Illinois Judges Receive Recognition and Awards - June 2025 | State of Illinois Office of the Illinois Courts

Illinois judges are increasingly being recognized for their dedicated work in courtrooms throughout the state. Here are some of the recent honors received by Illinois judges:

• First District Appellate Court Justice Debra B. Walker was honored on May 15, 2025, by the Illinois State Bar Association as the recipient of the Carole Bellows Woman of Achievement Award at its Member Appreciation and Recognition Reception at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle. Judge Carole Bellows (Ret.) was the first woman president of the ISBA and the first woman in the nation to lead a statewide bar association, and she was an early mentor and presiding judge for Justice Walker when Walker served in the Domestic Relations Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County.
• First District Appellate Court Justice Celia G. Gamrath, Presiding Judge Jill Cerone-Marisie of the Third Municipal District Rolling Meadows & Problem-Solving Courts, and Cook County Circuit Court Judge Jack Hagerty were honored on June 11, 2025, by the North Suburban Bar Association (NSBA) at their Judge’s Night event. The NSBA recognized these three distinguished members of the judiciary at the North Shore Country Club in Glenview.
• First District Appellate Court Justice Jesse G. Reyes was honored on June 12, 2025, by the Mexican American Legal Defense & Educational Fund (MALDEF) as the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award at the MALDEF Gala at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago.
• Illinois Supreme Court Justice David K. Overstreet and the Hon. David Carlson (Ret.) were honored on June 12, 2025, by the Hellenic Bar Association at the National Hellenic Museum in Chicago. Justice Overstreet was the recipient of the Socrates Dikastes Award, which is given annually to the judge who best exemplifies the principles pertinent to the bench as identified by the Greek philosopher Socrates, while the Hon. David Carlson was the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award.
• First District Appellate Court Justice Bertina Lampkin will be honored on June 27, 2025, by the Cook County Bar Association as the recipient of the George N. Leighton Historical Award at the 111^th Installation and Awards Banquet to be held at the Field Museum in Chicago. The Award honors George N. Leighton for his exceptional service to the legal community and recognizes the recipient as an outstanding citizen who exhibits the qualities which personified Judge Leighton's character, service, and legal career.

Have you recently received an award? Please let us know at communications@illinoiscourts.gov