On Tuesday, March 20, please vote for my good friend, attorney Rishi Agrawal, for Cook County, Illinois Judge in the 8th Judicial Subcircuit.

When I say “my good friend” I mean it, as in I knew Rishi long before he decided to run for judge. As I thought about how to best share why I think he is the best candidate for the judgeship, rather than just say he is an awesome person (which he is!), 3 things came to mind which, after you read them, should lead you to punch number 163 on your ballot.

His passion for practicing law – Rishi and I were neighbors when I lived in Chicago, so as you would expect I would see him just about every day. When we would talk about our days, when he was going to or coming from court or meeting with clients, you could see the excitement in him. He loves litigation, being in court and giving the best representation for his clients. Where of course he wouldn’t give me specifics, he would talk with excitement of how he would prepare and go up against other lawyers or work to negotiate a settlement. Such a positive attitude, energy and regard for the law is something he will carry to the bench.

His ability to understand the big picture and how the law applies – Whenever you get a bunch of friends together casually and politics or current affairs come up, the conversation is certainly spirited. Often, people will come up with something that leans towards a legal opinion, even though most of us are not attorneys. In times like this, Rishi would take in the conversation, then join and acknowledge how people may be approaching an issue, then sharing how juris prudence may apply in a certain case. Not only did this help a conversation from getting outrageous, but it helped us all learn about the law and a point of view we may not have considered. This respect for the law is what Rishi will take to the courtroom when presiding over cases.

Giving back to his community – Whether it’s getting up early to coach his award-winning elementary school debate team before the school day starts, taking on pro bono clients or ones who had difficult cases that other attorneys would not touch, to his involvement in the local school council to local cultural and legal organizations, Rishi finds the time to give back, help his community as well as help to ensure people have access to quality legal representation. I admire his dedication and ability to multitask all of this with his own private law practice and family, and he stands as a model for others.

Voting for Judges Just as Important as all other Elected Offices

When you vote for judges in Cook County, they are usually at the end of the ballot, well after all other elected offices. However voting for judges is just as important as all other office, as you are sending someone to represent your best interests and those of the community at large, in this case to ensure fairness in the court system. Maybe you usually skip judges, or maybe you go fill out a ballot not knowing who any of them are. As I no longer live on Cook County, the biggest thing I and my family miss is our friends. This extends to not being able to vote for Rishi. Allow me to present a good friend and great individual that will make an even greater judge – Rishi Agrawal.

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This is from The Hot Iron, a journal on business and technology by Mike Maddaloni.

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