Presiding Judge - 4th Municipal (Suburban) District Bar Ratings for 2008 Election: Suburban Bar Associations - "Highly Qualified" Chicago Bar Association - "Qualified" Women's Bar Association - "Recommended" Chicago Council of Lawyers - "Qualified" Illinois State Bar Association - "Recommended Cook County Bar Association - "Recommended" Black Women's Bar Association - "Recommended" Asian American Bar Association - "Recommended" Gay & Lesbian Bar Association - "Recommended" Puerto Rican Bar Association - "Recommended" Fraternal Order of Police Chicago Lodge #7 – Endorsement
Date Admitted to Bar: 1984 - Illinois. He was also subsequently admitted to the Federal Trial Bar, Northern District of Illinois Court: Legal Experience: Prior to becoming a lawyer, Judge Ponce de Leon was a Chicago Police Officer. Immediately before becoming a judge, Ponce de Leon was Counsel to a U.S. Trustee, handing commercial and Federal litigation from 1992 - 1996. He had a general practice firm from 1984 to 1992. Judicial Experience: In February 2002, Judge Ponce de Leon was promoted Presiding Judge in charge of the 4th Municipal District Courthouse located in Maywood, Illinois, which serves all of the Western Suburbs of Cook County. He was the first Hispanic to become a Presiding Judge in the history of the Circuit Court of Cook County. In January 2001, Ponce de Leon was assigned to the Law Division, Commercial Section, handling complex commercial cases. In November 1996, after having been elected to the bench, Ponce de Leon was initially assigned to the Domestic Relations Division (Family Law) as a trial judge. He was assigned as supervising judge (team captain-calendar B) in domestic relations. Awards : Recipient of the "Illinois Committee for Better Government" Award (2002); Certificates of Appreciation Awards from the presiding Judges of the Domestic Relations Division (1999 and 2000); recipient of the Cook County Board Proclamation for judicial achievement - March 2002; recipient of the Divine, Inc., Award "for achievement in furtherance of women’s rights" (2002); The JMLS Hispanic Student Bar Association Achievement Award (2002); The John Marshall Law School Achievement Award (2001); “Certificate of Recognition” by the Illinois State Senate in 1995 for volunteer work in the “Citizenship Workshop Project”; Boy Scouts of America Award for contribution as a Merit Badge Counselor in Law – 2002. Judge Ponce de Leon was the recipient of the combined Achievement Award from The Woman’s Bar Association, Illinois Hispanic Lawyers Association and the Puerto Rican Bar Association in March 2002 in recognition of his contribution and achievements within the judiciary. Lectures: Judge Ponce de Leon has been appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to lecture judges on "Commercial and Consumer Law" (2002) and “Financial Issues in Family Law” (2000). He has lectured on Civil Procedure to Divorce Judges and Lawyers (1999); Published “Bankruptcy and Divorce” - which was adopted as "Article of the Month" in the Family Law Reporter. He has lectured on Custody (2000) and Custody Psychological Testing (2001); lectured to both the Young Lawyers Section and the Matrimonial Law Section of the Chicago Bar Association (1999-2000). He was appointed Moot Court Judge for the National Criminal Moot Court Competition (2002); Trial Moot Court Judge for DePaul University College of Law (2001), and he Lectured for the Lilac Tree Women’ s Group – “Your rights and what to expect in Divorce” (2000). Memberships: Judge Ponce de Leon is Board Member of West Suburban Bar Association. He is also an advisory board member of the Traffic Safety Committee of Cook County and on the Adult Probation Committee of Cook County. He is also Chairman of the Domestic Violence Committee of the 4th District. He is member of the recent created Automation Committee of the Circuit Court of Cook County. He is a Member of the Illinois Judges Association. Birth Place: Chicago, Illinois, born 1953 Education: The John Marshall Law School 1984, Juris Doctor Degree. De Paul University; Northeastern Illinois University, B.A. Political Science. Hobbies: Sports and spending time with his family. Additional Information: Judge Ponce de Leon was appointed Official Mentor for new judges by the Judicial Mentoring Committee of the Illinois Supreme Court. |
