MEDIATION & ARBITRATION

 

I believe I possess considerable communication skills, and I have a solid background in analytical decision making and management. During my judicial tenure, I made some type of decision in well over 150,000 cases. During those years, I systematized court logistics and procedures. My writing ability has been recognized as outstanding. I am also a team leader as evidenced by my election to the office of President of the Illinois Judges' Association for the entire Illinois judiciary.

 

As part of my courtroom management, I often engaged in de facto mediation in appropriate cases that were set for trial.

 

My CV:

CAREER HISTORY

Timothy J. Slavin ADR Services, Morrison, IL

Jan. 2007-present

 

Since retiring from the bench and opening my private alternative dispute resolution practice 12 years ago, I have conducted nearly 900 mediation or arbitration sessions. My “resolution rate” for mediations continues to hover in the 92% range.

 

Circuit Court Judge, Morrison, IL

Whiteside County Presiding Judge

Dec. 1998-Nov. 2006

• Retained by a four-county wide electorate in 1998 and 2004

•  Constitutional judicial officer assigned to all types of trial court litigation, but primarily felony, family and major civil matters

•  Additionally, I was the Presiding Judge, a position that carries with it the responsibilities of budgeting, case flow management, and personnel matters. During this time, I also developed a scheduling system adapting commercial software for internal and external use.

Resident Circuit Judge, Morrison, IL

Dec. 1992-Dec. 1998

• Elected by the voters of Whiteside County in 1992

• Constitutional judicial officer with the same courtroom duties as Circuit Judge above. During this time, I created the county judiciary’s first budget funded by the County Board and the financial procedures implementing the same.

 

Associate Circuit Judge, Rock Island, IL

Apr. 1981-Dec. 1992

• Appointed by the sitting circuit judges in 1981

• Constitutional judicial officer assigned to all types of trial court litigation, but primarily traffic, misdemeanor, small claim and probate matters.

 

Whiteside County State’s Attorney, Morrison, IL

Jul. 1979-Apr. 1981

• Appointed by the County Board in 1979 and elected by the voters in 1980

• Oversight of the prosecution of all criminal cases occurring within the county and civil representation of the county government and its officials. Management of a professional office consisting of four attorneys and a supporting staff.

 

Timothy J. Slavin, Attorney-at-Law

• During my tenure as an Assistant State’s Attorney, I devoted approximately 20 hours per week to my private practice of law representing clients in dissolution actions, bankruptcies, probate matters and commercial real estate transactions.

 

Assistant State’s Attorney, Morrison, IL

Jun. 1976- Jul. 1979

• Prosecution of criminal cases and civil advice to county government and its officials

 

ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

 

Illinois Judges’ Association (IJA), Chicago, IL

1988-current

• Elected president of the statewide fraternal organization of the entire Illinois judiciary in 1998. During my tenure, I shepherded favorable pension legislation through the state legislature and reorganized the policies and procedures of the organization.

• In December, 2005, I received the IJA’s President’s Lifetime Service Award

• Served in all of the leadership chairs from Treasurer to First Vice-President and have served on the Board of Directors since 1992.

• I served many years as the Co-Chair of the Criticism Response Team and the Budget Coordinator.

• From 1988 to 1992, I was the Co-Chair of the Illinois Judges’ Association’s Judicial Discipline Committee. I established a rapport with the Illinois Judicial Inquiry Board and created an informal routing for advisory opinions on ethical questions. This procedure eventually blossomed into the implementation of the formal process now known as the Illinois Judicial Ethics Committee on Advisory Opinions.

 

Commission on the Circuit Clerks, Springfield, IL

1988

• Appointed by the state legislature to serve on a commission to investigate and report on the issue of appointing rather than electing circuit clerks in Illinois

 

Committee on Medical Malpractice Reform

1975

• While in law school, I served as a student representative on a Boston University Committee to reform medical malpractice litigation.

 

EDUCATION

• B.A., cum laude, The University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 1973

• J.D., Boston College School of Law, Boston, MA 1976

• 2006, DePaul University, 40 hour mediation training course

• 2007, Gray & Reitman: Mediation Skills- Advanced Strategies

 

CERTIFICATIONS

• Mediator and arbitrator, ADR Systems, Inc., Chicago, IL

• Mediator and arbitrator, American Arbitration Association

• Mediator and arbitrator, National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals

• Certified arbitrator, 14th Judicial Circuit, IL

• Certified family and “child custody” mediator in various circuit courts

• Certified civil case mediator in various circuit courts

 

TEACHING

 

National Business Institute

• Taught certified MCLE, 2013

Northwest Suburban Bar

•  Taught certified MCLE, 2012

Illinois Judicial Conference, Chicago, IL

1986-2002

• I have served the Supreme Court of Illinois and its Judicial Conference as a member of five committees to present educational sessions on various judicial topics from ethics to jury management.

