Cook County Circuit Court Domestic Violence Survivor Center Opens

 In October 2023, the Cook County Circuit Court in Markham opened a domestic violence survivor center. Situated in a basement of the Markham Court, the facility is out of public view and designed to provide a safe, secure, and comfortable space that victims can make use of during trying periods in their lives.

A collaborative undertaking of domestic violence advocates and the county, the center offers a space where victims can meet and converse freely with advocates and take part in Zoom hearings. It also offers an area where children can hang out and comfortably pass the time.

A Cook County clerk advocated for this new facility, which she describes as providing “a place that someone [in need] can call home” for a short time. Unfortunately, domestic violence is all too prevalent statewide, with 65,000 cases reported annually and the actual number of underreported incidents thought to be significantly higher. The domestic violence survivor center represents a first step in ensuring that justice is served in a practical, humane, and family-centered way.

The Usefulness of Theater to the Courtroom

 A judge at the circuit court of Cook County, Illinois, Megan Goldish has responsibilities that include reviewing confidential orders and motions, researching and writing orders, and presiding over hearings in court. Judge Megan Goldish loves the theater and acknowledges how instrumental it has been to her legal work.

Many experts consider law as both an art and a science. Litigation (the process of taking legal action) requires the lawyer to perform research, make a hypothesis, and either defend that hypothesis before the court or use it to counter a colleague's argument. Studying acting can help lawyers present and understand emotions and nonverbal signals that they can use to convince the jury that their argument is the reasonable truth.

For actors to convincingly play a part, they must understand the motives of their characters. Similarly, lawyers must understand the intentions of both the prosecution and the defense to present a persuasive argument.

The Usefulness of Theater to the Courtroom

 A judge at the circuit court of Cook County, Illinois, Megan Goldish has responsibilities that include reviewing confidential orders and motions, researching and writing orders, and presiding over hearings in court. Judge Megan Goldish loves the theater and acknowledges how instrumental it has been to her legal work.

Many experts consider law as both an art and a science. Litigation (the process of taking legal action) requires the lawyer to perform research, make a hypothesis, and either defend that hypothesis before the court or use it to counter a colleague's argument. Studying acting can help lawyers present and understand emotions and nonverbal signals that they can use to convince the jury that their argument is the reasonable truth.

For actors to convincingly play a part, they must understand the motives of their characters. Similarly, lawyers must understand the intentions of both the prosecution and the defense to present a persuasive argument.

A Brief History of the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois

 Judge Megan Goldish graduated with honors from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and holds a BA from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She has worked in the field of law in Cook County, Illinois, for over 22 years, including serving as a judge in the Domestic Violence Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County since 2014. In this capacity, Judge Megan Goldish reviews confidential records and motions as well as performs research and writes orders, among other duties. She is a member of various legal associations, including serving on the Board of Directors of the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois.

Established in 1914, the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois (WBAI) is one of the oldest and largest bar associations in the State of Illinois. Founded by nine female practicing Chicago lawyers, the association focused on working with the Public Defenders League for Girls in its early days, a now defunct auxiliary organization. Its current activities are mainly geared towards promoting the interests and welfare of female attorneys, as well as important social and political issues.

It seeks to promote, protect, and advance the interests of women lawyers as well as further the administration of justice by helping pass legislation for the common good. In addition to these objectives, WBAI also helps its members gain employment and is one of the first women's bar associations to allow the membership of male lawyers.

Gerry Spence Method for Trial Lawyers

Presiding over cases in the Domestic Violence Court in Cook County, Illinois, Judge Megan Goldish draws on more than 20 years of legal experience. As both a judge and former attorney, Megan Goldish utilizes techniques from theater training to connect with the people in her courtroom.

Trial lawyers often use theater techniques when giving opening statements or preparing clients to take the witness stand. One technique is psychodrama, which is taught in the Gerry Spence Method. Gerry Spence was a famous trial lawyer who took on high-profile cases defending clients against the government and large corporations.

The Spence Method uses psychodrama training by diving into each attorney’s case and bringing out the emotional human elements. Techniques used often include role reversal, soliloquy, and scene setting. The goal of this training is to make the client’s story more emotionally relatable for the jury.

The Spence Method focuses heavily on the lawyer’s opening statement, as Spence believes the most juries have already decided the case once both sides have given these statements. The opening statement is often made by a lone attorney at the front of the courtroom, much like monologues and soliloquys in the theater.

The Diversity Scholarship Foundation

Drawing on nearly 8 years of experience as a judge, Megan Goldish serves in the Domestic Violence Court at the Circuit Court of Cook County in Chicago, Illinois. Dedicated to promoting diversification within the legal industry, Judge Megan Goldish received the Advocate for Diversity Award from the Diversity Scholarship Foundation.

The Diversity Scholarship Foundation was established in 2008 by a group of judges and attorneys interested in advocating for diversification within the Chicago legal community. Since its establishment, over 50 associations have joined the Diversity Scholarship Foundation in its mission, which is mainly fulfilled by financially assisting under-represented and underprivileged minorities in attending law school via scholarships.

