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JULY/AUGUST 2017
Longtime Goal Achieved: Becoming a Judge
Judge Mulroy had wanted to be a judge
since his time as an Assistant United States
Attorney. “I love trials and the rules of
evidence.” Indeed, Judge Mulroy wrote the
first Trial Practice Manual for the United
States Attorney’s Office for Northern
District of Illinois. He has taught trial
practice as an adjunct professor at Loyola
University. He also established the “Mulroy
Award”—given to the student who earns
the highest grade in Evidence.
In 2007, Judge Mulroy was appointed
a Judge for the Circuit Court of Cook
County, and is now assigned to the Law
Division-Commercial Calendar. After 10
years of service on the bench, Judge Mul-
roy’s love of the courtroom remains strong.
“The lawyers are great. And one thing I
notice is jurors are more enthusiastic than
ever about serving.”
Although he greatly enjoys presiding
over trials, Judge Mulroy has a practical
understanding that many matters should
be resolved expeditiously. To that end, he
spearheaded the Commercial Calendar’s
innovative arbitration program. Cases in
which damages are less than $75,000 can
be referred to an arbitration before a single
arbitrator. Either party can either accept
the award, or reject it upon payment of
a fee. However, if the rejecting party does
worse at trial, it must pay the other side’s
attorneys’ fees associated with the arbitra-
tion. “Our thought was to force litigants to
internalize the risks of rejecting an award.”
The program has been a tremendous suc-
cess and is a cost-effective alternative for
the litigants. The arbitration process “gives
the parties an early chance to explain their
side of the story and vent. Many times, the
money is secondary; the litigants just want
to be heard.”
Vision for the CBA: Center of Excellence for
of Camaraderie, Fulfillment and Service
Judge Mulroy is deeply concerned that
the practice of law is not as fulfilling as
it once was. As a result, his initiatives as
CBA President will focus on the subjects of
lawyers
and
society
, and not just traditional
legal subjects. “Lawyers have a need to be a
part of the bigger community, and I want
the CBA to help them fulfill that need. We
are interested in issues that are bigger than
the law and the legal profession.”
Returning to Rome
Next year’s European CLE will be to
Rome. Judge Mulroy has ambitious
plans for the event. Speakers will include
Amanda Knox’s criminal defense attorney,
Rome’s chief prosecutor and a represen-
tative from the United States Embassy.
Leisure time will include a cooking class,
a tour of the Roman Forum and a variety
of other events.
Looking to the Future
Always a forward-thinker, Judge Mulroy
has planned a symposium entitled,
The
Future of the Practice of Law in Chicago.
“The uniqueness of attorneys has been
diminished. Too many lawyers say they
hate their jobs. Law students can’t find jobs,
young and mid-career lawyers are afraid
of getting fired, older lawyers are being
pushed out of the firms, law firm margins
are being pinched, and solo practitioners’
income has diminished.” In addition,
“law school enrollment is down across the
board.” Judge Mulroy’s symposium will
address these problems.
The symposium will be divided into
six subject areas that will be addressed by
separate committees comprising 20-30
attorneys and judges. Each committee
will identify three problems and three
corresponding solutions and will pres-
ent their findings at a symposium with
CBA member input. The six subject areas
include:
Transitioning from Law School to Practice.
This
committee will focus on the transition
from law school, a theoretical, academic
environment, to the actual practice of
law. Judge Mulroy is acutely aware of the
disillusionment many young attorneys feel
shortly after entering practice. “The young
lawyer’s first mentor plays such a critical
role in defining that lawyer’s career, how
they practice law and how they interact
with those around them.”
Diversity and Inclusion.
As Judge Mulroy puts
it, “it is one thing to hire persons from a
diverse background, but quite another to
really incorporate them and include them
in the organization.” This committee will
focus on that inclusion. Judge Mulroy’s
vision for this committee conveys a deep
empathy. For example, he understands
that the challenges faced by women who
are older than 50 are far different than the
challenges faced by younger women. This
committee will also examine how differ-
ent generations interact. “You have many,
At “A Path Toward Solutions: A Summit on Curbing the Violence in Chicago,” with Rev. Dr.
Walter Johnson of Greater Institutional AME Church, Rev. James E. Dukes of Liberation
Christian Center, Father Michael L. Pfleger, Faith Community of St. Sabina, and Jadine Cho,
Chief Safety and Security Officer, Chicago Public Schools.