Diversity and inclusion have become watchwords for the legal profession, and in Kane County, they serve as more than aspirations. The December 10 swearing-in ceremony and reception honoring Judge Bianca Camargo and Judge Elizabeth K. Flood reminded all present of the strides being made in the 16th Judicial Circuit. Each of the honorees recognized the strides being made by standing on the shoulders of those who came before.

One of the trailblazers, retired Judge Patricia Piper Golden, spoke about some of the first women attorneys and judges in Kane County in her introduction of Judge Flood. Judge Golden recalled that when she joined the State’s Attorney’s Office in 1975, there was only one other female attorney in the office—Pam Mann. In the early 1980s, a group of 10-12 women attorneys formed what they called the Journal Club. They met at least monthly for dinner, with the original intent to write articles on legal issues. The meetings took place in the law offices of Susan B. Tatnall, who became the first woman president of the Kane County Bar Association.

Although Judge Golden didn’t mention any specific articles that were published as a result of those meetings, she did note that at the time the Journal Club was getting together, there were no female judges in the 16th Judicial Circuit, which at the time was comprised of Kane, Kendall, and DeKalb counties. The group became a support system for its members and the members promoted one another in professional endeavors. They also wrote a letter to the circuit court judges, lobbying for the appointment of women judges. Although the letter may not have received the immediate consideration they had hoped for, in 1987, Pamela K. Jensen was appointed the first woman associate judge in the 16th Judicial Circuit. Three additional members of the Journal Club also became judges: Judith Brawka, Patricia Piper Golden and Karen Simpson. Judith Brawka later became Kane County’s first female chief judge in 2012.

It was these women who paved the way for Elizabeth Flood, who is only the fifth woman in the history of the Kane courts to be elected to a full circuit judgeship. Flood was raised in Elgin, attending Hillcrest Elementary, Kimball Middle and Larkin High schools. While in high school, she took a pre-law class in which she and her classmates conducted a mock trial at the old courthouse in Geneva, perhaps sparking an interest in the law. Flood earned a BS degree in Finance from the University of Illinois College of Commerce. While in college, she took several philosophy classes that furthered her interest in the law. After completing her undergraduate degree, she then attended the University of Illinois College of Law, studying and working her way through law school, including a stint as a skating instructor. Between her second and third year, Flood interned at the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office, where she began her legal career in 1995.

She began as a criminal prosecutor. During her eight years in the criminal division, she prosecuted in every criminal courtroom, including traffic, misdemeanor, DUI, and felonies. Flood then transferred to the Kane County State's Attorney's civil division, where she represented county officials and employees in state and federal courts in cases involving election law, employment law, personal injury, property damage, and federal civil rights litigation. In that capacity, she argued before the Illinois Second District Appellate Court and the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.

When a Kane County judge asked Flood if she’d ever considered applying to be a judge, she said she hadn’t. She gave the idea more consideration and warmed to the thought. “The thing that I really liked so much was that our job was to try to do the right thing on behalf of the citizens,” she said of being an assistant state’s attorney. A judgeship, Flood said, followed in that same vein.

Flood was appointed as an Associate Judge in the 16th Judicial Circuit, in 2013. There, she presided over traffic and misdemeanor cases, bond call, orders of protection, and forfeiture hearings. Since 2016 she has been assigned to the Family Division. In October 2019, Judge Flood was appointed by unanimous vote of the Illinois Supreme Court to be a judge in Kane County. She won a contested election against a female opponent for the seat in November 2020, by a margin of more than 7,000 votes.

See Judge Flood’s remarks in the accompanying article.

In his introduction of Judge Bianca Camargo, another trailblazer spoke about the strides being made toward diversity and inclusion in Kane County’s judiciary. Currently serving as presiding judge of the Misdemeanor and Traffic Division of the 16th Circuit, Judge René Cruz was the first Hispanic judge in Kane County when he was appointed to the bench in 2012. He was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to fill the seat of retiring Circuit Judge Judith Brawka, in 2016, and was elected to retain that seat in 2018. See Judge René Cruz: A Lifetime of Service and the Community Service Award Winner for 2021 by Kim DiGiovanni, Bar Briefs, September/October 2021.

Judge Cruz noted that “to some extent, all aspects of government should strive to be representative of the demographics they serve.” He added that studies demonstrate that diverse representation is meaningful on many levels. In addition to being representative of the community that it serves, “diversity of thought, ideas, experiences and backgrounds exchanged in a work community creates a greater understanding of those we serve.” Diversity on the bench may even inspire confidence in the justice system.

Judge Cruz recognized the progress that has been made since his appointment. He nodded to his robed colleagues, which now include four more Hispanic judges, one African American judge and one Asian American judge. Judge Cruz noted that the present composition of the Kane County bench is a close representation of the Kane County population. The most recent addition to the Hispanic judges is Bianca Camargo.

In July 2021, Judge Camargo was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Circuit Judge James Murphy. This appointment made her the first Latina circuit judge in Kane County. She is one of only five women to ever be appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to serve as a circuit judge in Kane County, and is proud to join such a distinguished group.

Born and raised in Aurora, Judge Camargo attended Northern Illinois University (NIU), where she earned a BA degree in Sociology. She joined the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office in 2006, as a victim advocate, supporting and guiding violent crime victims through the justice system. Camargo returned to NIU, and earned her J.D. in 2010. She became an assistant state’s attorney in Kane County that same year. Her career was marked by hard work and dedication, modeling the example of her Mexican-born parents who moved to Aurora as teenagers. See Judge Camargo: The Newest Member of the 16th Judicial Circuit by Nydia Molina, Bar Briefs, September/October 2021.

Judge Camargo is running to retain her seat in the 2022 election. She and her family continue to live in Aurora and remain active in the Aurora community.

This article was previously published in the Kane County Bar Association’s Bar Briefs, March/April 2022.