Judge Bertina E. Lampkin

Judicial Experience

Justice, Illinois Appellate Court First District 2009 to Present

Supervising Judge - Criminal Division 1997 to 2009
Trial of felony cases including death penalty cases, review of search warrants and court ordered
overhear’s, determine substitution of judge motions and conduct hearings on various motions.  
Simultaneously tried three juries on three separate occasions.

Supervising Judge of Domestic Violence Court 1996 to 1997
Reviewed over 1,000 emergency orders of protection and tried domestic violence cases.        

Criminal Division 1989 to 1996
Presided over hundreds of felony trials 1993 to 1996.  Assigned Night Narcotics Court from 1989 to 1993-Trial and
resolution of over 1,000 felony cases.

Elected a Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County in 1992.

First Municipal District 1987 to 1989
In 1987 appointed to the position of Associate Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County.  Assigned to the First
Municipal District working in many branch courts conducting misdemeanor trials, motions, preliminary hearings, etc.  In
1988 appointed Assistant Supervisor of Traffic Court assisting in the administration of 21 different courtrooms and the
training of new judges.  In 1989, for four months, assigned to the Fifth Municipal District until the Night Narcotics
Courtrooms opened for the first time.


Legal Practice

Senior Attorney in the Office of the Corporation Counsel 1985 to 1987
Practice included civil litigation in the state and federal courts.  Tried civil juries in Federal Court litigating Section 1983
Actions.

Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office 1974 to 1985
Supervisor of Delinquency Courtrooms 1983 to 1985
Supervised and trained 14 trial attorneys and tried cases with less experienced lawyers.

Criminal Division 1981 to 1983
Assistant State’s Attorney and the lead prosecutor in one of the four repeat offender felony trial courtrooms in Cook
County.

Supervisor, Rape Prosecution’s Unit 1980 to 1981
Trained and worked with 10 to 15 attorneys.  Vertically prosecuted sex offenders from the inception of their cases until
their conclusion.

Criminal Division 1976 to 1980
Assistant State’s Attorney assigned to the Criminal Division.  Responsible for felony jury and non-jury trials, evidentiary
motions and Grand Jury proceedings.

Appellate Division, State’s Attorney’s Office 1974 to 1976
Drafted over 20 appellate briefs and argued on a number of occasions before the Illinois Appellate Court. Argued
before the Illinois Supreme Court.


Legal Instruction

Illinois Judicial Conference 2008
Presenter: “Guilty Pleas in Criminal Cases”

Illinois Supreme Court Death Penalty Seminar 2007, 2008
Presenter: “Arguments and Deliberations in the Guilt Stage and in the Aggravation and Mitigation Stages” and “Post
Trial Issues”

Illinois Supreme Court Death Penalty Seminar 2005, 2006
Presenter: “Arguments at Trail and Sentencing” and “Jury Instruction and Deliberations”

Illinois Supreme Court Death Penalty Seminar 2003, 2004
Presenter: “Motion to Suppress Statements”

Illinois Supreme Court Death Penalty Seminar 2001, 2002
Presenter: “The Eligibility Phase”

New Judge’s Seminar 2001-2004
Presenter: “Jury Selection & Guilty Pleas in Criminal Cases”

New Judge’s Seminar 1988-2000
Presenter on various areas of Criminal Law and Domestic Violence.

Illinois Judicial Conference Regional Seminars 1993-1994
Presenter: “Criminal Law”

Associate Judge Seminar 1991
Panelist/Lecturer: “Evidence”

*Presentations prior to becoming a judge not included.


Committee Involvement

Illinois Supreme Court Committee on Capital Case Litigation
Member 2000 to present

Illinois Supreme Court Committee on Discovery Procedures for four years  

Illinois Supreme Court Committee on Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases
Member 1992 to 2002, Chairperson 2005 to present

Illinois Supreme Committee on Criminal Law and Probation Administration
Member 1999-2000, Chairperson 2001 to 2002

Cook County Intermediate Sanctions for Women Offenders Steering Committee Member

Governor Ryan’s Criminal Code Rewrite and Reform Committee Member

Illinois Judicial Conference
Member 1992-2001        

Trained as an intervener for substance abuse for lawyers.

ASTAR Fellow (Advanced Science and Technology Resource Judge) 2009


Awards

Cook County Bar Association: Judicial Award, 2010

Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office: C.F. Stradford Award, 2010

DePaul University College of Law: Distinguished Service to the Profession Award, 2008

Women’s Bar Association of Illinois: Mary Heftel Hooten Award for Service to the Profession, 2002

Illinois Judicial Council: Meritorious Service Award 1992, 1998

Family Peace Day Award, 1997

Illinois Judicial Counsel: Edith S. Sampson Memorial Award, 1996

National Black Prosecutor’s Association: Distinguished Service Award, 1991

Distinguished Service Award, 1991

Jackie Robinson Little League: Woman of the Year, 1988

Alpha Kappa Alpha: Outstanding Public Service Award, 1988

Cook County Bar Association: Meritorious Service Award, 1976


Bar Memberships

American Bar Association                        Black Women Lawyers Bar Association
Illinois Judges Association                        Illinois State Bar Association
Illinois Judicial Council                        Cook County Bar Association
Chicago Bar Association                        Women’s Bar Association of Illinois


Bar Admissions

State of Illinois 1974        
United States Federal District Court 1974         
Federal Trial Bar 1985


Education

DePaul University College of Law, Chicago J.D.

Roosevelt University of Chicago B.A.

DuSable High School


Church/Community

Saint Paul CME Church: Steward, Sunday School Teacher, Director of Praise Dance Ministry, Tutor of children and
young adults for nationwide Bible and Church History Contests, Missionary, and Tither.

Nationally: Served as a Judicial Council member for the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church; and Delegate to two
World Methodist Council meetings in England and in Africa.

Foster Parent

I give to many charities; for example, Disabled American Veterans; American Institute for Cancer Research; NAACP.

I do a lot of public speaking at churches for their Women’s Day, Missionary Day and youth programs.