22 New Cook County Associate Judges Named

The names of 22 new associate judges, selected in a vote of Cook County Circuit Court judges, were announced on March 20, 2023, by Marcia M. Meis, Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.  

Ballots listing the names of 44 finalists, chosen from 176 candidates, were distributed to 239 circuit judges. Ballots were due March 10, 2023. 

The Alliance of Bar Associations and the Chicago Bar Association evaluated the candidates. Each candidate was interviewed by an 8-member nominating committee, comprised of Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans of the Cook County Circuit Court and 7 presiding judges. 

Judge Evans certified the 44 finalists to the Administrative Director on February 10, 2023.

In accordance with the 1970 Illinois Constitution, the Administrative Office conducted the election pursuant to the provisions of Illinois Supreme Court Rule 39, which directs that twice as many candidates as vacancies be nominated. Cook County seats 148 associate judges.  

The following is a list of the newly selected Cook County associate judges. A brief biography of the 22 associate judges named yesterday is below.

• Mohammad Abedelal Ahmad 
• Hilda Bahena 
• Jerome Celis Barrido
• Sunil Shashikant Bhave
• Nicole Castillo 
• Jennifer Frances Coleman
• Torrie Luciana Corbin
• Athena James Frentzas
• Michele Ann Gemskie
• Lakshmi Elkhanialy Jha
• Sharon Arnold Kanter
• Edward James Maloney
• Scott Norris
• Michael Nando Pattarozzi
• Mary Anna Planey 
• Brian Randall Porter
• Mariano Ricardo Reyna
• Pamela Saindon
• Natosha Cuyler Toller
• John J. Tully
• Scott William Tzinberg
• John Wellington Wilson 

BIOGRAPHIES 
Ahmad, Mohammad Abedelal: Resident: Rolling Meadows, Illinois.  Age:  41.  Admitted to the Bar:  11/6/2008.  College:  Western Illinois University.  Law School:  Western Michigan University Cooley Law School.  Current Affiliation:  Ahmad Law Firm, L.L.C., 121 South Wilke Road, Suite 301, Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005. 

Bahena, Hilda: Resident: Chicago, Illinois.  Age:  47.  Admitted to the Bar:  5/6/2004.  College:  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  Law School:  University of Illinois College of Law.  Current Affiliation:  Illinois Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes, 555 West Monroe, 7th Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60661. 

Barrido, Jerome Celis: Resident: Burr Ridge, Illinois.  Age:  50.  Admitted to the Bar:  
11/4/1999.  College:  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  Law School:  DePaul University College of Law.  Current Affiliation:  Cook County Public Defender's Office, 10220 South 76th Avenue, Suite 141, Bridgeview, Illinois 60455. 

Bhave, Sunil Shashikant: Resident: Arlington Heights, Illinois.  Age:  43.  Admitted to the Bar:  9/29/2004.  College:  Truman State University.  Law School:  St. Louis University School of Law.  Current Affiliation:  Illinois Attorney General's Office, 100 West Randolph Street, 13th Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60601. 

Castillo, Nicole: Resident: Chicago, Illinois.  Age:  48.  Admitted to the Bar:  11/9/2000.  College:  University of Michigan.  Law School:  DePaul University College of Law.  Current Affiliation:  Neal & Leroy, L.L.C., 20 South Clark Street, Suite 2050, Chicago, Illinois 60603. 

Coleman, Jennifer Frances: Resident: Western Springs, Illinois.  Age:  53.  Admitted to the Bar:  11/13/1995.  College:  Marquette University.  Law School:  IIT/Chicago-Kent College of Law.  Current Affiliation:  Cook County Sheriff's Office, 1500 Maybrook Drive, Maywood, Illinois 60153. 

Corbin, Torrie Luciana: Resident: South Holland, Illinois.  Age:  47.  Admitted to the Bar:  
5/10/2001.  College:  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  Law School:  The John Marshall Law School.  Current Affiliation:  Cook County State's Attorney's Office, 16501 South Kedzie Parkway, Room 220, Markham, Illinois 60428. 

Frentzas, Athena James: Resident: Northbrook, Illinois.  Age:  57.  Admitted to the Bar:  
5/9/1991.  College:  Loyola University Chicago.  Law School:  The John Marshall Law School.  Current Affiliation:  Frentzas Law L.L.C., 127 North Northwest Highway, Park Ridge, Illinois 60068. 

