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===As prosecutor===
===As prosecutor===
−
McMorrow was appointed assistant state's attorney of [[Cook County, Illinois|Cook County]], assigned to the Criminal Division, and was the first woman to prosecute felony cases in [[Cook County, Illinois|Cook County]]. She was elected a judge of the [[Illinois Cook Judicial Circuit Court|Circuit Court of Cook County]] in 1976.<ref>[http://www.state.il.us/COURT/SupremeCourt/JusticeArchive/Bio_McMorrow.asp ''Illinois State Supreme Court
Official Website
'']</ref>
+
McMorrow was appointed assistant state's attorney of [[Cook County, Illinois|Cook County]], assigned to the Criminal Division, and was the first woman to prosecute felony cases in [[Cook County, Illinois|Cook County]]. She was elected a judge of the [[Illinois Cook Judicial Circuit Court|Circuit Court of Cook County]] in 1976.<ref>[http://www.state.il.us/COURT/SupremeCourt/JusticeArchive/Bio_McMorrow.asp ''Illinois State Supreme Court''
, "Mary Ann G. McMorrow," accessed July 24, 2014
]</ref>
===Appellate court===
===Appellate court===
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==Awards and associations==
==Awards and associations==
===Awards===
===Awards===
−
McMorrow was the 1991 recipient of the "Medal of Excellence" award from Loyola University School of Law Alumni Association. She was a recipient of the Chicago Bar Association's Justice John Paul Stevens Award, and the 1996 recipient of "The Fellows of the Illinois Bar Foundation" award for Distinguished Service to Law and Society. In 2005, the American Bar Association honored her with its prestigious Margaret A. Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award, named for the first woman lawyer in America who arrived in the colonies in 1638. She was the recipient of the Myra Bradwell Woman of Achievement Award, the highest award given by the Women's Bar Association of Illinois.<ref>[http://www.state.il.us/court/media/PressRel/2006/040506.pdf Illinois State Supreme Court
Official Website
]</ref>
+
McMorrow was the 1991 recipient of the "Medal of Excellence" award from Loyola University School of Law Alumni Association. She was a recipient of the Chicago Bar Association's Justice John Paul Stevens Award, and the 1996 recipient of "The Fellows of the Illinois Bar Foundation" award for Distinguished Service to Law and Society. In 2005, the American Bar Association honored her with its prestigious Margaret A. Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award, named for the first woman lawyer in America who arrived in the colonies in 1638. She was the recipient of the Myra Bradwell Woman of Achievement Award, the highest award given by the Women's Bar Association of Illinois.<ref>[http://www.state.il.us/court/media/PressRel/2006/040506.pdf
''
Illinois State Supreme Court
'', "Supreme Court Justice Mary Ann G. McMorrow Announces Retirement," April 5, 2006
]</ref>
The [[Chicago Bar Association]] and the Chicago Bar Foundation awarded her the Justice John Paul Stevens Award given to Chicago area attorneys whose careers exemplify the highest standards of the legal profession. She was named by the Chicago Sun Times as the most powerful woman in the law in Chicago, named by Crain’s Chicago Business as one of Chicago’s 100 most influential women, and by Chicago Lawyer Magazine as its 2003 Person of the Year.
The [[Chicago Bar Association]] and the Chicago Bar Foundation awarded her the Justice John Paul Stevens Award given to Chicago area attorneys whose careers exemplify the highest standards of the legal profession. She was named by the Chicago Sun Times as the most powerful woman in the law in Chicago, named by Crain’s Chicago Business as one of Chicago’s 100 most influential women, and by Chicago Lawyer Magazine as its 2003 Person of the Year.
