Hon. Yolaine Dauphin, Chair
Yolaine Dauphin serves as an administrative law judge for the City of Chicago, presiding over hearings involving violations of the city’s municipal code. She is a hearing officer for the Chicago Housing Authority and a mediator with a Certificate from the Northwestern University School of Professional Studies Mediation Skills Training Program. Also, she serves as an arbitrator with the Cook County Mandatory Arbitration Program and the Commercial Calendar Mandatory Arbitration Program. Formerly, Ms. Dauphin was an officer of the State of Illinois, appointed to the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission, a statewide agency adjudicating workers’ compensation claims.
Ms. Dauphin is a member of the Illinois Bar and volunteers extensively with legal organizations. Ms. Dauphin is ex officio of the Illinois Association of Administrative Law Judges and Chair of the Illinois State Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Racial and Ethnic Minorities & the Law. Ms. Dauphin is a member of the Illinois Judicial Council, the Association for Conflict Resolution, Chicago Chapter, the Black Women Lawyers’ Association, the Cook County Bar Association, the Haitian American Lawyers’ Association, and Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, International, Chicago Alumni Chapter. A former Chair of the Illinois State Bar Association’s Administrative Law Section Council, Ms. Dauphin is the Council’s Continuing Legal Education Coordinator. For six years, she served as the newsletter editor for the Standing Committee on Racial and Ethnic Minorities & the Law, and for three years, she served as the Treasurer of the Illinois Judicial Council. Ms. Dauphin has served as coordinator and moderator for several educational programs including a statewide symposium on college sexual assaults, and Illinois State Bar Association seminars on pension law, domestic violence, human trafficking, and administrative law. She has contributed numerous articles to publications of the Illinois State Bar Association and the Illinois Association of Administrative Law Judges. Her awards include the Haitian American Lawyers’ Association’s Trailblazer of the Year Award for her efforts on behalf of Haiti following the devastating January 2010 earthquake.
Ms. Dauphin is a member of Willow Creek Community Church, and has served in various capacities at the North Shore Campus including as Coordinator of the World AIDS Day Walk and Concert. She is a member of the Board of Directors of Holt International Children’s Services, an organization which strengthens vulnerable families around the world, provides in-country orphan care, and facilitates domestic and international adoptions, and a member of the Board of Directors of The Center for Law & Social Works, an organization working to create, protect, and preserve families. An integral part of the work of the Center, through its Porchlight Counseling Services Program, is to provide free counseling to survivors of college sexual assaults.
Ms. Dauphin is a graduate of Northwestern University and the University of Chicago Law School.
Hon. Robert Gordon, Treasurer
Appellate Judge
Robert E. Gordon
First District, 4th Division
Justice Robert E. Gordon was appointed to the bench in 1996 and later elected, then assigned, to the Illinois Appellate Court in 2006. He was the Chair of the First District Executive Committee from September 2015 to August 2016, former presiding justice of the 1st, 5th, and 6th Divisions, and alternate on the Workers Comp Appellate Court representing Cook County. Before that, he was a jury trial judge in the Law Division for three years after presiding over the most jury trials in the Municipal Division for seven consecutive years. As a trial lawyer, Gordon was a defense litigator for 18 years and then switched for the next 18 years to plaintiff personal injury, malpractice litigation representing medical providers as well as patients, criminal defense, automobile industry, trade dress, workers compensation, condemnation, commercial law, franchising, zoning, and sports law, receiving numerous notable jury verdicts. Who’s who in American Law, 1974, 1st Edition. He was voted “Man of the Year” in 1972 to 1974 by homeowners in Northbrook, for his legal zoning battles against the County and village representing homeowners pro bono. He was then elected Village Trustee from 1975-1984, becoming Chairman of the Zoning Committee, Chairperson, Council of Governments of Cook County, 1983 (over 500 Municipal bodies). Spokesperson for the council before the Illinois Problems Commission and media, Special Assistant Attorney General from 1985-1996. Member and later Chairman of Local Board No.5 of the Draft Board for 20 years (1982-2002), recipient of the U.S. Selective Service Bronze Metal in 2002, Member of Operation PUSH and former member of its Juvenile Mentoring and Early Intervention Committee, and a sports historian. A former 10 year member of the Supreme Court ADR Committee, former member of the Educational Committee, former member of