United States District Court
Northern District of Illinois

DATE OF APPOINTMENT
April 15, 1999

ENTERED ON DUTY
June 22, 1999

1984-1999 - Cotsirilos, Stephenson, Tighe & Streicker, Ltd., Chicago, Illinois. (Partner, 1989 -1999).

My practice included trials and appeals in civil and criminal cases in the Federal and State courts, and representation of professionals in disciplinary matters. The civil matters that I handled in the Federal courts included representing plaintiffs and defendants in cases involving RICO, securities fraud, common law fraud, trade secrets, breach of contract and other commercial and business disputes, civil rights, ERISA, labor, environmental, attorney malpractice, attorney sanctions and discipline, and bankruptcy-related matters. The criminal matters that I handled in the Federal courts included cases involving RICO, mail and wire fraud, bank fraud, bribery, extortion, arson, securities fraud, tax fraud, false claims, perjury, obstruction of justice, customs, counterfeiting, narcotics, and robbery. I also represented individuals in habeas corpus and asset forfeiture cases.

1982-1984 - Law Clerk to United States District Judge Prentice H. Marshall, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

1981-1982 - Associate in the law firm of Hedlund, Hunter & Lynch / Latham & Watkins, Chicago, Illinois. My practice involved the litigation of complex civil matters in the Federal and State courts.

LAW-RELATED ACTIVITIES AND HONORS

2005-present - Seventh Circuit representative to judicial conference of United States Committee on Information Technology.

2003-present - Member of Seventh Circuit Civil Jury Instruction Committee.

2002-2004 - Adjunct Professor, Northwestern University School of Law.

2001-present - Member of Board of Directors, Lawyers Club of Chicago (President, 2002-2003).

2001-2003 - Chair, Northern District of Illinois Section 1983 Litigation Jury Instruction Committee.

1994-1999 - Member of Seventh Circuit Criminal Jury Instruction Committee.

1989-1999 - Member of Federal Defender Panel, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

1985-1999 - Member of Board of Directors, Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing, Inc. (Board President, 1988-1996).

1989-1990 - Member of Chicago Bar Association Special Committee on Criminal Courts.

1996 - Community / Legal Service Award, Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund.

1996 - Pro Bono Publico Award, American Bar Association.

1996 - Citation for Distinguished Public Service, Public Interest Law Initiative.

1993 - Walter J. Cummings Award for Excellence in Advocacy, Federal Bar Association.

PUBLICATIONS

"Practice in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois - Do's and Don'ts from a Judicial Perspective," DCBA Brief, Vol. 17 (DuPage County Bar Ass'n, October 2004)

"From Lawyer to Judge," Litigation, Vol. 27 (ABA, Summer 2001)

"Multiple Representation in Grand Jury Investigations," Litigation, Vol. 16 (ABA, Winter 1990).

"Birds of a Feather: Defending Multiple Defendant Prosecutions," Criminal Justice, Vol. 4 (ABA Winter 1990) (co-author).

"Judge Aspen and the Case of the Severed Indictments," Criminal Justice, Vol. 4 (ABA Summer 1991) (co-author).

Author of chapters on "Pretrial Motions: Motions to Challenge the Indictment, Prosecutorial Misconduct, and Motions to Sever" and "Pretrial Motions: Discovery," in Federal Criminal Litigation: A Practical and Strategic Guide to Key Issues (ABA 1994).