This month, the Illinois Judges Association Pro Bono Committee spotlights Circuit Judge Christen Bishop for her enduring commitment to public service and pro bono work.
Judge Bishop has dedicated her legal career to public service, starting in 1995 as a Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney, and continuing today as a Circuit Judge of the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit. While her efforts could fill pages, this spotlight will focus on her leadership in the areas of restorative justice and with youth that have improved access to justice and the public good.
Judge Bishop has presided over Lake County’s Restorative Justice Division for many years. In this position, she has gone above and beyond her judicial role to expand the use of Lake County’s Therapeutic Intensive Monitoring Courts to provide litigants a path to regain useful citizenship and to reduce recidivism. To do this, she has relentlessly engaged in community outreach and regularly met with local stakeholders, including criminal justice officials, Lake County board members, and local pro-bono service providers. She proactively obtained support for the therapeutic courts, developed a coalition between community service providers and the courts, and demonstrated to stakeholders the importance of these courts for social justice and the community at large. Her work has resulted in access to treatment, housing and employment opportunities for the litigants before her and often serves low-income individuals vulnerable to substance abuse and mental health issues.
Judge Bishop also spearheads the 19th Judicial Circuit’s high school mock trial invitational, a tournament of 24 teams held in February. The program, in conjunction with the ISBA, provides youth with examples of good citizenship, how the law and the court system can directly impact their community, and how they can be a productive part of it to effectuate positive change. In addition, Judge Bishop supervises the 19th Judicial summer intern program for law students. This program provides opportunities for young adults in law school to obtain exposure to the innerworkings of the court system and encourages their public service and pro-bono work. The summer intern program participants interact with many attorneys from the State’s Attorney Office, the Public Defender’s Office and with all Judges in the circuit. The interns observe court proceedings and perform legal research, among other responsibilities.
Off the bench, Judge Bishop currently serves on the Illinois Supreme Court Committee on Justice and Mental Health, the Illinois Judicial College Committee on Probation Education, the Juvenile Justice Council, and is an active member of local and State-wide bar organizations. She was a board member of the Illinois Judges Association from 2016 to 2022. She has received numerous accolades for her contribution to the bench, bar and community, including the Coalition to Reduce Recidivism Justinian of the Year in 2024, the Benedict J. Ori Award in 2023, the NIRCO Recovery Advocate Award in 2022 and the 19th Judicial Circuit Court Outstanding Judge in the Criminal Division in 2015. She received awards during her time as an Assistant State’s Attorney for her work with child victims of abuse and juveniles and received the University of Illinois College of Law Outstanding Recent Alumni Award for Public Service in 2002. Suffice it to say, Judge Bishop has been determined and steadfast in her efforts to serve the public and provide access to justice since she was a young adult, and she has always been a leader and a mentor to others in this way.
The IJA Pro Bono Committee applauds Judge Christen Bishop for her countless contributions to all members of our community and for her devotion to public service.