the Appellate Court Administrative Committee for 10 years, and a former member of numerous Committees of the Illinois, American, and Chicago Bar Associations. Treasurer for the United Council for Higher Education in Haiti. Recipient of Northbrook Park District Special Achievement Award (1974) for his help in acquiring land for parks through the passage of a referendum, and the B’nai B’rith Public Service Award in 1978 for honesty and hard work in government. Member of the Board of Managers of the Decalogue Society of Lawyers. Recipient of Decalogue’s President’s Award, 2008, Founders Award 2011, and the Freeman Judicial Merit Award in 2012. Distinguished Counselor Award by the ISBA in 2012. Recipient of the Advocate for Diversity Award from the Diversity Scholarship Foundation in 2015. Certified as a mediator 2006. Recipient of the Vanguard Award in 2017, sponsored by the Decalogue Society. Designated as a fellow from the Advanced Sciences and Technology Adjudication Resource Center in Washington, D.C., 2009. Recognized as a legal scholar by the Public Interest Law Institute in 2011. One of the founders of the Jewish Judges Association of Illinois and its former President; now Treasurer of the organization. Little League coach for 6 years, commissioner of baseball in the northern suburbs for 10 years, and former member of numerous school and park district committees. Author, teacher, and speaker on the law and sports. Married to Marilyn Statland-Gordon for 58 years with 4 children, Lawrence, Anthony, and Jonathan, lawyers, and Lori Patsis, a specialized nurse; 8 grandchildren; and 3 great-grandchildren.
Hon. Leonard Murray, Secretary
Hon. Cynthia Cobbs, Board Member at Large
Justice Cynthia Y. Cobbs was appointed by the Supreme Court of Illinois as a justice on the Illinois Appellate Court in January 2015. Prior to her appointment to the appellate court, Justice Cobbs was appointed as a circuit court judge in September 2011, and won election to the seat in 2014. Early in her legal career, Justice Cobbs served as senior judicial law clerk to Supreme Court (Chief) Justice Charles E. Freeman, the first African American judge to serve on the state’s Supreme Court. Justice Cobbs thus became the first African American to serve as a senior judicial law clerk on the state’s highest court.
As senior clerk, Justice Cobbs researched and analyzed legal issues presented in cases accepted on appeal by the high court; and on Justice Freeman’s behalf, drafted judicial opinions, including majority, concurring and dissenting opinions; and, reviewed and made recommendations to Justice Freeman on the disposition of all full court and single judge motions, petitions for leave to appeal and petitions for reconsideration. Justice Cobbs served as senior law clerk on the Supreme Court from 1990 to 1997, having also served as a clerk to Justice Freeman during his tenure on the Illinois Appellate Court.
In December of 1997, Justice Cobbs joined the legal staff of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, the administrative arm of the Supreme Court. There, she worked as an attorney in the Office’s Executive Division and was subsequently promoted to Chief Legal Counsel. In March 2002, Justice Cobbs was appointed Director of the Illinois Courts, becoming the first woman and the first African American appointed by the Supreme Court to serve as the director of Illinois’ courts.
As Director, Justice Cobbs served as the constitutional officer mandated to assist the Supreme Court in its duty to oversee and administer every aspect of the Illinois judicial branch of government. In that capacity, Justice Cobbs frequently interfaced with members of the state legislature and with agencies within the executive branch of government, including the Secretary of State, State Attorney General, State Board of Elections, Office of the Auditor General and the Office of Management and Budget. Justice Cobbs developed the Supreme Court’s administrative agendas and met regularly with the Supreme Court justices regarding the management of state court operations, implementation of Supreme Court rules, and the development and implementation of new court programs. Managing the five operational divisions of the Administrative Office, Justice Cobbs developed and managed the Supreme Court’s nearly $300 million annual budget, developed policies for the uniform delivery of Illinois’ adult and juvenile probation services, oversaw the development of judicial education programs for all Illinois judges, enhanced the use of technology in the state courts, developed the first policies for implementation of e-filing and e-access in the trial courts and, facilitated the work of the several Supreme Court committees. Justice Cobbs served as an ex-officio member of the Illinois Judicial Conference, the Supreme Court Legislative Committee, the Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission, for which she had drafted the enabling legislation for its creation, secretary to the Illinois Courts Commission, as well as to the Conference of Chief Circuit Judges.
