| Judge Edward Washington II Judge Edward Washington, II came from modest beginnings on Chicago’s Westside, as the oldest child of 5 children raised by a single parent. He studied hard to become a lawyer and ultimately partner in two major national law firms. He has served with distinction for approximately 8 years as a Circuit Court Judge, and prior to that, over 5 years as an Administrative Law Judge for the Illinois Commerce Commission. He has more than 28 years of legal experience – spanning from representing indigent families in juvenile cases to representing a fortune 500 corporation in major litigation. He graduated with honors from Hales Franciscan College Prep, then from Creighton University as a Pullman Scholar with a degree in finance in 1978. He worked his way through Washington University law school as an intern with the Public Defender, as well as, a factory laborer -- graduating in 1982. Early in his career he returned to Chicago’s Westside and developed community implemented anti-gang crime initiatives, sponsored under the U.S. Justice Department’s Violent Juvenile Offenders Program. In 1993 he represented MCI Telecommunications, once the Nation’s second largest long distance phone company, as lead counsel in the Eastern region of the U.S. on regulatory matters and litigation. He also served as a multistate registered lobbyist. In 1997, he returned to government service as the Attorney General’s Division Chief of Public Interest. There, he led several bureaus of lawyers who fought for better telephone and electric services for consumers across the state and benefits for senior citizens. Additionally, these bureaus attacked discrimination, and advocated for the handicapped and veterans. He practiced law as a partner in two large national law firms; Foley & Lardner (f.k.a. Hopkins & Sutter) and McGuire-Woods before being appointed by the Supreme Court of Illinois to the bench in the summer of 2002. Since then, he served as a Judge in the First Municipal District of Cook County Circuit Court in 2002, presiding over civil bench and jury trials, as well as criminal misdemeanors. He also served as Interim Supervising Judge of the Forcible Entry and Detainer Section. He won a highly contested election in 2004. He was promoted and currently he is assigned as a Trial Judge in the Law Division. Throughout his career, and as a Judge, he has provided insight to the public on many issues in national and local forums. As a lawyer, Ed Washington testified in legislative hearings and before state utility commissions on telecommunications issues in Minnesota and Illinois. He has been interviewed on National Public Radio (NPR), various local radio and television shows including “Chicago Tonight”. He volunteered to represent families in Juvenile Court who could not afford a lawyer, taught business law at Malcolm X City College; hosted mock trials at high school career days; served as a board member for Hales Franciscan High School and Chicago Youth Center; tutored German in a Better Boys Foundation after-school program; and he was a volunteer reader for the blind. In the early 1990’s, he was one of the founding members of the CCBA/ARDC Liaison Committee – an effort dedicated to retraining lawyers to better serve their clients and to avoid disciplinary actions. Ed Washington is a hard working Judge who makes the extra effort to continue to improve himself with C.L.E. courses and as a guest speaker at legal workshops and seminars. Several times a year he sponsors and conducts a mock trial for students from grammar and high schools across the city. He taught business law for the Chicago City Colleges, served as an instructor at the Statewide Judicial Education Conference for Judges, and has been a keynote or panel speaker for several bar associations’ seminars and civic events. He has a philosophy of being patient and giving the parties opportunity to present their issues fully, not only in order to provide a fair trial, but to seek the common ground for settlement. He has a reputation for drafting detailed, well thought out opinions. Ed and his lovely wife, Leslie, are the proud parents to seven-year old twins. Ed Washington is enthusiastic and proud to have the privilege of serving the people as a Judge is state court. |
