| Judge Leida J. Gonzalez Santiago Judge Leida J. Gonzalez Santiago was born in January of 1959 in Chicago, Illinois to Santos and Leyda Gonzalez, an immigrant family who came to this country from Puerto Rico. She is happily married to former State Representative Miguel A. Santiago and has one child, Jon Michael, age 16. She attended the public school system in Chicago and Puerto Rico, and graduated with honors from Dr. Augustin Stahl High School in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. Subsequent to that, she attended the University of Illinois where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Criminal Justice in 1981. She received the Deans Scholar for 1982-1983 and was a Pi Sigma Alpha member (National Political Science Honor Society). Immediately thereafter, she started law school at DePaul University, where she graduated and received the degree of Juris Doctor in 1984. Upon admission to the Illinois State Bar in 1985, she was employed by the Honorable U.S. Senator Alan J. Dixon in the position of Staff Counsel and Spokesperson for the Hispanic Community in the State of Illinois. In 1987, she became Assistant State’s Attorney in the Consumer Fraud Division, where she specialized in immigration fraud and criminal and civil litigation. In 1990, she worked with the Illinois Department of Professional Regulations as a prosecutor in the Medical Prosecutions Division. In November of 1992, she was elected Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County, and became the first Hispanic woman elected to the position of Judge in the State of Illinois. In December of 1992, she was assigned to and is currently a Judge in the Domestic Relations Division (Divorce Court) in Cook County, Illinois. She is an independent calendar Judge hearing cases involving issues of Child Custody, Child Support, Visitation, Maintenance, Distribution of Marital Property, Allocation of Marital Debt and Payment of Attorney’s Fees. In addition to her work experience she has done legal and community volunteer work with various organizations. Judge Gonzalez Santiago volunteered as an attorney for Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Foundation where she was assigned to work at Casa Central. She also volunteered her time and experience to ASI, which provides homemaker services to elderly in the Hispanic community. Judge Gonzalez Santiago is currently a member of the Illinois Judges Association and the Illinois State Bar Association. She served on the Family Law Section Council of the Illinois State Bar Association from 1997 to 1999 and she was the Chairperson of the Community for Public Protection from Unauthorized Practice of Law from 1991 to 1992. Judge Gonzalez Santiago served on the Board of Directors of the Latin American Bar Association (LABA) from 1986 to 1987 where she served as Treasurer for the 1986-1987 fiscal years. |
