Pamela E. Loza
Richard J. Daley Center - 50 W. Washington Street, Chicago, Illinois 60602
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
JUDGE, CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY
December 2008 - Present
December 2008 - Assigned to Traffic Division hearing minor traffic, DUI’s and other
misdemeanors and the First Municipal Department hearing Brach Court misdemeanors
and ordinance violations.
March 2009 - Assigned to the Domestic Relations Division as a trial judge.
December 2010 - Appointed Supervisor of the Parentage/ Child Support Enforcement
Department of the Domestic Relations Division, the largest such department in the
nation.
February 2014 - Through the efforts of Judge Loza and Judge Dickler the
Parentage/Child Support Department was disbanded and integrated into the Domestic
Relations Division insuring that non-married parents were treated equally as married
couples. Judge Loza was assigned a Calendar call, hearing all cases from their
commencement to their termination. She presides over dissolution of marriage/civil
union, pre and post judgment matters, contested trials, parentage, child support,
maintenance, emergency and plenary orders of protection, custody and parenting time
and responsibility issues (now known as allocation of parental responsibility).
PRIVATE PRACTICE - Concentrated in Criminal Defense and Domestic
Relations.
LOZA & ASSOCIATES.
CAMERON, LOZA & ASSOCIATES, LTD.
CAMERON, LOZA & WALSH, P.C.
MARDER & SEIDLER, LTD. (Associate).
Criminal Defense - In State and Federal Court- represented defendants in traffic
matters, DUI’s, Suspended and Revoked Licenses, Secretary of State Revocation
Reinstatement Hearings, Felonies, Arraignments, Preliminary Hearings, Trials, Orders of
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Protection, Department of Children and Family Services Hearings and Appeals,
Forfeiture Actions, Probation Violations, Sentencing Hearings and Expungements.
Domestic Relations - Practiced principally in Cook County, Lake County,
McHenry County, Will County, Kane County and DuPage County. Handled cases of
dissolution of marriage, parentage, pre and post judgment cases, child support,
maintenance, Emergency and Plenary Orders of Protection, custody and visitation (now
allocation of parental time and responsibility).
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prepared all pleadings including petitions, motions, Marital Settlement
Agreements, Parenting Agreements and Judgments, Judgments for
Dissolution of Marriage, Interrogatories and Notices to Produce, Subpoena
of Documents, preparation of Requests to Admit, Orders of Support, Pre-
Trial Memorandums, Motions in Limine, Briefs in Support of Position,
Petitions for Indirect Civil Contempt, Bill of Particulars, and Motions to
Dismiss under 2-615 and 2-619.
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extensively involved in strategies, discovery, expert and otherwise.
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participated in pretrial and settlement negotiations.
1997-2008 - Court appointed Child Representative/ Guardian Ad Litem-
Appointed by the Court to represent children in matters of custody and visitation in
pending Domestic Relations matters.
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Interviewed all children, parents, teachers and significant others.
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Spoke to all pertinent physicians and other health care providers.
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Spoke to all therapists and mental health professionals.
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Spoke to all police and officials at the Children’s Advocacy Center when
necessary.
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Filed all pleadings when necessary.
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Provided the court with written and/or oral reports and testified as
required.
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Visited the children’s homes in all cases (sometimes out of state).
WORK EXPERIENCE PRIOR TO BAR ADMISSION
1976-1978
CHICAGO VOLUNTEER LEGAL SERVICES
Position - Law Clerk/Paralegal.
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Interviewed clients.
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Drafted pleadings.
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Filed all pleadings for attorneys.
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Answered discovery.
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Did prove-ups.
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Argued contested motions and hearings.
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As a 711 represented clients in custody trials.
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Wrote a “How to.” pamphlet for CVLS Volunteers.
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Interviewed litigants at 26th and California as part of the Jail Project.
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Visited litigants at Joliet.
1973-1976
CASA CENTRAL - Assistant Director
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Director of the weekly Legal Aid Clinic run in cooperation with CVLS.
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Prepared federal grants.
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Ordered all food and supplies for the Senior Citizen Center.
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Ordered all supplies for the entire organization.
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Organized and ran the CHILDREN’S BENEFIT LEAGUE TAG DAY.
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Spoke to various businesses regarding their donations to the CRUSADE
OF MERCY FOUNDATION.
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Worked the front desk (when needed).
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Visited various other social service agencies.
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Communicated with community leaders on a regular basis.
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Prepared paperwork and attended Board of Directors Meetings.
CONTINUAL LEGAL EDUCATION TEACHING
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2015 - West Suburban Bar Association - New Approach to Child
Support.
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February 2015 - IIT/Chicago Kent College of Law - Never Married
Parents and Concerns when the relationship ends.
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March 2015 - Life Span/DLA Piper- Custody Evaluation & Domestic
Violence.
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March 2015 - ISBA - New Orleans - Family Law Update.
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May 2015 - UIC John Marshall Law School - simulated hearing.
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May 2015 - Women’s Bar Association - Advanced Domestic Relations
Issues.
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May 2015 - UIC John Marshall - Family Law & Domestic Violence
Survivors.
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November 2015 - Forensic Forum - Child Support/Parentage.
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December 2015 - ISBA - Child Support Related Issues/Relocation.
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February 2016 - Judicial Education Conference - Child Support Case
Law Update.
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April 2016 - Judicial Education Conference - Child Support Case Law
Update.
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April 2016 - ICLE Family Law Institute/Overview of New Parentage Act
and the Problem of Disconnected Parenting.
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May 2016 National Business Institute - As Judges See It.
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October 2016 - DePaul College of Law - Child Support
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January 2017 - American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and ICLE -
Income Shares.
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February 2017 - NWSBA - Income Shares.
