December 21, 2020

Mike Cetina, MCLE Board member and treasurer, and Committee on Jury Instructions in Civil Cases member, passed away suddenly on November 25, 2020.

Mike was a partner in Walsh, Knippen & Cetina, Chtd. in Wheaton, working as a plaintiff’s attorney representing the injured and wronged. He began his career as an Assistant State’s Attorney for the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s office and later joined an insurance defense firm of more than 300 attorneys in Chicago. In recognition of Mike’s legal skill and professionalism, he earned an AV Preeminent Rating, the highest rating for both legal ability and ethical standards in a survey of his peers and judges conducted by Martindale-Hubbell.

Named to the MCLE Board by the Court in 2018, the Board was elected Mike to leadership in late 2019. He became treasurer effective January 1, 2020.

In addition to his work on two Court-appointed entities, Mike took other active roles in the legal community, including co-founding the DuPage County Inns of Court and serving as chair of the Civil Law and Practice Committee of the DuPage County Bar Association (“DCBA”). He taught litigation skills at mock trial competitions and a multi-week trial advocacy program, sponsored by the DCBA. His teaching extended to the community as he taught at the College of DuPage as an adjunct professor and lectured at Benedictine University.

Interment was private. As Mike’s obituary states, the date for a memorial service will be announced. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to CASA of DuPage County or the Wheaton Park District.