Illinois Supreme Court Appoints Ruth Isabel Gudino as At-Large Circuit Judge of Cook County

The Illinois Supreme Court has announced the appointment of Ruth Isabel Gudino as an At- Large Cook County Circuit Judge.

Ms. Gudino was appointed to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Judge Cara LeFevour Smith. She will be sworn-in on October 15, 2021, and her term will conclude December 5, 2022, following the November 2022 general election.

Ms. Gudino has been practicing law for over 25 years and has spent more than 20 years working in the Cook County State's Attorney's Office as an Assistant State’s Attorney. She most recently served as the Supervisor of the Criminal Prosecutions Bureau for the 4th District-Maywood. For three years she was the Director of Legal Hiring and Recruitment for the Cook County State's Attorney's Office where she was responsible for the hiring of attorneys and diversifying the second-largest prosecutor's office in the United States. Ms. Gudino also previously worked for the Cook County Public Guardian's Office where she was an Assistant Public Guardian. She also was a staff attorney for the United Auto Workers in Burr Ridge from 2001-2003 and taught Trial Advocacy at UIC Law School.

“The Illinois Supreme Court has made my lifelong dream come true. It is remarkable that the Court has given me this opportunity to continue public service in a new role,” Gudino said. “I will be forever grateful and look forward to serving the people of Cook County as a Circuit Court Judge.”

Ms. Gudino received her Juris Doctor from the University of Iowa College of Law.

She is currently a member of the Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois and is a past member of the Puerto Rican Bar Association. She is a past President of the National Hispanic Prosecutors Association, an Investigator for the Judicial Evaluation Committee for the Chicago Bar Association, and chaired several committees as a member of the Illinois State Bar Association.