court

Justice Cobbs currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Illinois Judges Association and is co-chair of the Association’s Pro Bono Committee. She also serves on the Board of Directors for South Suburban PADS, a not-for-profit organization delivering shelter and rehabilitative services to the southland’s homeless population. She previously served on the Supreme Court’s Judicial College Board, Lawyers Lend A Hand to Youth and various Supreme Court Committees, including the Rules Committee, Civil Jury Instructions, Judicial Performance and Evaluation and, Juvenile Justice. She is a past president of the Illinois Judicial Council, in which she holds a membership, in addition to the Cook County Bar Association, and the Black Women’s Bar Association.

She is the recipient of numerous awards and commendations, including, the Illinois Judges Association Civitatis Award; Supreme Court Judicial College Commendation; Cook County Bar Association Trailblazer Award; Cook County State’s Attorney CF Stradford Award, Chicago-Kent Ida Platt Award; National Bar Association Heman Sweatt Award; Omega Psi Phi Judicial Excellence Award; Chicago Bar Association Earl Burris Dickerson Award; Cook County Bar Association Kenneth E. Wilson Award; Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Crescent Moon Award; Chicago-Kent Alumni Association Recognition Award, and The Standish Willis Award.

Justice Cobbs received her B.A. in sociology from Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland; a Master’s Degree in clinical Social Work from the University of Maryland; and, her law degree from IIT-Chicago-Kent College of Law.

To learn more or get involved: https://www.justicecobbs.com

Illinois Appellate Court

Judge Gamrath has been a leader in various organizations, including a Board member of the Appellate Lawyers Association, a Vice President of the John Marshall (now UIC) Law School, Secretary of the Chicago Bar Foundation, President of the Justinian Society of Lawyers, Chair of the Illinois State Bar Association Women and Law Committee, and Co-Chair of the Chicago Bar Association Alliance for Women. As Co-Chair of the Alliance, Judge Gamrath helped co-found the Women Everywhere Partners in Service Project, which has improved the lives of thousands of women and impacts dozens of organizations and communities each year.

Over the course of her 29-year career, Judge Gamrath has received several awards for excellence and leadership, such as the Illinois Bar Foundation Distinguished Service to Law & Society Award, the Chicago Bar Association Alta May Hulett Award, a Distinguished Service Award from her law school, and Forty Under 40 recognition by the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin. Judge Gamrath has been married for 30 years to Rob Gamrath, a lawyer who is also in public service. She and Rob are proud parents of one daughter, an Air Force Cadet. They live downtown and are Chicago fans tried and true.

To learn more or get involved: https://www.judgegamrath.com

Illinois Appellate Court

Justice Walker has been admitted into the Distinguished Service Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. because of his extraordinary service to the fraternity and the community at large. His community service includes preparing eighth-grade students to pass the Algebra Exit Exam, tutor for the Upward Bound Program, a Junior Achievement volunteer, coordinator of the Positive Force Youth Foundation mentor program, coach of AAU and biddy basketball, Local School Council member, the Rainbow Push Coalition, 16th Ward Task Force, an advisor to the First Offenders Program of the Englewood community, along with many other community activities. He is a past president of the Illinois Judicial Council and board member of the Illinois Judges Association. Justice Walker previously served as a board member and treasurer of the Cook County Bar Association.

Justice Walker has been extremely active in the judiciary by serving as a member of the Illinois Judicial Conference, Liaison to the Commission on Professionalism, Committee on Judicial Education, Chairperson of Professional Responsibility Education Track, Diversity & Inclusion Workgroup, Committee on Pattern Jury Instruction-Criminal, Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee, Legislative Committee, Judicial Ethics Committee, Juvenile Courts Committee, Disparate Impact Workgroup, Appellate Court Rules Committee, and Commission on Elder Law. Justice Walker has also served as a faculty member of the Illinois Judicial College since 2010. He has lectured for the Judicial Council of the National Bar Association and served as a panelist for the Joint Federal/State Judicial Conference.

To learn more or get involved: https://www.justicecarlwalker.com