Achievements: Early in her tenure as Director, Justice Cobbs secured one of three federal technical assistance grants from the National Institute of Corrections, which introduced evidence based sentencing practices in Illinois’ trial courts. She developed and hosted Illinois’ first statewide child welfare summit, bringing together national speakers, trial court judges, state’s attorneys, prosecutors and child welfare practitioners, for the purpose of developing strategies to improve outcomes for children in the child welfare system. Major initiatives developed by Justice Cobbs, and adopted by the Supreme Court during her tenure as Director include: E-filing in Trial Courts; E-access to Trial Court Records; Performance and Accountability Strategies for Illinois Judges; and Emergency Preparedness Plans in Illinois Courts.
Awards: Justice Cobbs has been honored to receive the following awards: Cook County Bar Association – Kenneth E. Wilson Award (2017); Sweet Holy Spirit – Justice of the Year Award (2016); Top Ladies of Distinction Crown Jewel Award (2016); Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Crescent Moon Award (2015); Illinois Judicial Council Chairperson’s Award (2012 & 2014); The Chicago Bar Association’s Earl Burris Dickerson Award (2011); Cook County Bar Association Judicial Award (2012); Chicago-Kent College of Law Alumni Association Recognition Award (2006); Chicago-Kent College of Law Bar and Gavel Society Inductee (1988); and The Standish Willis Award (1988).
Board of Directors: in addition to the Board of the United Council for Higher Education in Haiti, Justice Cobbs currently serves on the following Boards: Illinois Supreme Court Board of Trustees – Illinois Judicial College, the governing body which oversees educational training and professional development for judges and employees in Illinois’ Judicial Branch; Board of Directors for South Suburban PADS, a not for profit organization which delivers shelter, housing and rehabilitative services to South Suburban Cook County’s homeless population, and Lawyers Lend A Hand, a not for profit organization which provides mentoring services to underprivileged youth in the Chicagoland area and the Executive Board of the Illinois Judicial Council. Previously, Justice Cobbs served on the Board of Directors for the Center for Conflict Resolution, a not for profit organization providing alternatives to legal dispute resolution; the Conference of State Court Administrators; and, as Chairman of the Executive Board, New Faith Baptist Church.
Committees/Associations: During her legal career, Justice Cobbs has served on numerous committees and associations. Her current judicial committee appointments include the Illinois Supreme Court’s Rules Committee and the Committee on Judicial Performance Evaluations. Previously, Justice Cobbs served on the following Supreme Court Committees: Committee on Judicial Conduct, Illinois Pattern Jury Instructions in Civil Cases, Illinois Judicial Conference Study Committee on Juvenile Justice, and the Committee on Alternative Dispute Resolution. Other Committees on which Justice Cobbs has served include the Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA), a national organization comprised of the state court administrators from each of the 50 states and Guam; Illinois’ Sentencing Policy Advisory Council; co-chair of the Conference of Chief Justices and State Court Administrators (CCJ/COSCA) Joint Committees, including: Access and Fairness in the Courts; Public Trust and Confidence in the Courts; and, as a committee member on the following committees: Courts, Children and Families; Security and Emergency Preparedness; and, Criminal Justice and Evidence Based Sentencing. Justice Cobbs also served as COSCA’s Liaison to the National Consortium on Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Courts.
Other Activities: Justice Cobbs has served as a co-presenter on the IJC/ISBA/CCBA sponsored Appellate Court Practice Seminar (March 2017); panel moderator on a presentation entitled: “Media and the Courts,” at the 2011 Annual Meeting of Chief Justices and State Court Administrators; participated as a panelist/presenter at the Chicago Bar Association/Illinois Judges Association’s program entitled, The Judges’ Eight O’clock Call: Managing the Pro Se Litigant; is Co-author of “The Journey to Evidence-Based Practices in Illinois Probation,” ISBA Journal (March 2012); and, “Pro Se Court” (ISBA Bar & Gavel Newsletter (June 2012). In 2015, Justice Cobbs was the keynote speaker at the Region 4 UAW Women’s Conference; and has served as a moderator and presenter of “A Conversation with the Judges,” a community service program of the Illinois Judicial Council. Under the auspices of Lawyers Lend a Hand to Youth, she serves as a regular weekly tutor for grade school students attending the Englewood Montessori School in Chicago.
