Oral History

This oral history project began with the work of Judges James F. Henry and Theodore M. Swain to collect the oral histories of Cook County Judges. The two Judges passed the work on to graduate students at Loyola University Chicago under the guidance of Professor Christopher E. Manning.

Stuart H. Shiffman worked in the Attorney General’s office, opinions division, from 1974-75; the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s office from 1975-79;  the Attorney General’s office, this time working in the criminal division, from 1979-80; and again with the State’s Attorney’s office, from 1980-1983.

Juleann Hornyak, a graduate of Chicago-Kent College of Law, began her legal career as a research attorney for the Fourth District Appellate Court in 1979.

Thomas F. Londrigan, a graduate of the University of Illinois in Urbana/Champaign College of Law, has practiced law in Springfield, Illinois since 1962.

Chris Freese worked in private practice from 1978-99, was a Public Defender in Moultrie County from 1979-80 and 1996-99, and was State’s Attorney of Moultrie County from 1980-84.

John A. Barra worked as an Assistant State’s Attorney in Peoria County from 1974-80, and was elected State’s Attorney of Peoria in 1980, serving in that position until 1988.

Thomas G. Ebel worked as an Assistant State’s Attorney in Peoria County from 1970-72, and was a Legal Advisor to the Peoria Police Department from 1972-73.

Stephen G. Evans practiced law in western Illinois from 1972-75.

Edward J. Cunningham, a graduate of the University of Chicago Law School, was in private practice in Chicago before becoming a trial attorney with the National Labor Relations Board.

Hugh J. Graham III, a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign College of Law, was in private practice with the firm Graham & Graham in Springfield, Illinois from 1961-2013.

Harvey B. Stephens, a graduate of the University of Chicago Law School, has been in private practice with the firm Brown, Hay & Stephens in Springfield, Illinois since 1960.

C. Brett Bode was in private practice and was an assistant city attorney for East Peoria, from 1968-70, and then was a public defender in Tazewell County from 1970-72 while also maintaining a private practice.