Judge Veronica O’Malley has dedicated her legal career to public service, including serving with distinction as Circuit Court Judge in Lake County since 2007, and she has made a tremendous impact during her time on the bench.
Judge O’Malley has particularly stood out in her exemplary leadership and management of the Court’s Self-Represented Litigant (SRL) Family Courtroom since 2019, prior to which she had a distinguished judicial career in criminal, family, and domestic courts. Since then, Judge O’Malley has led the high-volume, complex, and often emotional SRL call with a steady, firm, and compassionate hand, striving to provide access to justice for all unrepresented litigants appearing before her.
Judge O’Malley is the second judge assigned to this role since its inception and has had the opportunity to guide the courtroom through transitions as the needs of its users changed over time, including ensuring that cases with unrepresented litigants were heard fairly during the pandemic. She was a leader in providing a seamless transition from hearing cases in person to over Zoom and has since overseen the move to hybrid proceedings. Judge O’Malley has also put her thespian talents to work to advance access to justice by directing and performing in a series of videos educating pro se litigants about court procedures.
As her colleague shared, Judge O’Malley “embodies the unique combination, and perfect balance, of legal skills and social consciousness, that are essential in providing meaningful assistance to litigants navigating the courthouse without the benefit of an attorney’s guidance.” She is known for her patience and kindness, and she explains every step of the process to each litigant that approaches the bench. Judge O’Malley’s enthusiasm is evident to all who come into her courtroom and her passion for the people who appear on their own is reflected in the individualized attention that she provides to them.
The impact of Judge Veronica O’Malley’s service in the courthouse and her commitment to serving those most in need are truly remarkable, making her an ideal recipient of this year’s Justice Kilbride Public Service Award.