Illinois Supreme Court Picks Justice's Law Clerk To Be Cook County Judge
From the Chicago Tribune
When the Illinois Supreme Court acted to fill a vacancy on the Cook County bench this year, it looked no further than the chambers of one of its own — Justice Charles Freeman.
There the high court found law clerk Jean Cocozza.
Cocozza got her law degree in 1989, but she has no courtroom experience as a defense lawyer, as a prosecutor or as a litigator of any kind, according to her work history. Half of Cocozza's resume is devoted to talking about her service with her building's condominium association and with her church parish.
No bar association had independently evaluated her work to see whether she was fit to be a judge, and she had not appeared before any judicial screening committee.
She did, however, have the advantage of working for Freeman. She had been his senior law clerk for the past 15 years, according to her resume, with duties including writing drafts of opinions and court orders, and "exercising general supervisory authority over the chamber's staff."
Freeman recommended Cocozza for a judgeship. The court in January agreed and named her a full Circuit Court judge, filling a vacancy created when another judge was elected to the Appellate Court.
Cocozza's state salary jumps from $123,000 a year to about $182,000. On a recent workday, the 48-year-old could be found in traffic court, looking over the shoulder of a more experienced judge who was teaching her the ropes.
Cocozza declined to comment for this story.
Read more in our daily News Update...
From the Chicago Tribune
When the Illinois Supreme Court acted to fill a vacancy on the Cook County bench this year, it looked no further than the chambers of one of its own — Justice Charles Freeman.
There the high court found law clerk Jean Cocozza.
Cocozza got her law degree in 1989, but she has no courtroom experience as a defense lawyer, as a prosecutor or as a litigator of any kind, according to her work history. Half of Cocozza's resume is devoted to talking about her service with her building's condominium association and with her church parish.
No bar association had independently evaluated her work to see whether she was fit to be a judge, and she had not appeared before any judicial screening committee.
She did, however, have the advantage of working for Freeman. She had been his senior law clerk for the past 15 years, according to her resume, with duties including writing drafts of opinions and court orders, and "exercising general supervisory authority over the chamber's staff."
Freeman recommended Cocozza for a judgeship. The court in January agreed and named her a full Circuit Court judge, filling a vacancy created when another judge was elected to the Appellate Court.
Cocozza's state salary jumps from $123,000 a year to about $182,000. On a recent workday, the 48-year-old could be found in traffic court, looking over the shoulder of a more experienced judge who was teaching her the ropes.
Cocozza declined to comment for this story.
Read more in our daily News Update...