The foundation also has community outreach programming targeted at middle and high school students. In addition, it provides financial support to programs of bar associations dedicated to diversifying the legal community. One of the main fundraising events of the Diversity Scholarship Foundation is the Unity Award Dinner, held every year for the past 18 years. During the gala, awards are granted to people who have contributed to the community and diversity, as well as diverse law students across Chicago, who also receive various scholarships. In 2021, the foundation awarded 20 scholarships to deserving students.

Mock Trials for Law Students and Lawyers

A graduate of Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, Judge Megan Goldish works at the Circuit Court of Cook County, IL. Judge Megan Goldish also had served as an adjunct instructor at Northwestern University's trial advocacy program. She also supports and promotes the use of mock trials. for students and lawyers.

Mock trials are practice trials that can be utilized in a classroom setting. They are typically performed at law schools, and offer the opportunity for students to learn the art of debate and putting forth arguments in court. Mock trials can also help students refine their abilities at critical thinking and public speaking. Trials are complicated even for experienced lawyers, and mock trials can prepare them for the hardships they may encounter in court.

Mock trials offer law students and experienced lawyers a chance to test and obtain feedback on a future oral presentation. This allows for development of new theories for a case and to observe a case from another point-of-view.

Adult Living Skills Program for the Blind

A graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Judge Megan Goldish serves on the domestic violence court of the Circuit Court of Cook County. Judge Megan Goldish also takes part in philanthropic activities and supports nonprofit organizations such as the Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind

The Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind is a social service organization that aims to improve and provide vision care to the blind and visually impaired. The organization created the adult living skills program, which aims to increase the independence and self-sufficiency of people who are blind or visually impaired and cannot perform the usual tasks of everyday life. It is a program meant to prepare people to live by themselves and return to society. It involves an on-site apartment in which patients can do activities such as dishwashing, sweeping, cleaning, and cooking. Patients can also recycle and develop working skills in the program.

The program also teaches functional and basic academics such as everyday math and how to deal with and manage money. Patients are taught the Braille language and can learn how to read and write using it.

The North Suburban Bar Association

Judge Megan Goldish, has been licensed to practice law for approximately 24years in Cook County, with seven of those as a domestic violence court judge. During her tenure, she has mentored other judges and was the supervising attorney of the WINGS program. In addition to membership in numerous law and community organizations, Judge Megan Goldish served as an adjunct instructor at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and Chicago-Kent College of Law. She is also the immediate past president of the North Suburban Bar Association (NSBA).

Comprised of judges, attorneys, and legal professionals, NSBA strives to support the legal community in Chicago and the city's northern suburbs. The support comes in personal and career development, legal advice, professional networking, advocacy, and promoting excellence. NSBA holds monthly events to foster professional and legal development, fundraising, and community outreach throughout the year. The events include the installation dinner, Gary Wild dinner, judges night, law day, and holiday parties.

Membership is open to legal and non-legal professionals in all areas of practice. These include new entrants, seasoned experts, litigators, and specialists in other disciplines. All work toward the betterment of the legal system and the spirit of collegiality. Meetings usually involve open debates between the bar members and industry leaders, community leaders, and policymakers, with discussion around technology, new laws and effects on their industries, and potential avenues for improvement.

The Chicago Lighthouse

Megan Goldish has served as a Judge in the Circuit Court of Cook County for the last six and a half years. As a judge, Megan Goldish’s responsibilities vary daily as she presides over criminal, civil, felony, and misdemeanor domestic violence cases. Outside the courtroom, Judge Goldish is involved with her community and works on behalf of many philanthropic causes. She is currently the co-president of the junior board of the Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind.

Since its inception in 1906, the Chicago Lighthouse has served the blind, the visually impaired, the disabled, and veterans. The organization provides an array of services to those it serves such as rehabilitation, education, employment opportunities, and technology. In total, there are 40 services and programs that the organization offers.

One of these is the Birth-to-Three Early Intervention Program, which provides family support to parents with infants and toddlers who have vision loss along with other disabilities. To help both parent and child, intervention specialists regularly visit the families in order to support parents and help them prepare their young children for preschool and kindergarten. Support comes in the form of visual, developmental, and occupational therapy, as well as medical examinations and psychological services.

Bright Star’s Trauma Counseling Program

A law practitioner with over two decades of experience, Judge Megan Goldish of the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Domestic Violence Division engages in various community and social endeavors. Her numerous recognitions include the Mary Heftel Hooton Award from the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois. Judge Megan Goldish also serves as a board member of Bright Star Community Outreach (BSCO).

The nonprofit BSCO strives to empower residents of Chicago’s most at-risk communities to participate in community-building through various programs spanning education, violence prevention, health, advocacy, and trauma counseling. The trauma counseling program utilizes mental health professionals and trained faith leaders who act as helpline advocates. The toll-free helpline (833-Turn123) operates from Monday to Friday to help those facing issues of anger, violence, grief, terminal illness, self-harm, and more.

Other trauma counselors act as ambassadors who work to bring mental health awareness to the community, in partnership with organizations in healthcare, education, faith community sectors, first responders, and business. They present information on mental health awareness, self-care, vicarious trauma, and more. The ambassadors also raise awareness of the helpline service and the Urban Resilience Network approach. To learn more about BSCO and its various programs, visit www.brightstarcommunityoutreach.com.