Chair – Judge Michael Alan Strom (Ret.)

Strom has over 30 years of experience as a lead trial counsel, handling complex civil cases, often involving catastrophic injuries. He transitioned from private practice and became a Staff Attorney at the Office of the Chief Judge, Circuit Court of Cook County, where he contributed to the development of restorative justice reform initiatives. In 2019, the Illinois Supreme Court appointed him to fill a 23-month Circuit Court vacancy, where he primarily served in the Housing Court and reviewed Chicago Administrative Hearing appeals. As president of Decalogue Society of Lawyers, he brought restorative justice programs to under-resourced public schools by recruiting bar associations to provide lawyers for volunteer work with students and teachers. For 30 years, he returned annually to South Shore High School to teach trial processes and coach mock trial teams. Strom earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Illinois and a Juris Doctor from Boston University.