This month, the IJA Pro Bono Committee is proud to spotlight the Honorable Tiana Ellis Blakely, circuit court judge in the Sixth Municipal District of the Circuit Court of Cook County.
Judge Blakely grew up on the southside of Chicago and is a product of Chicago Public Schools, having graduated from Morgan Park High School. After graduating high school, she attended Southern Illinois University – Carbondale, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Administration of Justice. While in undergraduate school, Judge Blakely joined the Saluki Volunteer Corps, where she volunteered throughout the Carbondale community assisting in projects such as Habitat for Humanity, Angel Tree, and Feed the Homeless.
Her commitment to community and public service did not end after college. While a student at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Judge Blakely participated in the Elder Law Clinic. As an active participant in the Clinic, she frequented Senior Centers throughout Chicago, explaining Advanced Care Directives, Powers of Attorney and Guardianship to the residents. Notwithstanding the rigors of law school, both as a student and editor of the Children’s Legal Rights Journal, Judge Blakely made time to staff a Pro bono Guardianship help desk at the Daley Center and could frequently be found at the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center counseling justice involved youth.
Judge Blakely was elected to the bench in 2018 and has served as an Instructor for the Illinois Judicial College as well as a Co-hort Leader for new Judges. She is an active member of the Illinois Judicial Council where she has served on the board since 2020 and is the immediate past president. During her tenure as Council President, she launched the Inaugural Gavel Girls Program, an initiative designed to introduce young girls to the legal system, that includes spending a day with a judge in chambers.
Community service is in Judge Blakely’s DNA. She has been a servant of her community throughout her lifetime. She is a regular participant in voter registration drives, programs to feed the homeless, and mentoring youth. A true public servant, prior to becoming a judge, Judge Blakely provided pro bono legal services to residents in her community, providing advice on expungement, estate planning and landlord tenant issues.
Judge Blakely’s dedication to public service and her compassion for people is a never-ending story. For that reason, the Pro Bono Committee is honored to spotlight Judge Tiana Ellis Blakely as one of the judiciary’s champions of public and community service.