Illinois Judges Association

Pro Bono Spotlight - September 2023

This month, The Illinois Judges Association Pro Bono Committee is spotlighting a judge who has quietly yet strongly helped those less fortunate throughout his career, both on and off the bench.

Judge Michael Mullen was elected to the bench in 2012 and currently presides over cases in the Chancery Division of Cook County where he hears a wide variety of civil matters that require the interpretation of contracts, statutes and insurance policies, as well as cases that involve requests for equitable remedies and injunctive relief, including declaratory judgement and class action. Recently, he was responsible for helping Chicago Volunteer Legal Services secure a Cy Pres Award that will allow this non- profit organization to continue providing access to justice for those who most need it.

This wasn’t Judge Mullen’s first altruistic work.  After receiving his law degree from Loyola University School of Law, he became an Assistant United State’s Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois where he rose through the ranks to become the Chief of the Criminal Division and prosecute cases that involved narcotics trafficking, tax evasion, bank, wire, and mail fraud, as well as public corruption. Working on behalf of all citizens, he helped secure convictions against dangerous criminals and politicians that violated the public trust. He later went into private practice where he helped secure verdicts and settlements in personal injury cases on behalf of clients who were injured.

Even while working tireless hours, Judge Mullen gives to his community as well. He was elected and served as a Trustee of the Village of Western Springs and served as the Chairman of the Western Springs Board of Police and Fire Commission.  Before becoming a judge, he helped raise funds for the Evans Scholars Program which provides college scholarships for financially disadvantaged youth. Additionally, he and his wife volunteered for an organization known as CURE (now merged with Pillars Community Health) which was designed to provide medical and dental services to the underserved in the Chicagoland area. He presently is Director of the Western Golf Association and is both a past director with the Illinois Judges Association and was the Cook County Chancery Division’s chairperson for the IJA statewide Wellness Challenge last year.

The Pro Bono Committee wants to recognize and thank Judge Michael Mullen for his hard work and dedication both on and off the bench.