Rhonda Sallee

Name: Rhonda Sallee

Age: 46

Current residence: Chicago

Current position: Administrative law judge and sole practitioner

Past legal experience: 4½ years as an ALJ; 18 years as practicing attorney; almost nine years as an arbitrator for the Cook County Circuit Court; three years as a hearing officer for the ARDC; published author; and adjunct professor.

Law school: The John Marshall Law School, 1998

Campaign website: RhondaForJudge.com

Hobbies/interests: Suspense novels, the future of our children

Have you ever run for office before?

Yes. In 2012, I ran for a county-wide vacancy.

Why should voters support your candidacy?

Voters should support my candidacy because respecting and cherishing our elders, saving our children and bringing justice and equality to our communities has been my lifelong work.

Why do you want to be a judge?

Our justice system is essentially made up of two parts: The legislature, the body that makes the laws and the judiciary, the body that interprets those laws. While both are important, it is my desire to become an interpreter of the laws. The interpretation of the laws goes to the very fiber of our society and the conditions under which we all live.

What was the most interesting case you handled as a lawyer?

I represent all children and am appointed to do so by the courts. While all of my cases are memorable, the one that stands out the most, at this moment, is the case where I represented a little girl that did not have a relationship with her father through no fault of her own; and she had certain cognitive delays. Recently, the mother informed me that my client has done well in school and has gone on to pursue her dream of modeling. She persevered in the face of adversity. I am so proud of her and her success.

What would you consider your greatest career accomplishment?

In 2017, I received the Lawyers of Distinction Award, where I was recognized as being in the top 10 percent of all lawyers in the United States.

What qualities do you plan to bring to the bench?

I have every intention to bring the following qualities to the bench: the ability to identify the issue of the case; making sure that the people that appear in front of me had the opportunity to present their side of the story/case; making sure the people that appear in front of me know that they have been heard, and that what they was considered at the time that I made the decision; and my high standard of integrity, as well as my innate sense of fairness and compassion.