Buffalo Grove Countryside

Lake County Bar ranks associate judge hopefuls

 

By Beth Kramer | ekramer@stmedianetwork.com September 5, 2012 2:57PM

The selection process for a new Lake County judge is moving forward.

The Lake County Bar Association recently completed its evaluation process for the candidates who applied for the current associate judge position. Ultimately, the elected (circuit) judges of Lake County’s 19th Judicial Circuit will select the judge to fill the vacancy. Lake County Circuit judges are expected to begin their candidate and interview process within the next week or two.

The full-circuit judges will whittle the candidates from 19 down to two. The top two names will be sent to the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts in Springfield. That office will prepare ballots and send them to the judges, and will also tally the votes and announce the winner after the judges return the completed ballots. LCBA’s judicial selection and retention committee recently evaluated 17 of the candidates. Eight of the candidates were highly recommended, eight were recommended and one attorney was not recommended.

After each candidate was interviewed, committee members voted anonymously to select one of the three rankings (highly recommended, recommended or not recommended). The attorneys and their ratings are as follows:

Edward Abderholden of Antioch, sole practitioner, recommended.

Christen Bishop, Lake County assistant state’s attorney and chief of juvenile and special investigations, highly recommended.

Nandia Black of Kildeer, sole practitioner, recommended.

Martin Blumenthal of Highland Park, not recommended.

Hugo Chaviano of North Barrington, partner in Sanchez, Daniels and Hoffman law firm, recommended.

Janelle Christensen of
Lindenhurst, Lake County assistant state’s attorney in civil division, highly recommended.

Walter Diambri of Libertyville, partner in firm Diambri and Vicari, recommended.

Ari Fisz of Deerfield, Lake County assistant state’s attorney and chief of felony review, recommended.

Joann Fratianni-Atsaves of Lake Forest, arbitrator and former commissioner of Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission, highly recommended.

Pamela Kuzniar of Deerfield, sole practitioner, recommended.

D. Christopher Lombardo of Vernon Hills, partner in Law Office D. Christopher Lombardo, highly recommended.

Elliot Pinsel of Libertyville, partner in firm Daniels, Long and Pinsel, highly recommended.

Elizabeth Rochford of Lake Forest, sole practitioner, highly recommended.

Joseph Salvi of Hawthorn Woods, partner in firm Salvi, Salvi and Wifler, recommended.

Perry Smith Jr. of Libertyville, partner in firm Wysocki and Smith, highly recommended.

Mary Stanton of Grayslake, Lake County assistant state’s attorney and chief of cybercrimes division, recommended.

Robert Wilson of Libertyville, senior regional attorney for American Family Insurance Co., highly recommended.~.

Ratings for David DeRose of Lake Villa, sole practitioner, and James Simon of Deerfield, counsel in the firm Lakelaw, were unavailab




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