Judge Kerrie Maloney Laytin is currently sitting by appointment as Associate Judge for the Circuit Court of Cook County, a position she earned after being elected by fellow judges.  She first took the bench in January 2019 when she was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court as Circuit Judge for the Circuit Court of Cook County.  She is assigned to the First Municipal District in the Richard J. Daley Center, hearing landlord-tenant, contract, and tort disputes, among others.  She has presided over hundreds of bench trials, motions, and hearings since first taking the bench.  Judge Maloney Laytin has been found qualified or recommended by ALL bar associations that have evaluated her.

In addition to 3 years of judicial service, Judge Maloney Laytin has over 22 years of experience as a lawyer, serving the public in government and public interest positions throughout her career, such as Chief Administrative Law Judge for the Illinois Human Rights Commission and Staff Attorney at the Legal Assistance Foundation (now Legal Aid Chicago) representing people living in poverty.  As a result, Judge Maloney Laytin is an expert in numerous legal areas — including anti-discrimination law; constitutional law; torts and employment law; administrative review; subsidized housing and evictions; domestic violence; and municipal law, among others.  She also is an experienced appellate advocate, presenting over 40 oral arguments in state and federal appellate courts, including five arguments in the Illinois Supreme Court.

Judge Maloney Laytin earned her law degree at Columbia University School of Law, in New York, in May 1997. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from New York University, in May 1993.  She grew up in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, where she attended Urbana High School. 

Judge Maloney Laytin is very active in the community, in particular for youth and education causes. She is in her second three-year term as a member of the Board of Directors for High Jump, an organization providing intensive academic enrichment and support to low-income middle school students, primarily of color. She also has volunteered regularly for other community organizations such as the Ark Food Pantry and Stand Up For Kids Chicago, an organization combatting youth homelessness primarily impacting LGBTQ+ youth.  She has worked with the Interrupters, an anti-violence organization, and is a supporter of the Jason Foundation, a nationwide not-for-profit dedicated to youth suicide awareness, education, and prevention.  She is raising her two children in the 6th Subcircuit and is actively involved in her children’s schools.