Cook County Public Defender Amy P. Campanelli Selected as one of 50 top women lawyers in chicago
The Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender is pleased to announce that Cook County Public Defender Amy P. Campanelli has been selected as an exceptional woman leader in the law by Chicago Lawyer and the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin as a member of the inaugural class of 50 honorees for the Salute! Women in Law award.
This inaugural class of 50 exceptional women lawyers were selected out of a pool of 500 total nominees who were considered for this honor. Each awardee underwent a rigorous selection process that included an initial screening by the Women’s Advisory Panel and selection by the Chicago Dailey Law Bulletin and Chicago Lawyer selection committees. The women in this class truly represent the best of the best among leading women lawyers in Chicago and include representatives from various sectors in the legal field, with Public Defender Campanelli being the only representative from a government office and criminal defense sector.
Since becoming the Public Defender in 2015, Amy Campanelli has implemented several new initiatives with the goal of providing holistic legal representation to her clients including launching a Police Station Representation Unit which is available to provide 24/7 legal representation to anyone held in police custody in Cook County, a new Mental Health Unit, staffed with an in-house psychologist and social workers and most recently, Public Defender Campanelli launched a new Immigration Unit to ensure clients are advised of the potential immigration consequences of their criminal case and ultimately, minimize or alleviate the likelihood of deportation.
Congratulations Public Defender Campanelli! Your steadfast leadership in providing client-centered, holistic legal representation for the indigent accused in Cook County has resulted in a more equitable and just legal system. Thank you for all you have done and continue to do on behalf of our clients – you deserve to be recognized with this honor and we could not be prouder of you!