Careers
Former Quinn Emanuel associate turns into visitors court docket decide and ‘Zoom grasp’
Stephen Swedlow, a former associate at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, spent about $950,000 on his self-funded marketing campaign to change into a decide in Cook dinner County, Illinois. Picture from Shutterstock.
A former prime associate at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan has left the profitable apply of legislation to change into a decide in Cook dinner County, Illinois, making just a little greater than $215,000 per 12 months.
Bloomberg Law has a narrative on Stephen Swedlow’s profession swap to county decide after rising to managing associate of Quinn Emanuel’s Chicago workplace. He spent about $950,000 on his self-funded marketing campaign for the judicial seat.
In his first six months on the bench, Swedlow, 52, largely heard visitors court docket violations and presided in trials for drunken driving, based on Bloomberg Regulation. He was lately promoted to the municipal division, the place he hears civil lawsuits for damages up to $30,000, evictions, bank card collections and different circumstances.
Swedlow’s new position as a decide is a “completely, completely totally different expertise” from legislation apply, the place associates deal with administrative particulars, he informed Bloomberg Regulation.
“Earlier than, I’d solely go to a Zoom assembly that anyone despatched me a hyperlink to. Then I turned a decide and I needed to arrange the Zoom, create the breakout rooms. I turned a Zoom grasp,” Swedlow mentioned.
Swedlow mentioned he made the choice to enter public service after telling himself that he would depart legislation apply as soon as he made a sure amount of cash. After reaching the primary quantity, he raised the extent and determined to depart when he attained it.
“I feel most individuals simply preserve making up new numbers,” he informed Bloomberg Regulation.
It may very well be years earlier than Swedlow is transferred to the legislation division, the place complicated civil trials are heard.
“What I need to do is preside daily over a jury trial,” Swedlow informed Bloomberg Regulation. “That’s my objective. It’s the perfect mixture of theater and mental pursuit.”
