HR0802 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0802 LRB099 14482 MST 38597 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate the Honorable Jorge L. Ortiz on being unanimously elected Chief Judge of the 19th Judicial Circuit Court of Lake County; and

WHEREAS, With the election to the post of Chief Judge of the 19th Judicial Circuit, Judge Ortiz becomes the first Latino judge to hold such a position in the Lake County Circuit; and

WHEREAS, Judge Ortiz was elected to the position in June of 2015 and will officially begin his term as Chief Judge on January 4, 2016 and serve until January 1, 2017; and

WHEREAS, Judge Ortiz was born and raised in the Logan Square neighborhood on Chicago's Northwest Side; his parents migrated to the United States from Puerto Rico in the 1950s to commence a new chapter in their lives; he was the youngest of 9 children; and

WHEREAS, Judge Ortiz is a graduate of St. Ignatius College Preparatory School in Chicago; he received his undergraduate degree from Loyola University and his Juris Doctorate from The John Marshall Law School; and

WHEREAS, After obtaining his legal degree, Judge Ortiz began his career in law in the traffic and misdemeanor division of the Lake County State's Attorney's Office; in 1990, he joined the private law firm of Soffietti, Johnson, Teegen, & Phillips, Ltd. located in Fox Lake; and

WHEREAS, In 2002, Judge Ortiz became the first Latino judge in Lake County when he was selected as associate judge; he served as associate judge until his appointment to circuit judge by the Illinois Supreme Court in 2008; he was elected as circuit judge 2 years later in 2010 and currently serves as Deputy Chief Judge and Presiding Judge of the Civil Division; and

WHEREAS, Judge Ortiz is not only a highly respected authority in the Lake County legal system, he is also a renown, trusted figure on topics and matters concerning family law; he has lectured for the United States Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Child Support Enforcement, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Hispanic National Bar Association, the Loyola University School of Law, and numerous other influential legal institutions; and

WHEREAS, Apart from serving his community through his position in the judicial system, Judge Ortiz proudly serves on the Board of Directors for the Illinois Judges Association, the Illinois Judges Foundation, and the Healthcare Foundation of Northern Lake County; he, additionally, is a member of the Illinois State and Lake County Bar Associations; and

WHEREAS, In October of 2014, Judge Ortiz was awarded the inaugural Outstanding Jurist of the Year Award by the Illinois Family Support Enforcement Association as a testament to his unwavering effort to improve child support enforcement in Lake County through the establishment of stronger community ties and improvement of policies and practices that impact the lives of afflicted families; on December of 2014, former Governor Pat Quinn appointed Judge Ortiz to the Illinois Council on Responsible Fatherhood; and

WHEREAS, Judge Ortiz has 2 daughters with his wife, Meg, and resides in the Village of Antioch in Lake County - a place he has called home for well over 2 decades; and

WHEREAS, Judge Ortiz is a loving husband, father, friend, and neighbor; he has devoted his life to improving his community so as to create a better way of life for those around him; he is a committed public servant and one who has remained humble above all else; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we extend a sincere congratulatory sentiment to the Honorable Jorge L. Ortiz for his unanimous election to serve as Chief Judge of the 19th Judicial Circuit Court of Lake County; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Judge Ortiz as a symbol of our upmost commendation.