Judge’s Corner
Judge Brigid Mary McGrath

By Steven J. Rizzi

When I met with Judge Brigid Mary McGrath to interview her for this article, she had just finished with back-to-back jury trials. She is currently assigned to Commercial Calendar U in the Law Division. She had previously been a judge in the Domestic Relations Division and also served in the Child Protection Division.Born and raised in Minnesota, where her father practiced law, Judge McGrath knew at a very young age that she would follow in his footsteps, and the footsteps of other relatives who had practiced law in Ireland. Following law school, she was a law clerk for Judge Robert Martin of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Western District of Wisconsin. She then received job offers in Chicago, Houston, and New York. She decided to give Chicago a try.

Prior to being on the bench, Judge McGrath was in private practice. She was a partner at Bell, Boyd & Lloyd. While working on an asbestos case which involved over twenty-five lawyers before Judge Michael Gallagher, she was inspired by him to run for judge. She initially ran for judge in the general election but was unsuccessful. In 1999, she became an associate judge. Associate judges are elected by all of the Circuit Court judges. She was assisted in becoming an associate judge by the people she met during her initial campaign for judge, including her opponents in the race.

When asked about the most important characteristic of a good lawyer, Judge McGrath indicated that civility throughout the entire legal process is key. In her experience, lawyers get more favorable results from a jury when they treat opposing counsel, court personnel, and all witnesses with respect and civility.

It was evident from meeting with Judge McGrath that she clearly enjoys being a judge and that she treats her court personnel and lawyers with the utmost respect.