Michael B. Barrett

Name: Michael B. Barrett

Age: 51

Current residence: Orland Park

Current position: Partner, Barrett & Sramek, 1992-present

Past legal experience: Moss & Hillison, 1991-92

Campaign funds available, July 1 to Dec. 31: $4,579

Campaign funds spent, July 1 to Dec. 31: $3,415

Law school: Loyola University Chicago School of Law, 1991

Campaign website: facebook.com/MichaelBarrettForJudge

Family: I am blessed with my Wife, Bernadette (also an attorney since 1991) and two wonderful children, Michael (24) and Monika (21).

Hobbies/interests: I am the Illinois referee-in-chief and supervisor of officials for the Amateur Hockey Association of Illinois and USA Hockey. In addition to my administrative duties as referee-in-chief and supervisor of officials, I actively officiate ice hockey through the college ranks. I am also very active in my community as a youth sports coach and speaker for various not for profit organizations.

Have you ever run for office before?

Yes. I previously was a candidate for judge in the 15th Subcircuit in 2010 and 2014.

Why should voters support your candidacy?

My experiences representing people and their families in courtrooms for the past 27 years provides me daily opportunities to work with people of all social and economic backgrounds and their complex legal matters. I recognize the need to work with people in a fair and dignified manner. And, after a thorough vetting process, I was fortunate to receive the party’s endorsement of my candidacy. My candidacy is also supported by committeemen, mayors, organized labor and many others, and I attribute this support to my ability to work with people to solve their legal issues. Finally, each bar-rating bar association rated me “Qualified”/“Recommended,” with The Chicago Bar Association finding me “Highly Qualified.”

Why do you want to be a judge?

I truly believe in the need to give back to the community. My experiences as a husband, father, attorney, coach, youth sports leader and organizer, ice hockey official and many other titles gives me a wealth of experience and understanding of people. These experiences support my drive to become a judge and make decisions which hopefully will better people’s lives.

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

Over the course of my 27 year career I handled many interesting cases, including fatalities and catastrophic injuries; products liability and medical malpractice. I would say two cases come to mind: 1. A case involved a catastrophic injury (paralysis) to a young man as a result of a motorcycle product defect. After a lengthy jury trial the case was ultimately resolved by the parties for a significant sum providing the young man with the opportunities to lead a fulfilling life. 2. A case involved life-altering injuries to a young man which require long-term medical care. After a lengthy jury trial, the jury awarded a significant sum to the injured person permitting him to similarly lead a fulfilling life. The complexities of these cases and their respective injuries made the cases challenging and very fulfilling as an attorney.

What would you consider your greatest career accomplishment?

My greatest career accomplishment is not based on a single client, case or verdict. Rather, I consider my greatest career accomplishment to be a successful law practice of more than 27 years representing people and their families through some very difficult times and then receiving a referral from that client because of the manner in which I handled their matter. It is supremely fulfilling to hear a new client say that they came to you because of the praise bestowed by a former client.

What qualities do you plan to bring to the bench?

As I mentioned above, every bar association that rates judicial candidates found me “Qualified” or “Recommended,” and The Chicago Bar Association found me “Highly Qualified.” Through this process The Chicago Bar Association stated, “Mr. Barrett has extensive trial and practice experience and has handled many complex cases. He is highly regarded for his knowledge of the law, excellent legal ability, diligence and outstanding demeanor.” I believe these characteristics, as identified by my peers, opponents, judges and bar associations, are the qualities I would bring to the bench: fairness, knowledge of the law, even temperament and someone who treats people with respect and dignity.