Press Release

Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Fitzgerald to Deliver 2009 Commencement Address

May 11, 2009

DeKalb, Ill. – Malcolm L. Morris, interim dean of the Northern Illinois University College of Law, is pleased to announce that Chief Justice Thomas R. Fitzgerald of the Illinois Supreme Court will serve as the 2009 Commencement Speaker. The ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 23 at the Northern Illinois University Convocation Center in DeKalb.

Justice Fitzgerald began his legal career as a prosecutor in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office. When first elected to the bench in 1976, he was, at that time, the youngest elected Circuit Judge in Cook County. He served as a trial judge in the Criminal Court from 1976 to 1987 and then was assigned supervising judge of Traffic Court. In 1989, he returned to the Criminal Division as presiding judge. He also was appointed to serve as presiding judge of Illinois’ first statewide grand jury.  Justice Fitzgerald was elected to the Supreme Court of Illinois for the First Judicial District in 2000 and named Chief Justice in 2008.
 
His accomplishments on the Supreme Court include the development of a broad initiative to help Illinois veterans with free legal services. With the support of the Illinois State Bar Association, the initiative was expanded to include legal help for the families of Illinois service members scheduled for deployment.

Justice Fitzgerald is the recipient of numerous awards and honors including the prestigious John Paul Stevens Award.  Given by the Chicago Bar Association and the Chicago Bar Foundation, the Award celebrates Illinois attorneys and judges who have demonstrated extraordinary integrity and service to the community throughout their careers.

Justice Fitzgerald has served as president of the Illinois Judges Association, member of the Governor’s Task Force on Crime and Corrections, chairman of several committees of the Illinois Judicial Conference, member of the Chicago Bar Association’s Board of Managers and past chairman of the Chicago Bar Association’s committees on constitutional law and long-range planning.

Justice Fitzgerald graduated with honors from The John Marshall Law School, where he was one of the founders of the school’s current Law Review and served as the Law Review’s associate editor.

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For more information, contact: 
Melody Mitchell
Alumni Events & Public Relations
(815) 753-9655 or mmitchell@niu.edu