somervilleforjudge@gmail.com

DEMOCRAT SOMERVILLE FOR JUDGE

Cook County 19th Subcircuit Vote March 17, 2026

34+

years of experience as a lawyer, judge and hearing officer

500+

cases ligated in federal and state court and agencies

37

years as a Beverly resident in the 19th Ward

Hello.

I'm Monica Somerville and I want to be your Circuit Court Judge for the Cook County 19th Subcircuit. With over 35 years of experience in civil litigation, personal injury, workers compensation, municipal law, labor and employment, and contract and criminal law I bring experience, fairness, and integrity to the job on day one. I hope I can count on your vote in the election on March 17, 2026.

Experience. Fairness. Integrity.

LEGAL EXPERIENCE

  • Litigated hundreds of cases in federal and state court and administrative agencies
  • Over 35 years of experience in civil litigation, personal injury, workers compensation, municipal law, labor and employment, and contract and criminal law
  • Administrative Law Judge / Hearing Officer
  • Licensed in U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit, U.S. Northern District of Illinois Trial Bar, and State of Illinois
  • Committed to fairness and equitable justice for all

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

  • Chicago Volunteer Legal Services: provide pro bono legal services to low-income individuals
  • Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights’ Settlement Assistance Program: provide pro bono legal assistance to guide people through settlement of their case
  • Chicago Bar Association’s Lawyer-Lend-A Hand Program: provide tutoring to children in underserved communities
  • Black Women Lawyers' Association (BWLA): provide law students and first year attorneys with professional guidance
  • Chicago Bar Association’s Lawyers in the Classroom: provide classroom discussion on the Constitution
  • Justice Community Court and Wrap Court of the Circuit Court of Cook County: provide pro bono legal assistance to individuals in programs
  • Beverly Area Planning Association (BAPA): volunteer for Home Tours
  • Beverly Resident in the 19th Ward for 38 years

EDUCATION

  • Juris Doctor, John Marshall Law School, UIC
  • Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, Loyola University of Chicago
  • Kenwood Academy

MORE ABOUT ME

Learn more about how I bring fairness, experience, and integrity to the job, and why you should vote for me.
Learn what inspired me to become a lawyer and judge, and all the ways I engage with the community.

My Story

Why should you vote for Monica Somerville as Circuit Court Judge for the Cook County 19th Subcircuit?
Because I bring experience, fairness, integrity, and a connection to the community to the job on day one. I have been a Beverly resident in the 19th Ward for 38 years. But I don’t just live in Beverly, I am an integral part of the community, with deep roots in community service.
I am an attorney at Cabrini Green Legal Aid, who offer legal services to those with needs arising from the lack of opportunity, criminalization of poverty, and racial inequity. In this role, I advocate for justice for individuals negatively impacted by the criminal legal system, representing the most vulnerable and low income families for free and with compassion. Additionally, I serve as a volunteer attorney with Chicago Volunteer Legal Services. I also tutor reading and math to children in underserved communities through the Chicago Bar Association’s Lawyer-Lend-a Hand, and Lawyer’s in the Classroom where I teach second- through eighth-grade students about the Constitution, their rights, and the legal system. As part of the Black Women Lawyers’ Association (BWLA), I provide law students and first year attorneys with professional guidance. I also volunteer at the Malcom X Driver’s License Reinstatement Expo to help people get their license reinstated. Lastly, I am a volunteer attorney with the federal court’s Settlement Assistance Program, providing pro bono legal assistance to guide people through settlement of their case.
With over 35 years of experience as a lawyer, administrative law judge and hearing officer, I am well-qualified to serve as Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County, 19th Subcircuit. As a judge, I will decide cases based on the facts and the law, bringing diversity to the judiciary with commitment to fairness and equitable justice for all, regardless of a person’s race or financial status, or where they live. With my diverse legal background, I bring different legal experiences and perspectives that will allow me to make better informed decisions and continue to serve the people of Cook County. Not only will I use common sense, but also compassion and insightful experience to make equitable decisions.
Beyond work life, I am a wife, mother, and friend to many. I am married to John Somerville and we have three successful children who were raised in the Beverly community. You will see us attending church, local art fairs, Beverly Area Planning Association’s Sip & Shop and home tours, Bears games, and other community events. I am also a breast cancer survivor and am active in the Beverly Mother’s Day Breast Cancer Walk to support patients and their families in their fight to be a survivor like me.
I also volunteer with BAPA home tours, was a docent for the Ridge Historical Society and a member of Morgan Park Juniors. I also volunteer at St. Barnabas church as a Sacristan, and volunteered as a parent at my kids’ schools St. Barnabas School, Sutherland, and Morgan Park Academy.
In my free time, I enjoy bike riding, traveling, and reading. In college, I was pretty fluent in French, but over the years not speaking the language has caused me to forget. So I have been relearning how to speak French on my own with Duolingo.
On March 17, 2026, please vote for me for Circuit Court Judge of Cook County in the 19th Subcircuit.

My Background

I was inspired to become a lawyer after taking a history class. I was 17 years old and a junior at Kenwood Academy. The course was called Law in American Society. We discussed a landmark supreme court case called Brown v. Board of Education which was decided in 1954. The ruling of the Supreme Court declared racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. Thurgood Marshall argued the Brown decision before the Supreme Court. Thurgood Marshall eventually became the first Black Supreme Court Justice. I was the first person in my family to graduate from college. My parents never attended college, but learning about Brown v. Board of Education inspired me, and began my journey to become an attorney. As a lawyer, I wanted to fight for justice and fairness for all people, and I believed that every person deserved equitable justice under the law.
In November 2025, I celebrated being a lawyer for 35 years. I have litigated cases in both state and federal courts, and state and federal administrative agencies. I have an extensive and diverse legal background which includes personal injury, workers’ compensation, labor and employment, contract law, traffic, housing, property damage, and criminal law.
I have been working for the people of Cook County for 35 years ensuring that they are treated fairly, and that their rights are protected. I was an Administrative Law Judge for eight years with the Illinois Department of Employment Security hearing appeals on claims for unemployment benefits before working for Cabrini Green Legal Aid.

Monica Somerville, Attorney at Law
* DEMOCRAT *For Cook County Circuit Court Judge | 19th Subcircuit
Paid for by Friends of Monica Somerville for Judge.