Experienced Judge since 2007
James “Jamie” Shapiro is a Cook County Judge, having been elected in 2018 from the old 8th Judicial Subcircuit along Chicago’s Lakefront. Before that, the Illinois Supreme Court had appointed and reappointed him to the bench for a total of over five years between 2007 and 2012. He currently sits on the Complex Litigation Calendar in the Domestic Relations Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County.
Between stints on the bench and before he was originally appointed in 2007, Judge Shapiro practiced law for almost 30 years, including seven as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago.
His extensive legal experience includes civil and criminal cases—both plaintiff and defendant, federal and state, prosecution and defense, private and government practice, teaching law school, and testifying as an expert witness.
Judge Shapiro is dedicated to ensuring that every person who interacts with the Cook County justice system is treated fairly, equally, and with respect. During his total of over ten years as a judge he has heard both civil and criminal cases, most recently family law. The Chicago Bar Association has rated him “Highly Qualified” each of the last two times it has evaluated him over the past dozen years, and the Chicago Council of Lawyers stated he “has had substantial litigation experience in both civil and criminal law matters, and in both trial and appellate court matters. He received praise from practitioners for his legal ability and for his diligence both as a practitioner and as a judge.”
Judge Shapiro enjoys officiating weddings in both English and Spanish, and as Decalogue Society of Lawyers President from 2007-2008 strongly advocated for full marriage equality for the LGBTQ community. In December of 2022 and 2023, and February of 2024, he participated in the Chicago Bar Association’s “Lawyers in the Classroom” program by teaching civil rights to a group of eighth graders at Joseph Lovett Elementary School on Chicago’s West Side. His work in the community shows his dedication to diversity, inclusion, and equality. He believes strongly that, in our current climate, it is more important than ever for good judges to protect the constitutional rights of every American.
Judge Shapiro attended Trinity College and William and Mary Law School.