March 11, 2024

Eileen O’Neill Burke – Candidate – Cook County State’s Attorney

City Club event description:

Eileen O’Neill Burke
Retired Justice Eileen O’Neill Burke is a candidate for Cook County State’s Attorney.

A lifelong Democrat and fourth generation Chicagoan, Eileen O’Neill was born and raised on the Northwest side by a single mother after her father died at a young age. She attended St. Mary of the Woods Grade School and Marillac High School before graduating from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana and Chicago-Kent College of Law.

Eileen’s deep and diverse experience working on the front lines of the justice system began when she served as a Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney for ten years, handling felony appellate cases while supervising other attorney’s appellate cases, working in juvenile court and in felony review, determining whether there was sufficient evidence to charge someone with a felony. After a decade as a prosecutor, Eileen worked as a criminal defense attorney, helping youth and adults seek justice and fairness in court.

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In 2008, Eileen was elected to the Circuit Court of Cook County. She served for eight years, presiding over complex civil court litigation.  Justice O’Neill Burke has had special passion for training the newest judges and has taught Civil Procedure to every new judge in Illinois since 2012.

In 2016, she was elected Justice of the First District Appellate Court in Cook County.  Justice O’Neill Burke issued over 800 written decisions in both civil and criminal cases, reviewing over 1,800 trial court decisions.

During her time on the bench, Justice O’Neill Burke was asked annually to serve as Judicial Education Faculty member teaching both trial court and appellate court judges in a wide variety of legal areas including Criminal Sentencing, Civil Law Skills, and Judicial Discretion and Decision Making.

Justice O’Neill Burke has been married for 33 years and is working mother of four young adult children.