Judge Michael B. Hyman

            Judge Michael B. Hyman, a Cook County Circuit Court judge since 2006, currently serves in the Domestic Relations Division. He was appointed by former Chief Justice Mary Ann G. McMorrow and elected to a full six year term in November 2008.  Before joining the bench, his practice primarily concentrated in trial work on antitrust, securities fraud and consumer fraud matters in federal and state courts throughout the country.  He was an Assistant Illinois Attorney General assigned to the Antitrust Division from 1977-1979.

            Hyman received his undergraduate degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and his law degree from Northwestern University School of Law.  Hyman is a former president of the Chicago Bar Association.  He currently serves as chair of the Lawyers Conference of the ABA Judicial Division and previously held many leadership positions in the ABA Section of Litigation.  He is secretary of the Illinois Judges Association Foundation. 

            Hyman received the CBA’s inaugural Diversity Initiative Award (2006), the Chicago Volunteer Legal Services’ Court of Honor Award (2008) and the Illinois Judges Association’s Presidential Service Award (2007)

           He served as president of the Chicago Bar Association (2005-06) and the Decalogue Society of Lawyers (2004-05). In addition, at the CBA, Hyman has been the editor-in-chief and columnist for the CBA’s flagship publication, CBA Record for over 15 years.  He is a member of the board of the Chicago Bar Foundation (2003-present) and the executive committee of the Lend-A-Hand For Youth Program (2007-present). He also is one of the CBA representatives on the American Bar Association’s House of Delegates (2005-present) and chair of the Lawyers Conference of the ABA Judicial Division (2008-2009). Hyman has held numerous leadership positions in the ABA Section of Litigation including chair of the Antitrust Litigation Committee, the  Consumer and Personal Rights Committee, and Monographs and Unpublished Papers Committee, and  editor-in-chief of Litigation News and Litigation Docket. Other organizations in which Hyman has held or holds leadership positions include the Illinois State Bar Association (chair of several committees and four terms on Assembly), the American Society of Writers on Legal Subjects and the Coalition for Equal Justice.   He is a member of the Chicago-Lincoln Inn of Court.    

           A frequent speaker at continuing education programs, Judge Hyman enjoys writing and has published several articles on a variety of subjects. He is an avid reader, mostly of non-fiction. He has been married for 32 years and he and his wife are parents of two adult children.