Gemskie, Michele Ann: Resident: Glenview, Illinois.  Age:  53.  Admitted to the Bar:  
11/10/1994.  College:  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  Law School:  Northwestern University School of Law.  Current Affiliation:  Cook County State's Attorney's Office, 5200 Old Orchard Road, Room 263 Skokie, Illinois 60077. 

Jha, Lakshmi Elkhanialy: Resident: Chicago, Illinois.  Age:  49.  Admitted to the Bar:  
11/7/2002.  College:  University of Chicago.  Law School:  DePaul University College of Law.  Current Affiliation:  Cook County Public Defender's Office, 2650 South California Avenue, 8th Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60608. 

Kanter, Sharon Arnold: Resident: Wilmette, Illinois.  Age:  53.  Admitted to the Bar:  
11/10/1994.  College:  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  Law School:  University of Illinois College of Law.  Current Affiliation:  Cook County State's Attorney's Office, 2121 Euclid, Room 223, Rolling Meadows, Illinois 60008. 

Maloney, Edward James: Resident: Mount Prospect, Illinois.  Age:  58.  Admitted to the Bar:  11/9/1989.  College:  University of Iowa.  Law School:  The John Marshall Law School.  Current Affiliation:  Chicago Housing Authority Office of the Inspector General, 60 East Van Buren Street, 7th Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60605. 

Norris, Scott: Resident: Chicago, Illinois.  Age:  62.  Admitted to the Bar:  11/7/1985.  College:  Northern Illinois University.  Law School:  DePaul University College of Law.  Current Affiliation:  Burnes Libman Law Group, 2 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2200, Chicago, Illinois 60602. 

Pattarozzi, Michael Nando: Resident: Chicago, Illinois.  Age:  48.  Admitted to the Bar:  
11/2/2002.  College:  Bradley University.  Law School:  DePaul University College of Law.  Current Affiliation:  Cook County State's Attorney's Office, 2650 South California Avenue, Room 11B28, Chicago, Illinois 60608. 

Planey, Mary Anna: Resident: Chicago, Illinois.  Age:  50.  Admitted to the Bar:  2/9/2001.  College:  University of Toledo.  Law School:  Western Michigan University Cooley Law School.  Current Affiliation:  Cook County State's Attorney's Office, 2650 South California Avenue, 
#13C20, Chicago, Illinois 60608. 

Porter, Brian Randall: Resident: Chicago, Ilinois.  Age:  56.  Admitted to the Bar:  5/9/1996.  College:  Georgia State University.  Law School:  IIT/Chicago-Kent College of Law.  Current Affiliation:  Brian R. Porter, P.O. Box 8527, Chicago, Illinois 60680. 

Reyna, Mariano Ricardo: Resident: Chicago, Illinois.  Age:  46.  Admitted to the Bar:  
5/8/2003.  College:  Boston College.  Law School:  University of Illinois College of Law.  Current Affiliation:  Cook County State's Attorney's Office, 5333 North Western Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60625. 

Saindon, Pamela: Resident: Chicago, Illinois.  Age:  60.  Admitted to the Bar:  5/2/1995.  College:  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  Law School:  DePaul University College of Law.  Current Affiliation:  Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, 100 East Erie Street , 3rd Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60611. 

Toller, Natosha Cuyler: Resident: Orland Park, Illinois.  Age:  43.  Admitted to the Bar:  
11/10/2005.  College:  Xavier University.  Law School:  The John Marshall Law School.  Current Affiliation:  Judicial Inquiry Board, 555 West Monroe Street, Suite 800-N, Chicago, Illinois 60661. 

Tully, John J.: Resident: Chicago, Illinois.  Age:  54.  Admitted to the Bar:  11/10/1994.  College:  Yale University.  Law School:  Northwestern University School of Law.  Current Affiliation:  Tully & Associates, 33 North Dearborn, Suite 2450, Chicago, Illinois 60602. 

Tzinberg, Scott William: Resident: Northbrook, Illinois.  Age:  54.  Admitted to the Bar:  
5/9/1996.  College:  University of Wisconsin - Madison.  Law School:  The John Marshall Law School.  Current Affiliation:  Law Offices of Scott Tzinberg, 20 North Clark Street, Suite 3300, Chicago, Illinois 60602. 

Wilson, John Wellington: Resident: Chicago, Illinois.  Age:  60.  Admitted to the Bar:  
11/7/1996.  College:  Southern Illinois University.  Law School:  Texas Southern University.  Current Affiliation:  Law Offices of John Wilson, 9009 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Ilinois 60619.