Former Public Defender

Judge since: 2000

A previous edition of this guide said Judge Sheehan was a judge since 2006. She has been a judge since 2000. Injustice Watch regrets the error.

Sheehan worked as an assistant Cook County public defender for four years before going into private practice. She was elected in 2000 as one of the first openly gay judges in Illinois. She also presides over the Restorative Justice Community Court in North Lawndale which aims to bring crime victims and offenders together to resolve issues.

Bar Association ratings

This year: Judge Sheehan was rated as qualified by the CBA and as well qualified by the CCL.

Past: Sheehan was found qualified by the CBA, CCL, and ISBA in 2012.

Notable: Sheehan’s North Lawndale court, which launched in 2017, was the first of its kind in the state. She designed the court program alongside community activist groups that had advocated for its creation.