Bench and Bar Associations: Justice Cobbs holds memberships in the National Bar Association, National Bar Association Judicial Council, Illinois Judges Association, Illinois Judicial Council, Illinois State Bar Association, Chicago Bar Association, Cook County Bar Association, the Black Women Lawyers’ Association, and the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois.
Education: She received her B.A. degree from Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland and she holds a Master’s Degree in clinical social work (MSW) from the University of Maryland. A graduate of IIT-Chicago-Kent College of Law, Justice Cobbs was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1988.
Justice Cobbs is married to Austin L. Cobbs
Norman Hoffberg, Board Member at Large
Hon. Stephen Schiller, Board Member at Large
Hon. Stephen A. Schiller (Ret.) has served as an Alternative Dispute Resolution Neutral with JAMS-Chicago for over a decade. His ADR practice focuses on commercial contract disputes; personal injury matters arising out of claimed negligence and product liability; insurance coverage; professional liability disputes involving the medical, legal, accounting and surveying professions; class action claims, and disputes arising out of the purchase and sale of interests in business, as well as minority interest issues. Representative matters include settlement of a $700 million corporate governance and shareholder dispute, involving reorganization and valuation issues; resolution of class actions brought on behalf of renters of residential units located throughout the United States; and determination of the respective exposures of more than 12 insurers in relation to several reinsurance contracts and retrocession treaties that followed them, covering large exposures and with aggregate premiums in excess of $1 billion.
Schiller’s ADR practice follows an illustrious judicial career. Schiller served as a judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County between 1981 and 2004, where he was assigned to the Chancery Division and the Law Division. As a judge, Schiller was able to help parties make realistic assessments of their legal positions and had special expertise in discovery-related questions in the context of managed arbitration processes. Schiller was appointed as a member of the Illinois Supreme Court Committee on Complex Litigation in 2001, and chaired the Committee between 2003 and 2004. He served on the Executive Committee of the Illinois Judicial Conference between 2001 and 2004. He served as a faculty member for the Illinois Judicial Conference Regional Seminar on Settlement Techniques in March 2003. He also served as Chair of the Illinois Judicial Conference Regional Seminar on Insurance Litigation in 2003. He received an award from the Illinois Committee on Honest Government in 1997.
A graduate of the University of Chicago Law School, Schiller was in the private practice of law between 1962 and 1974. Schiller was appointed as Executive Director of the Chicago Crime Commission, serving in that capacity between 1974 and 1980. Schiller returned to the private practice of law in 1980, and was then appointed as Special Counsel to the Director of the Illinois Department of Revenue.
Schiller hold a B.S.C., in Accounting and Finance from the Roosevelt University. He was also a University of Chicago Law School National Defender Fellow.
Hon. Diane Shelley, Board Member at Large
After practicing law for nearly twenty-five years, Judge Shelley was elected from Cook County’s 5th Judicial Subcircuit in 2006, and retained in 2012. She was born and raised in the Bronzeville area of Chicago and became involved in civic, social and religious organizations at a young age.
Upon her elevation to the bench, Judge Shelley heard criminal domestic violence cases for two years before her transfer to the Daley Center to hear commercial and residential evictions. She was next transferred to the municipal civil jury trial section where she conducted hundreds of trials. Presently, she is assigned to the Law Division Jury Trial Section.
Judge Shelley began her legal career at Florida Rural Legal Services working with migrant workers. Immediately prior to becoming judge she was the head assistant attorney of the litigation division of the law department of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District; litigating and managing personal injury and multi-million dollar construction contract disputes and enforcement of environmental protection laws.
