Chelsey R. Robinson

Name: Chelsey R. Robinson

Age (as of Election Day): 48

Current residence: Hazel Crest

Current position: Private practicing attorney and partner, Owens & Robinson, 1996-present

Past legal experience: Legal intern and Supreme Court Rule 711 law clerk, City of Chicago Law Department, June-August 1995 and February-November 1996; judicial extern, magistrate judge for the Northern Distict of Illinois, September-December 1995; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, June-August 1994; attorney at law, legal assistant and office manager, Paul E. Kay, 1992-93

Campaign funds available, July 1 to Dec. 31: $23,210.35

Campaign funds spent, July 1 to Dec. 31: $12,873.37

Law school: Loyola University Chicago School of Law, 1996

Campaign website: electchelsey.com

Family: Married with two children

Hobbies/interests: My hobbies include reading and traveling. I volunteer with the local park district as Cheer Mom. I am the co-founder of Pro-Vision Project, an organization that mentors youth in the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center. I am the chairman of the Criminal Justice Committee and member of the NAACP Chicago South Side chapter. I am a member of the 5th District Pastoral Subcommittee. I do yearly expungement seminars with the Promised Land Missionary Baptist church. I am also a volunteer attorney with T.R.E.A.D. I help organize the yearly “I Am My Brother’s Keeper Barbecue” with the Promised Land Missionary Baptist Church. As a law student at Loyola, I was a member of Black Law Student Association, where I served as vice president and secretary. I was also a member of the Phi Alpha Delta Legal Fraternity and the Christian Law Society. I am currently a member of the Cook County Bar Association, Black Women Lawyers’ Association of Greater Chicago, Illinois State Bar Association and The Chicago Bar Association.

Have you ever run for office before?

Yes. I ran for Cook County circuit judge for the 2nd Judicial Subcircuit in 2016.

Why should voters support your candidacy?

I am a true native of my jurisdiction who cares about the future of our community. I am a consummate professional who will dispense real justice no matter the clout of the parties in dispute. My 23 years of litigation and consultation experience has equipped me with a multifaceted collection of tools from which to draw as a jurist. I will bring a unique prospective to the bench and will ensure that every party who comes before me will obtain the justice they deserve.

Why do you want to be a judge?

I have been shaped by my experiences and have a strong desire to fulfill the need for honest, unbiased judges who will give real justice and not politics as usual. I have been a victim of discrimination and have watched friends and family members be subjected to unfair treatment. I have served my community as an attorney and have often felt that my clients were not getting their “day in court” due to their race, economic background or the judge’s preconceived notions of my clients. Because of my experiences, I know the importance of having a judge that is willing to judge the evidence, not the person, and to enforce the law.

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

I have had the pleasure of handling many interesting cases. One of the most interesting cases that I handled involved the issue of whether an officer’s pat-down search of an occupant of a disabled vehicle constituted an illegal search and seizure. In that case, the occupant of a disabled vehicle was told that he had to accept a ride from the police officer and submit to a pat-down search.

What would you consider your greatest career accomplishment?

My greatest career accomplishment has been my representation of people of low economic status. As an attorney, I have been charged with being the voice of the voiceless. Effectively representing people who would otherwise be denied competent legal service is both rewarding and inspiring. In so doing, I have had the opportunity to argue before the Illinois Supreme Court, the Illinois Appellate Court and the 7th [U.S.] Circuit Court of Appeals.

What qualities do you plan to bring to the bench?

I am honest, patient, open‐minded, courteous, tactful, courageous, punctual, firm, understanding and compassionate. I know how to deal with others with sensitivity and without giving offense, and to render judgments without bias and without undue difficulty or stress. I am knowledgeable about the law and am willing to do what the law requires, even when the course I must follow is not a popular one. I will not be influenced by the identity, race, gender, political status, wealth, or relationship of the party or lawyer before me.