 

Blackhawk Community College, Moline, IL

1995-1999

• During four semesters, I taught Family Law to aspiring paralegals.

 

INTERNSHIPS

 

Whiteside County State’s Attorney’s Office, Morrison, IL

1975- 1976

• During the summer and many holiday breaks of my second and third years in law school, I was an intern in the local prosecutor’s office. While I was not yet licensed to practice law, a court rule allowed me to effectively do so if was under the supervision of an attorney. In this capacity I reviewed, filed and tried cases.

 

Boston Legal Defense Fund

1975-1976

• During my last year of law school, I volunteered as a supervised criminal defense counsel for the indigent where I prepared and tried cases at the trial level.

 

PUBLICATIONS

 

Legal Treatises

• Outside Influences Affecting Jury Verdicts

1999

• A Guide to Mandatory Fines, Fees and Costs in Illinois

1984

 

Literary

• untitled poem, Juggler magazine, 1971

 

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

 

Legal Organizations

• Illinois Judges’ Association

• Illinois State Bar Association

• Whiteside County Bar Association

 

COMMUNITY ACTIVITES

 

Charity Funds

• I served as Chairman of the City of Morrison’s United Way Fund Drive. Following that, I became a judge and was prohibited by the Illinois Supreme Court’s Canons of Ethics from participating in fund raising activities, 1980

 

Volunteer

• Upon retirement I was appointed to the Morrison Historic Preservation Commission, a part of our local municipal government and, upon assuming my seat, was elected Chair by my fellow members, 2007-2021

• For over twenty years I was the chief judge of the Whiteside County Spelling Bee, the area wide competition that places the winning contestant in the National Spelling Bee Finals in Washington, D.C., 1985-2006

• I began as an USA Swimming stroke and turn official and worked my way through the ranks to become a nationally certified starter and finally a championship meet referee, 1997-2005

• I served on the Board of Directors of the Morrison Seahorse Swim Club, an USA Swimming organization including four years as its president, 1997-2001.

• In the years 1992 through 2000, I was elected to the Board of Directors of the area’s sheltered workshop for the disabled, Self-Help Enterprises, and was honored to serve as its President for three one-year terms, 1992-2000

• In 1997, on behalf of the Morrison Historical Society, I researched, wrote and presented a successful application to place the former Morison Odell Library building on the National Register of Historic Places.

• While in college, I served two years as a Big Brother to a disadvantaged youth and all four years in a facility for the mentally handicapped, 1970-1973

 

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

• I play golf. As of this writing, my USGA Handicap Index “5.6.”

• I served three separate terms as President of the Morrison Country Club.

 

CITIZENSHIP

 

• I was born in the United States to citizens of the United States. Accordingly, I am a United States citizen. However, I am also a naturalized citizen of the Republic of Ireland granted me by virtue of my paternal lineage. This dual citizenship is approved by the United States Department of State. As a citizen of a sovereign member of the European Union, I am free to reside and work throughout all European Union countries without need of visa or work permit.

 

FAMILY

• I have been married for 38 years to my bride, Ann B. Slavin. She is an interior designer and an extremely active community volunteer.

• We have two daughters, Molly Marie Slavin and Margaret Ann Slavin. Molly was graduated with honors from the University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, spent a year of service work with The Urban Justice Center in New York City, earned her Master’s degree at the University of Ireland, Galway City, Ireland, was then subsequently awarded a PhD in English and Irish Literature from Emory University, Atlanta, GA and is now a Professor of English Literature at Clark University in Atlanta. Maggie was graduated from Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN. After returning from a summer in Istanbul, Turkey, she spent 2012-2013 in Salinas, CA with AmeriCorps teaching English as a second language to immigrant children. She was then honored to be chosen as a Teaching Fellow in New York City and earned her Master’s Degree in Education at Hunter College. She was then named a Fulbright Scholar in 2016 and was assigned to Amman, Jordan for a year of teaching and volunteerism. Following her Fulbright year in the Middle East, Maggie studied at the University College London and received her second Master's degree in International Education Development. She is now teaching special education in Chicago.

 

REFERENCES

• References furnished upon request