Judge Shelley is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago with a degree in political science and a minor in economics. She received her juris doctorate from the University of Iowa College of Law. In January 2018, Judge Shelley began a three-year term as a Commissioner of the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism. A past Chair of the Illinois Judicial Council, Judge Shelley is also Third Vice-President of the Illinois Judges Association, a member of the Special Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Justice and Mental Health Planning, and a member of the American Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association, Chicago Bar Association, Cook County Bar Association and Black Women Lawyers’ Association. She also serves as a faculty member of the Illinois Judicial Conference on Education.
Judge Shelley is a board member of Beloved Community Family Services, a not-for-profit organization that provides family and juvenile support services to the Englewood community. Her life is guided by the bible verse Micah 6:8 “He has showed you what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Thaddeus Wilkins, Esq., Board Member at Large
Reverend Sheila Wilson-Freelon, Board Member at Large
The Reverend Sheila Wilson Freelon, Esq., is the Senior Pastor of Turner Memorial AME Church where she leads a multi-generational congregation, develops leadership skills, delivers Evangelism workshops, and coordinates community outreach efforts. Out of her passion to help others, Rev. Freelon established the Stop the Violence/Save Our Youth – Back to School community outreach, which includes parenting, youth, prayer and neighborhood safety classes; a neighborhood prayer march and peace rally; and school supplies giveaway. This outreach was recently expanded to support the social justice aspects of the Black Lives Matter Movement, emphasizing that in Christ Jesus All Souls Matter. This outreach initiative also showcases the many — leadership, singing, dance, poetic and musical — talents of local youth and young adults. Prior to joining Turner Memorial, Rev. Freelon served on the ministerial staff of Grant Memorial AME Church from 2002 to 2011. At Grant Memorial, Rev. Freelon was Minister of Evangelism, taught Church School, and served as Director of the drama ministry.
Rev. Freelon’s first career was as a corporate lawyer for 30 years. Attorney Freelon specialized in international, federal and state employment discrimination and compensation laws, ensuring that all employees were treated fairly and with dignity and respect in the workplace. Most recently she served as Vice President and Assistant General Counsel in charge of global employment law compliance at a Fortune 200 Company in the Chicagoland area. She was also a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Board, instrumental in establishing a progressive Diversity and Inclusion Initiative. Previously she worked in the law departments of Morgan Stanley (Vice President and Assistant General Counsel), the Quaker Oats Company (Senior Attorney) and the Chicago Transit Authority (Staff Attorney). She served on the Illinois Appellate Court as a Judicial Clerk after graduating from Law School. She also served her country in the U.S. Army Reserves in the Judge Advocate General Corps. As a lawyer Ms. Freelon penned numerous articles and served as a presenter and/or moderator for numerous legal seminars. She continues to mentor and counsel “up and coming” lawyers as she gives back to the legal profession.
Throughout her legal career she received awards and honors in recognition of her personal and professional accomplishments, including: “Attorney of the Year,” “Supplier Diversity Success” Award, “Who’s Who in Corporate America” Award, and “Corporate Trailblazers” recognition by the NAACP “Crisis” magazine. She was honored as one of “America’s Best and Brightest” business professionals by the “Dollars and Sense” magazine. Her personal and career accomplishments were featured in the American Bar Association’s publication titled, “Dear Sisters, Dear Daughters – Words of Wisdom from Multicultural Women Attorneys Who Have Been There and Done That.” She was also featured in Ms. JD, legal blog spot, providing practical pearls of wisdom for success in the Corporate Legal environment. Rev. Freelon has served as a member of the National Advisory Board of the HistoryMakers organization and is a current member of the Board of Trustees of the DuSable Museum of African American History.
Rev. Freelon has impacted the lives of youth via her work with Junior Achievement, United Way, and United Negro College Fund, and as a motivational speaker on topics such as emotional intelligence, obedience, violence, education, leadership and personal and community responsibility. She also sponsors youth in Africa through World Vision International, and has coached four youth Bible Bowl teams to victory in the 4th Episcopal District of the AME Church. The 100 Black Men of Chicago has honored her for impacting the lives of youth in the church and the community.
Rev. Freelon holds a Master of Divinity Degree from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary where she was a Judge Archibald Carey Fellow; Juris Doctor Degree from Northwestern University School of Law, where she was an Earl Warren Legal Scholar; and a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Mississippi cum laude, where she was a University Scholar. She is the loving mother of two children.
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