−
In 2004, Chief Justice McMorrow was named one of Chicago's 100 Most Powerful Women, and named Top Ten Women in Law. Anita Alvarez cited that she was the first woman in her graduating class at Loyola Law, the first woman to prosecute major felonies in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and the first woman elected to the [[Illinois Supreme Court]].<ref
>[http:
/
/anitaalvarez2008.com/mostly-opera-but-a-little-bit-rock-n-roll-series-chicagos-100-most-powerful-women-top-10-in-law/ Chicago's Top Ten Women in Law]</ref
>
+
In 2004, Chief Justice McMorrow was named one of Chicago's 100 Most Powerful Women, and named Top Ten Women in Law. Anita Alvarez cited that she was the first woman in her graduating class at Loyola Law, the first woman to prosecute major felonies in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and the first woman elected to the [[Illinois Supreme Court]].<ref
name=anita
/>
In addition to these honors, she also received four honorary degrees and numerous other awards.<ref name=retire/>
In addition to these honors, she also received four honorary degrees and numerous other awards.<ref name=retire/>
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==Political affiliation==
==Political affiliation==
−
McMorrow was elected to the [[Illinois Supreme Court]] as a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]]. In her 1992 election contest, she raised $363,423.<ref>[http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=29537 Follow The Money]</ref> Of that total, the top contributors were:
+
McMorrow was elected to the [[Illinois Supreme Court]] as a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]]. In her 1992 election contest, she raised $363,423.<ref>[http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=29537
''
Follow The Money
.org'', "Mary Ann McMorrow," accessed July 24, 2014
]</ref> Of that total, the top contributors were:
* The Democratic party contributed $113,998 (31.37%).
* The Democratic party contributed $113,998 (31.37%).
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==Appointment controversy==
==Appointment controversy==
−
McMorrow faced some controversy in 2000 with a federal investigation into how the justices appoint lawyers to fill temporary vacancies on the bench. The probe centered on the appointment of Circuit Court Judge George J.W. Smith, who was initially appointed to a circuit court judgeship by [[Charles Freeman]] and later reappointed by McMorrow. Smith was accused of buying his seat and was later convicted of financial fraud. McMorrow, who stood by her appointments, named an independent committee to screen lawyers appointed to temporary judgeships.<ref>[http://anitaalvarez2008.com/mostly-opera-but-a-little-bit-rock-n-roll-series-chicagos-100-most-powerful-women-top-10-in-law/ Chicago's Top Ten Women in Law]</ref>
+
McMorrow faced some controversy in 2000 with a federal investigation into how the justices appoint lawyers to fill temporary vacancies on the bench. The probe centered on the appointment of Circuit Court Judge George J.W. Smith, who was initially appointed to a circuit court judgeship by [[Charles Freeman]] and later reappointed by McMorrow. Smith was accused of buying his seat and was later convicted of financial fraud. McMorrow, who stood by her appointments, named an independent committee to screen lawyers appointed to temporary judgeships.<ref
name=anita
>[http://anitaalvarez2008.com/mostly-opera-but-a-little-bit-rock-n-roll-series-chicagos-100-most-powerful-women-top-10-in-law/
''Anita Alvarez.com'', "
Chicago's Top Ten Women in Law
"
]</ref>
==Notable cases==
==Notable cases==
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|Title=Caps on damages
|Title=Caps on damages
|Date=1997
|Date=1997
−
|Text=McMorrow authored the opinion of the court in ''[
[
Best v. Taylor Works (1997)
]
]'', which threw out the Republican legislature's tort reform legislation, which put a financial cap on the amount of damages injured people could obtain in court.<ref name=retire/>
+
|Text=McMorrow authored the opinion of the court in ''[
http://caselaw.findlaw.com/il-supreme-court/1375709.html
Best v. Taylor Works (1997)]'', which threw out the Republican legislature's tort reform legislation, which put a financial cap on the amount of damages injured people could obtain in court.<ref name=retire/
><ref>[http://caselaw.findlaw.com/il-supreme-court/1375709.html ''Find Law.com'', "Best v. Taylor Machine Works," December 18, 1997]</ref
