Jennifer Barron (Illinois 18th Circuit Court 2nd Subcircuit, Illinois, candidate 2024)
From Ballotpedia
Jennifer Barron (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Illinois 18th Circuit Court 2nd Subcircuit. She was on the ballot in the general election on November 5, 2024.[source]
Barron completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
[1]Biography
Jennifer Barron provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on October 12, 2024:
- Bachelor's: University of Chicago, 1992
- J.D.: George Washington University Law School, 1995
- Gender: Female
- Incumbent officeholder: Yes
- Campaign slogan: Equal justice for all.
- Campaign website
- Campaign endorsements
- Campaign Facebook
- Campaign Instagram
Elections
General election
General election for Illinois 18th Circuit Court 2nd Subcircuit
Jennifer Barron and Jae Kwon ran in the general election for Illinois 18th Circuit Court 2nd Subcircuit on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | ||
 | Jennifer Barron (D)  | |
| Jae Kwon (R) | ||
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Election results
Endorsements
To view Barron's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Barron in this election.
Campaign themes
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Jennifer Barron completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Barron's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I am currently your DuPage Circuit Court Judge. I was appointed by the unanimous vote of the Illinois Supreme Court, out of a field of 19 candidates. My undergraduate degree is from the University of Chicago, and I graduated from the George Washington University Law School. Before becoming a judge, I was a lawyer for 25 years, trying multiple cases to verdict in front of juries, and arguing before the appellate courts and the Illinois Supreme Court. As a trial lawyer, I made certain my clients were treated with respect, and always had the opportunity to tell their story. As an appellate attorney, I scoured trial transcripts looking for error, and became extremely well-versed in the rules of evidence and civil procedure. I have lived in this community for 25 years. I was a PTA President at two different schools, and even though my husband and I are empty-nesters now, I'm still involved in the school district as a Board Member of the Indian Prairie Educational Foundation which provides wrap-around services to our students, families and faculty. I also did free legal work as a volunteer for Prairie State Legal Services and Giffords Center Against Gun Violence. I am also on the Board of DVSA (Domestic Violence Sexual Assault) Communities, helping people in our community struggling with these issues.
- Equal justice for all. The most important job of a judge is to treat everyone equally. You can have the most brilliant legal mind, but it you do not treat everyone with respect and dignity and apply the law equally to everyone, then you are unqualified to serve.
- Be prepared. A judge must make sure to read every brief submitted to her, review the exhibits, and research the case law. A judge owes it to the litigants, the lawyers, and the entire judicial system to bring a rigorous work ethic to the job and set a high standard. Since become a judge almost two years ago, I have worked hard every day to be prepared and give thoughtful explanations to every single ruling. Everyone will not be happy with my rulings, but everyone will know that I have given their argument a fair hearing, and will know the legal and factual bases for my rulings.
- Treat everyone with dignity and respect. The judge sets the tone in a courtroom. The robe and ritual in the courtroom is not there to elevate the judge as a person, but to serve as a reminder to everyone - including the judge - that we are all submitting to the laws enacted by our democratically elected legislature. If the judge is unprofessional, disrespectful or rude in any way to the lawyers or litigants it sends the message that such behavior is acceptable and it erodes respect in our judicial system and our laws. While our judicial system is imperfect, when it lives up to its ideals it is the best system in the world. I am committed every day to living up to that ideal.
I believe the role of a judge is not confined to the courtroom. As a public official, I try to attend community events, and make the courthouse transparent and accessible to our residents. I have organized two community outreach events already this year to inform non-english speaking residents about court and county resources available to them about which they may have been unaware. Hundreds of people attended each of these events, highlighting the need and interest. Additionally, I mentor local high school and college students interested in careers in the law and give them opportunities to shadow me in court.
An elected judge must have integrity, must be highly qualified and must be committed to the community. After the end of Apartheid in South Africa, Nelson Mandela’s government was tasked with rebuilding the legal system there. When asked what the approach would be, President Mandela said the goal was to apply the law “without fear, favor or prejudice.” This quote has always stuck with me, and I have adopted it as my legal philosophy because it represents the absolute best any person can do in the role of judge. This philosophy does not require us to divest ourselves of compassion or empathy, rather it requires us to give every person a fair shake. I strive to do just that every day.
Preparedness. Strong Work Ethic. Commitment to rigorously applying the law to the facts.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg.
I was rated "Recommended" by the bar poll of the Illinois State Bar Association. This is highest rating available for circuit court judges/candidates.
Sen. Dick Durbin, US Rep. Bill Foster, US Rep. Delia Ramirez, US Rep. Sean Casten, State Sen. Laura Ellman, State Rep. Janet Yang Rohr, DuPage County Board Chair Deb Conroy, Vice Chair Mike Childress, Naperville City Council Members Benny White, Ian Holzhauer, and Allison Longenbaugh. Personal PAC, LIUNA, Ironworkers Local 63, Sheet Metal Workers, Chicago Pipefitters Local 597, Painters Local 30, IBEW Local 701, Operating Engineers 150, Mid-America Carpenters, Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers , West Suburban Teachers Union local 571, Plumbers Local 130, DuPage Building and Construction Traders Council, National Association of Letter Carriers, Democratic Women of DuPage County, Advocates Society.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
Footnotes
