Women in Law 2024

2024

MARGARET MULLEN JUSTICE Illinois Appellate Court 2nd District

J ustice Margaret J. Mullen is a justice of the Illinois Appellate Court, Second District, where she has decided appeals from trial court rulings since her appointment by the Illinois Supreme Court on May 9, 2023. She comes to the court of review with plenty of experience in the trial courts. Appointed to the trial bench in Lake County in 1992, she has sat in every type of courtroom and served as Chief Judge, as well as Presiding Judge of the Law Division, Presiding Judge of the Consolidated Family Division, and Presiding Judge of the Juvenile Division. She learned the healing power of mediation during her time hearing family cases and helped inaugurate mediation programs in both small claims and in mortgage foreclosure cases. She has taught extensively during her career at educational events for judges and part-time at the college level. She is a proud past President of the Illinois Judges Association, a 1250-member organization of Illinois active and retired judges. IJA works with judges and communities all over the state supporting judicial excellence and fostering public confidence in the judiciary. Justice Mullen was honored last year by the Illinois State Bar Foundation as a Fellow. In 2018, she was saluted by CASA Lake County’s

Board of Directors for her work establishing the CASA Program in Lake County. CASA started in Lake County in 1994, during Mullen’s time as juvenile court judge, and it is a nation-wide all-volunteer group of Court Appointed Special Advocates, who advocate solely for the best interest of abused and neglected children in juvenile courts. She has been the recipient of the Benedict J. Ori Award for Outstanding Service in Lake County; lauded with two Presidential Service Awards from the Illinois Judges Association; acknowledged with the Outstanding Volunteer Group Award by United Way of Lake County; commended with the Citizen’s Service Award from the Lake County Medical Society; and recognized with the Partners Award from Nicasa, a behavioral health and social service agency in Lake County. Justice Mullen graduated with a B.A. from Illinois State University, and a J.D. with Distinction from the John Marshall Law School [n/k/a University of Illinois Chicago School of Law], where she was an editor on the law review. She lives in Lake County with her husband, with whom she shares a love of lap swimming, and together they have six children and eight grandchildren.

WOMEN IN LAW 2024