Judge Cynthia Cobbs - ELECTION 2014

Published on Feb 10, 2014

Commissioner Frank Avila talks with Judge Cynthia Cobbs, candidate for Judge countywide

Judge Cynthia Y. Cobbs was appointed by unanimous vote by the Supreme Court of Illinois as a circuit court judge in September 2011. Prior to her appointment to the bench, Judge Cobbs served as the Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts. Appointed as Director in March 2002, Judge Cobbs was the first woman and the first African American appointed by the Supreme Court to serve as the state courts administrator. Prior to her appointment as Director, Judge Cobbs worked in the Administrative Office as Chief Legal Counsel, having previously worked as a staff attorney in the office’s Executive Division. Before joining the staff at the Administrative Office, Judge Cobbs served as senior judicial law clerk to former Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles E. Freeman.

As Administrative Director, Judge Cobbs functioned as the chief operating officer for the Illinois judiciary, frequently interfacing with the legislative branch and agencies within the executive branch of government, including the Secretary of State, State Attorney General and the State Board of Elections. Directing the five operational divisions of the Administrative Office, Judge Cobbs developed and managed the judicial branch’s nearly $300 million annual budget, developed policies for the uniform delivery of the state’s adult and juvenile probation services, oversaw the development of judicial education programs for Illinois judges, enhanced the use of technology in the state courts, and developed the first policies for implementation of e-filing and e-access in the trial courts..