Catherine A. Schneider
Marc Martin
In the days leading up to the March 15 primary election, the Daily Law Bulletin will publish responses to questionnaires sent to candidates in all contested Cook County judicial races. Campaign finance information comes from Illinois State Board of Elections reports.
Name: Marc Martin
Age: 54
Party: Democratic
Current residence: Park Ridge
Current position and employer: Cook County circuit judge (appointment effective May 1, 2014)
Past legal experience: Over 27 years in private practice: Genson, Steinback, Gillespie & Martin and predecessor firms, and Marc Martin Ltd.
Campaign funds available, July 1 to Dec. 31: $74,178.42
Campaign funds spent, July 1 to Dec. 31: $32,794.91
Chicago Bar Association finding: Highly Qualified
Chicago Council of Lawyers finding: Qualified
Law school: Loyola University Chicago School of Law, 1987
Campaign website: www.judgemartin.com
Family: Father of two children, ages 11 and 15.
Hobbies/interests: Promoting autism awareness, playing guitar and songwriting.
Have you ever run for office before?
No.
Why should voters support your candidacy?
In today’s times, we need experienced and qualified judges. I literally have been in and around courtrooms all my life. The Illinois Supreme Court appointed me as a judge in 2014, and since then, I have excelled at solving problems at the forefront of our criminal justice system in Cook County. The Chicago Bar Association has found me “Highly Qualified,” and all other rating bar associations have found me “Highly Recommended,” “Recommended,” or “Qualified.”
Why do you want to be a judge?
I have come to love public service. I desire to continue addressing the important issues that are confronting our justice system in Cook County. As judges, we can truly help the helpless in society. In appropriate cases, I hope to continue to guide individuals through “second chances,” because when that occurs with success, a significant contribution to society has been made.
What was the most interesting case you handled as a lawyer?
There were several, but one of the most interesting cases was representing the Illinois Supreme Court’s Committee on Character and Fitness when Matthew Hale sued the Committee to become a member of the bar. The Committee prevailed in both the U.S. District Court and the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. It was an honor to have represented the committee and defend it, despite the potential risk to personal safety. The government later successfully prosecuted Mr. Hale for threatening the life of a federal judge.
What would you consider your greatest career accomplishment?
As a judge, I have gone from hearing traffic cases to presiding over a felony call. As a lawyer, I tried dozens of jury trials, handled over 100 appeals, and personally argued in the 7th Circuit over 50 times. The 7th Circuit is one of the most intellectually challenging courts in the nation. I once obtained three reversals in the 7th Circuit in the span of one week.
What qualities do you plan to bring to the bench?
I run a low-key but efficient courtroom. Because of the depth of my experience in the courtroom, neither the defense nor the prosecution can pull wool over my eyes. I call the cases like I see them, and do not favor one side or the other. Lawyers who practice before me say that I strive to “do the right thing” and be fair in every case, no matter how small or serious.
Name: Catherine A. Schneider
Age: 51
Party: Democratic
Current residence: Oak Park
Current position and employer: Supervising attorney, CARPLS, 2008 to present
Past legal experience: Beverly and Pause, 1994 to 1998; State Farm Insurance Co., 1998 to 2000; Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing, 2000 2001; Schneider & Tarr P.C. 2001 to 2002; Millennium Financial Corp., 2003 to 2004; Loyola University Chicago School of Law, 2004 to 2006; Law Offices of Deborah Ashen, 2006 to 2008.
Campaign funds available, July 1 to Dec.31: $19,229.26
Campaign funds spent, July 1 to Dec. 31: $5,579.27
Chicago Bar Association finding: Not Recommended
Chicago Council of Lawyers finding: Qualified
Law school: Loyola University Chicago, 1994
Campaign website: SchneiderforJudge.com
Family: Married to attorney Lisa A. Colpoys; we have one daughter, who is 10.
Hobbies/interests: Spending time with family, being active as a volunteer in my community, youth soccer and doing pro bono legal work.
Have you ever run for office before?
No.
Why should voters support your candidacy?
I am extremely well qualified to be a Cook County Circuit Court judge because I have acquired the requisite experience and knowledge in my 21 years of civil practice, and I possess the ideal temperament for the job. My civil litigation experience includes all aspects of trial practice, spanning Cook County and the collar counties, in which I represented clients in a wide variety of civil matters.
For the past eight years I have been a legal aid lawyer, representing lower-income people who can’t afford to hire a lawyer for critical legal problems like eviction, debt collection and foreclosure.
It is this recent experience that makes me stand out as a candidate for judge, as this role requires a deep understanding of many areas of law and civil practice, and the ability to distill complex information into its simplest form and communicate it in a way that all people can understand and easily use.
Why do you want to be a judge?
I am seeking the office of judge because I believe in a strong court system and everyone’s right to have meaningful access to justice. After having spent half of my career serving as a public interest lawyer, working to empower our most vulnerable neighbors to obtain the legal relief to which they are entitled, I wish to continue to serve the public as a judge. I would like ensure that all people are treated fairly by the courts.
What was the most interesting case you handled as a lawyer?
The most interesting, and rewarding, part of my work as a lawyer isn’t a single case, but is instead the thousands of clients I have helped get their lives back on track as a legal aid lawyer for the last eight years.
Many of these clients were facing eviction or collections and one judgment could mean the difference between housing and homelessness and buying food and medication for the family or going without.
A typical client is Ms. J., a woman who was supporting her three kids and suddenly found her wages garnished, but knew the debt was not hers. I determined that she was the victim of identity theft, helped her vacate the judgment because she was not properly served and then successfully defend the claim so she was able to keep her wages intact and take care of her family.
After that matter was resolved, I then worked to repair her credit.
What would you consider your greatest career accomplishment?
As a recognized expert in civil litigation, I have been appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice as Co-chairperson of its Forms Committee.
My experience as a civil litigator combined with the expertise gained serving those who are forced to navigate a confusing court system on their own has given me the distinctive skills necessary to lead the Supreme Court’s effort to develop easy-to-use standardized court forms for statewide use.
These new forms are now used universally throughout courts across the state and provide simplified processes for the ever-increasing numbers of unrepresented litigants. By serving as a leader in this effort I have been able to increase my understanding of how the courts can better address the needs of all customers, which is essential today to be an effective judge.
What qualities do you plan to bring to the bench?
As a judge I will bring the following qualities to the bench: Extensive trial practice experience and thorough knowledge of Illinois civil practice and procedure. A patient temperament, honed as a legal aid lawyer for over a decade, and demonstrated compassion for the most vulnerable in our community, including lower-income families, the disabled and the elderly.
The ability to distill complex information into its simplest form and communicate it in a way that everyone can understand. Diversity, as the only woman running for judge in both 11th Subcircuit races, and as an LGBT candidate.
One additional candidate in this race — James DiChristofano, the owner of DiChristofano & Associates LLC — did not respond to the Daily Law Bulletin’s survey. DiChristofano did not participate in The Chicago Bar Association’s evaluation process and is automatically considered Not Recommended. DiChristofano is Not Recommended by the Chicago Council of Lawyers. DiChristofano has no quarterly reports filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections.