Cecilia Anne Horan
Cecilia Anne Horan

Name: Cecilia Anne Horan

Age: 51

Party: Democratic

Current residence: Chicago

Current position and employer: Cook County circuit judge

Past legal experience: I was appointed to the bench on Jan. 19, 2017. Prior to my judicial service, I was a litigation partner at Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, where I practiced for 20 years.

Campaign funds available, July 1 to Dec. 31: $72,978.64

Campaign funds spent, July 1 to Dec. 31: $61,869.76

Law school: The John Marshall Law School, 1997

Campaign website: voteforjudgehoran.com

Family: I am engaged to Colette Kopon. In addition, my family includes my mother, brother, sister-in-law and their two children, and many wonderful aunts, uncles and cousins who mostly live in the Chicagoland area.

Hobbies/interests: I am a recreational musician.

Have you ever run for office before?

No.

Why should voters support your candidacy?

I am a leader in the Chicago legal community, a leader in the LGBTQ community, and a leader in my neighborhood community. I have been vetted and selected for a vacant seat by the Illinois Supreme Court. I have been found “Qualified” or “Recommended” by all evaluating bar associations and endorsed by the Cook County Democratic Party, many elected officials and other community leaders. I have the qualifications, experience and demeanor to be a valuable asset to the bench and to the citizens of Cook County.

Why do you want to be a judge?

As a member of the LGBTQ community, I am acutely aware of the marginalization of diverse persons that takes place in society. Justice depends not only upon the laws, but on who is interpreting and applying the laws. I endeavor to be the kind of judge who treats everyone with respect, who provides everyone a full and fair hearing, and who aims to reach a just result. There is no room for stereotypes or biases in my courtroom.

What was the most interesting case you handled as a lawyer?

In one of the many interesting cases I handled, I represented a shipper and shipping broker sued under agency theories for a tragic rear-end trucking accident in which plaintiff was horribly burned and permanently brain damaged. In another very interesting case, I represented an 18-year-old woman involved in an intersectional accident that killed the oncoming motorcyclist. In another case, I represented a Japanese railroad shipping container owner and its American subsidiary for alleged chemical exposure of a railroad employee in a rail car. Each of these cases required intensive discovery, analysis of complex legal issues and thoughtful advocacy.

What would you consider your greatest career accomplishment?

My greatest career accomplishment was being recognized by the Illinois Supreme Court as a person worthy of an appointment to the bench.

What qualities do you plan to bring to the bench?

I believe my life and professional experiences will continue to assist me in making well-reasoned legal decisions with the necessary elements of humanity, humility, compassion and respect for all litigants that come before me. I recognize that even the smallest matter is important to the litigant whose life it affects. I endeavor to be rigorously honest, impartial and independent in my review of cases and conscious of the necessity to administer the law equally and fairly.