>
|Category=Civil law cases
|Category=Civil law cases
}}
}}
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|Title=Unconstitutionality of limits
|Title=Unconstitutionality of limits
|Date=1997
|Date=1997
−
|Text=McMorrow wrote a 1997 opinion holding that limits on non-economic lawsuit damages for people injured through negligence were unconstitutional. McMorrow cited the case as an example of her desire to promote "the common good" as a judge.<ref>[http://www.saukvalley.com/news/363933 Sauk Valley News]</ref>
+
|Text=McMorrow wrote a 1997 opinion holding that limits on non-economic lawsuit damages for people injured through negligence were unconstitutional. McMorrow cited the case as an example of her desire to promote "the common good" as a judge.<ref>[http://www.saukvalley.com/news/363933
''
Sauk Valley News
''
]</ref>
|Category=Negligence cases
|Category=Negligence cases
}}
}}
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|Text=Under McMorrow, the [[Illinois Supreme Court]] amended its rules to give discretion to a trial judge in setting an appeal bond in cases where the traditional appeal bond requirement might be so burdensome that it creates a barrier to appeal, forcing a party to settle a case or declare bankruptcy.<ref name=retire/> The issue came to the fore in the appeal of a $10.1 billion class-action verdict against Phillip Morris. (The verdict was subsequently overturned by the [[Illinois Supreme Court]]).
|Text=Under McMorrow, the [[Illinois Supreme Court]] amended its rules to give discretion to a trial judge in setting an appeal bond in cases where the traditional appeal bond requirement might be so burdensome that it creates a barrier to appeal, forcing a party to settle a case or declare bankruptcy.<ref name=retire/> The issue came to the fore in the appeal of a $10.1 billion class-action verdict against Phillip Morris. (The verdict was subsequently overturned by the [[Illinois Supreme Court]]).
−
McMorrow's opinion was so scathing against the verdict that [[Charles Freeman]] and [[Thomas Kilbride]] dissented, not so much from the decision as from its tone. Freeman wrote that the opinion “humiliated plaintiffs’ counsel and demeaned both the trial court and the appellate court." Kilbride joined the dissent.<ref>[http://madisonrecord.com/news/contentview.asp?c=165091 Madison County Record]</ref>
+
McMorrow's opinion was so scathing against the verdict that [[Charles Freeman]] and [[Thomas Kilbride]] dissented, not so much from the decision as from its tone. Freeman wrote that the opinion “humiliated plaintiffs’ counsel and demeaned both the trial court and the appellate court." Kilbride joined the dissent.<ref>[http://madisonrecord.com/news/contentview.asp?c=165091
''
Madison County Record
''
]</ref>
|Category=Criminal justice cases
|Category=Criminal justice cases
}}
}}
==Retirement==
==Retirement==
−
In November 2006, months after leaving the bench, McMorrow joined JAMS, '''The Resolution Experts''', the nation’s largest private provider of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services. JAMS President and CEO Steve Price said of her arrival, "Justice McMorrow is a pioneer not only for women in the judiciary, but also for the growth of ADR in Illinois. Her dedication to justice and resolving disputes in the most efficient manner possible has long been applauded by attorneys on both sides of the bar, and we are thrilled that she has decided to keep on the hat of full-time neutral at '''JAMS'''."<ref>[http://www.jamsadr.com/press/show_release.asp?id=252 JAMS, The Resolution Experts Official Website]</ref>
+
In November 2006, months after leaving the bench, McMorrow joined JAMS, '''The Resolution Experts''', the nation’s largest private provider of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services. JAMS President and CEO Steve Price said of her arrival, "Justice McMorrow is a pioneer not only for women in the judiciary, but also for the growth of ADR in Illinois. Her dedication to justice and resolving disputes in the most efficient manner possible has long been applauded by attorneys on both sides of the bar, and we are thrilled that she has decided to keep on the hat of full-time neutral at '''JAMS'''."<ref>[http://www.jamsadr.com/press/show_release.asp?id=252
''
JAMS, The Resolution Experts Official Website
'', "Press Release"
]</ref>
==See also==
==See also==