Hon. Anne Burke

Throughout her long career in public service as a children’s advocate and legal professional, Justice Anne M. Burke of the Illinois Supreme Court’s First Judicial District has endeavored to provide a voice to society’s most fragile citizens. She was appointed to the Supreme Court on July 6, 2006 and was elected in 2008. Prior to joining the Supreme Court, Justice Burke was appointed to the Appellate Court in 1995 and was elected the following year to the Appellate bench where she served until July 5, 2006. Her judicial career began earlier, in 1987, with an appointment to the Illinois Court of Claims by Governor Jim Thompson. As the first woman to serve in that court, she was later reappointed by Illinois Governor Jim Edgar. Before her appointment to the judiciary, Justice Burke was a leading advocate on behalf of Chicago’s most vulnerable of young people. As a physical education teacher with the Chicago Park District, she worked with children with disabilities. Out of that experience, she went on to co-found the Chicago Special Olympics in 1968. She later served as a director of that organization as it grew to become the International Special Olympics represented in more than 170 countries. Justice Burke served on the Illinois Courts Commission, the Special Commission on the Administration of Justice, and the Board of Admissions to the Bar. She is also a frequent speaker and panelist before many civic and local Bar Associations. For more than two years, serving as Interim Chair, she directed the efforts of the National Review Board of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops investigating the causes and effects of the clerical sexual abuse scandal and helped to establish guidelines and policies for effectively responding to this scandal. She currently serves on the Executive Steering Committee of Kennedy Forum Illinois. She is a Dame of the Sovereign Order of Malta and a Dame Commander of the Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem. Issues and causes that have an impact on the civic, cultural and educational life of Chicago, the State of Illinois and our Nation, have been a priority for Justice Burke throughout her professional career as evidenced by her past service as Interim Chair of the National Review Board of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, a Trustee on the Board of Rush Medical Center, a member on the Board of Managers of the Chicago Bar Association, and Director of the Chicago Bar Foundation. She has also served as president of Special Children’s Charities and the Caritas Society, and was a member of many other boards and foundations including terms as trustee of DePaul University, Loyola University, St. Xavier University, Chicago Metro History Education Center, Catholic Theological Union, the Ruth Page Foundation, the Chicago Public Library Foundation, the Hundred Club of Cook County, the Persons with Disabilities Fund Board of Advisors of the Chicago Community Trust, River North Dance Company, the Lincoln Park Zoological Society, and the St. Rose School for the Mentally Disabled. Justice Burke has been honored with honorary degrees from the Catholic Theological Union, the College of the Holy Cross, DePaul University, St. Ambrose University, Aurora University, Lewis University, Loyola University Chicago School of Law, MacMurray College, Blackburn College, The John Marshall Law School, and Marquette University. Justice Burke is married to Chicago Alderman Edward M. Burke and they have five children, Edward Jr., Jennifer, the late Emmett, Sarah and Travis, and nine grandchildren.