Beyond the Bench is a monthly feature to get to know more about judges and justices in Illinois, beyond their legal duties.
Name: Patricia L. Cornell
Title: Associate Judge
Circuit or Judicial District: 19th
Judicial Circuit
What are you looking forward to this winter?
I am looking forward to lots of snow so that I can use my snowmobile.
Do you have any holiday traditions?
We have a few. We take an annual photo every year and the family wears matching holiday pajamas. I also make sugar cookies and then my grandchildren and niece come over to decorate them - just as I did with my grandmother.
What is your favorite holiday movie and why?
Elf because it’s funny and when I see Will Ferrell it reminds me of Judge Ari P. Fisz.
What is the most used app on your phone?
Apple music. I would listen to music all day long if I could.
Looking back on 2025, what is your favorite memory of the year?
An amazing trip to Costa Rica that my husband and I took with our favorite people.
Do you have any New Years resolutions?
Each year I remind myself to be mindful of my own behavior and to be mindful that sometimes other’s behaviors might be attributable to something they are going through to which I have no knowledge.