Laura Liu

Laura Cha-Yu Liu (July 19, 1966 – April 15, 2016) was an American circuit court and state appellate court judge. She was the first Chinese American woman judge appointed to the Circuit Court of Cook County and the first Chinese American appointed to the Illinois Appellate Court.^[1][2]

Background

Born in Carbondale, Illinois, to a Vietnamese mother and a Chinese father, both of whom were exchange students, Liu grew up in Austintown, Mahoning County, Ohio. She began school speaking very little English and went on to become valedictorian of Fitch High School.^[3] In 1987, Liu received her bachelor's degree from Youngstown State University and her law degree from University of Cincinnati College of Law in 1991.^[1][2]

Law career

From 1991 to 2010, Liu practiced law in Chicago, Illinois. In 2010, Liu was appointed Illinois Circuit Court judge for Cook County, Illinois. Then, in 2014, Liu was appointed to the Illinois Appellate Court.^[1]

In 2012, Liu co-chaired the Illinois Supreme Court's Access to Justice Commission, which bridged language barriers for non-English-speaking litigants.^[4] She helped create rules requiring courts to provide qualified interpreters for parties and witnesses and to install signage in different languages outside courthouses.^[2]

Personal life

Liu married Michael J. Kasper in 2006, and they had a daughter in 2009. In 2011, Liu was diagnosed with breast cancer; however, she continued her work as judge, even working from her Chicago home. Liu died in 2016. She was 49.^[1][2]

References

External links

• Liu's 2012 campaign website