Elizabeth M. Rochford

Name: Elizabeth M. Rochford

Age (as of Election Day): 61

Residence: Lake County

Current position and employer: Associate Judge, 19th Judicial Circuit of the State of Illinois

Past legal experience: 1990-2012, private practice of law, concentrating in estate planning, probate, trusts and trust administration, real estate, administrative law; 1990-2012, State of Illinois Court of Claims Commissioner; 2004-2012, Skokie, Morton Grove, Lincolnwood, and Glenview, Hearing Officer; 1986-1990, Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney; 1984-1986, Law Clerk, Corboy & Demetrio.

Law school, year graduated: Loyola University School of Law, J.D., 1986

Campaign website: https://www.judgerochfordforsupremecourt.com/about

Family: My husband is Mike Striedl and we have two grown daughters.

Hobbies/interests: I walk every day for fitness and enjoy going to the lakeshore in Michigan.

Have you ever run for office before? No

Why should voters support your candidacy?

In my life, I have made it my mission to serve and lead my community and the legal system throughout the state, for example as president of the Lake County Bar Association, president of the Illinois Judges Foundation, secretary to the Illinois State Bar Association, and secretary of the Illinois Judges Association. In my career on the bench, I have been blessed to receive outstanding approval ratings and recognitions. Experience in the courts, leadership in the legal community, and service in the courts and community are all essential to serving in our state’s highest court. The resume must match the position, and mine does.

Who is/was your most important mentor and why?

My father was a police officer and mother was a special education teacher. They loved their jobs and gave 100% every day and then came home and worked for other causes. They taught me by example the importance of service to the community.

What are your thoughts on a hybrid in-person and remote future for the courts?

The pandemic proved that the court system can accommodate remote and hybrid appearances. These tools of technology can reduce the costs of litigation and make meaningful participation in court hearings accessible to many who would not otherwise be able to be heard, especially in family cases. The courts should continue to invest in these resources.

What would you consider your greatest career accomplishment?

Throughout my 35 years as an attorney and judge, I have consistently been witness to people struggling to navigate a complicated and intimidating legal system, especially in family law where everything they care about is most at risk — their children, homes, and finances. When I sat as a judge in a family courtroom, it was evident to me that the need to translate the Illinois Supreme Court’s mandate on access to justice into boots on the ground reality was growing increasingly urgent. I took the lead on developing a family law courtroom in Lake County dedicated to serving self-represented litigants, after studying programs in Cook County and all over the country, walking the county courthouse in the paths that would be taken by SRLs, and developing resources, signage, processes, and forms designed for SRLs. We opened our doors in 2018, and the courtroom continues to evolve under its current presiding judge and serves as a model for other jurisdictions.

What qualities do you plan to bring to the bench?

The Illinois Supreme Court, through its legal decisions, rules, and its supervisory authority over all state courts, has a tremendous influence on Illinois law and on how the court system actually works for the people. I look forward to an opportunity to serve at a higher level to impact more people and to fulfill the strategic agenda’s established vision for courts: “To be trusted and open to all by being fair, innovative, diverse, and responsive to changing needs.”

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