She worked hard for this!
The Supreme Court of Illinois recently appointed Chantelle Porter, former family law attorney, as the first Black woman judge in the state’s 18th judicial circuit, Black Enterprise reports.
Illinois is a state filled with Black political firsts. In 2017, Allison Madison was the first woman and first African-American to be elected as mayor of Mound City, Illinois. Juliana Stratton was named the first Black Lieutenant Governor in 2019. Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch became Illinois’ House of Representatives first Black speaker last year and, just this year, Judge Lisa Holder White was named the first Black woman on the Illinois Supreme Court.
Now Chantelle Porter, a partner at the Lombard Family Law Firm of A. Traub and Associates, has been named the first Black woman Circuit Court Judge in Dupage County. According to Black Enterprise, Porter is also a trained parent coordinator who’s represented clients in family law, juvenile law, DCFS abuse and neglect, and domestic violence.
Angel Trubb, the founder of A. Traub & Associates, spoke on Porter’s success, saying, “I have had the gratification of working with Chantelle for almost 15 years. She has impressed me more than I could have imagined. The mentoring went both ways. Chantelle has taught me that if you say you can, you will. And she has. I will miss her greatly but know this is where she was destined to be.”
Porter’s work has not gone unnoticed. She was once named President of the DuPage Association of Women Lawyers and has been recognized in the Super Lawyers Rising Stars award list for over ten years. She’s also received many honors from the DuPage County Bar Association such as the Outstanding Service Award and Pro Bono Service Award. Porter stated she’s “honored to be a part of this historic moment.”
We couldn’t be more proud. Congratulations, Judge Porter!
Photo: Chantelle Porter/LinkedIn