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February 2017 - Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice/Latham & Watkins-
The Administrative Process for Child Support Enforcement.
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March 2017 - ISBA - New Orleans - Family Law Update & Parentage &
Child Support/Iincome Shares.
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April 2017 - ICLE - Divorce Boot Camp.
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May 2017 - ISBA - Incomes Shares.
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May 2017 - American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers “What’s on the
Horizon.”
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November 2017 - AFCC - Effect of Co-Parenting Relationship.
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November 2017 - Chicago Bar Association - Income Shares vs Guideline
Support.
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January 2018 - ICLE - Income Shares.
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May 2018 - Cook County Bar Association, Black Women’s Bar
Association & ISBA - GAL/Child Representative and Diversity.
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June 2018 - ISBA - What comes next? Emerging Issues for the LGBTQ
community.
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April 2019 - Illinois Judicial Education - Best Learning Practices.
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April 2019 - ISBA New Orleans - Evidence and Social Media.
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April 2019 - ICLE - Deviation from guidelines.
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May 2019 - Women’s Bar Association - Advanced Divorce Roundtable.
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May 2019 - National Business Institute - Psychological Evaluations, legal
& ethical mistakes, etc.
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June 2019 - ISBA - Domestic Relations Practice Essentials.
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September 2019 - ICLE - Setting the Table for your Temporary Child
Support and Maintenance hearing, Including tips from the bench.
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Illinois Judicial Conference - Advanced Course in Evidence and Social
Media.
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November 2019 - DePaul College of Law - Family Law Symposium.
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November 2019 - Power point on evidence and social media to a group of
young female divorce practitioners.
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December 2019 - University of Chicago School of Law - Maintenance
and Child Support.
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January 2020 - ISBA - Practice Makes Perfect - Family Law Back to the
Basics ( Case Management Conferences and Pretrial Conferences).
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February 2020 - Illinois Judicial College - Evidence and Social Media.
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March 2020 - AFCC - How to do In Camera Interviews with Children.
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May 2020 - National Business Institute - As Judges See It: Top Mistake
Attorneys Make in Family Court.
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LEGAL PUBLICATIONS
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December 2014 - The Legal and Ethical Conundrum of Child Support
in Multi-partnered Families (ISBA December 2014) co-authored with
Margaret Bennett.
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December 2016 - Income Shares and Guidelines - ISBA Journaland
then given to West aw for National Publication. Co-authored with Margaret
Bennett and Nancy Chausow Shafer (December 2016 Vol. 104 No.12)
NON-LEGAL PRESENTATIONS
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2015 - St. Emily’s Grammar School - The Role of the Judiciary in our
Society (7th grade).
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February 2017 - Prepared presentation and testified before the House
Judiciary Committee in Springfield, Illinois, on the new Income Shares
Legislation.
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May 2019 - Presented for the Illinois Judges Association at Niles North
High School “ Your Future Your Choice.”
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July 2019 - Presented for the Illinois Judges Association at New Trier
High School “Your Future Your Choice.”
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2019 - Swore in Miriam Cooper as President of the NWSBA.
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Performed various marriages in Cook and Du Page County.
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CPR Education Program for Judges with Certified CPR Instructor and
Army Medic.
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Teach Yoga to family and friends.
BAR ASSOCIATIONS AND OTHER AFFILIATIONS
Currently -
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Northwest Suburban Bar Association.
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Illinois State Bar Association.
June 2010 - June 2020 - Family Law Section Council.
June 2017-present - Women and the Law Committee.
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Jewish Judges Association.
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Illinois Judicial Association (Wellness Committee).
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2011-present - Illinois Department of Health and Family Services
Statewide Advisory Council.
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2018-present - Member Supreme Court Domestic Relations Forms
Committee.
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Alliance of Illinois Judges
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AWARDS
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April 2016 - Chicago Volunteer Legal Services - Court of Honor
Award- for work ensuring that each child has an attorney and a voice
in court. For sensitivity to the needs of low income clients and for
treating pro bono attorneys with courtesy and respect.
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June 2016 - Northwest Suburban Bar Association President’s Award
for Distinguished Public Service.
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January 2017 - ICLE - Faculty Award - Business Valuation/Financial
& Tax Issues in Divorce.
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ISBA Certificate of Appreciation for being an Outstanding Legal
Content Volunteer
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April 26, 2018 - American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers -
Samuel S. Berger Award - Given to the person who exemplifies
Judge’s Berger’s “standards of integrity, courtesy and knowledge of
family law and who also possesses his extraordinary ability to solve
human problems.”
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2018 - Raising Hope to a Higher Ground - The Tiara Parks Uplift
Foundation.
EDUCATION
J.D. IIT/Chicago-Kent College of Law, Chicago, Illinois
Admitted to practice in Illinois and the Federal Trial Bar.
Admitted to practice in the United States Supreme Court.
MA. Middlebury College ( in Vermont and Madrid, Spain). Ibero-American Studies.
BA. Spanish and Latin American Studies
COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES
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Participated in the Second Annual Special Olympics.
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Chairman - District 214 Center for Women - ( a program designed to give
immigrant women vocational training and English as a second language
and at the same time provide day care facilities to enable women to attend
classes). As it is funded by tax dollars I had to resign when I was elected
to the bench.
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Past President and Member of the Arlington Heights Sunrise Rotary Club.
The Rotary’s motto is service above self. Our 4 way test is: 1. Is it the
truth; 2. Is it fair to all concerned; 3. Will it build goodwill and better
friendships; 4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned.
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2013 - Yoga Certified Instructor in the Himalayan Tradition.
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LANGUAGE SKILLS
Bilingual English and Spanish. Working knowledge of speaking and reading French,
Portuguese and some Italian.
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