Honorable Judge Clay-Clark EXPERIENCE

TRIAL JUDGE (7 Years)
ILLINOIS COURT OF CLAIMS, SPRINGFIELD, IL
Judge Clay-Clark sat as Trial Judge for the Illinois Court of Claims for seven years. A limited few attorneys across the entire State of Illinois are appointed to sit as Trial Judge. Judge LaGuina Clay-Clark was one of only two African Americans to hold this title during her tenure. The Illinois Court of Claims is the only court with exclusive jurisdiction to hear any and all lawsuits filed each year against the State of Illinois. There are in excess of 5000 lawsuits filed every year. As trial judge, she controlled hundreds of lawsuits and drafted orders to the Plaintiffs' attorneys' and to the Attorney General's Office, who defends the State. Judge Clay-Clark managed each case assigned to her from the moment it was filed until she advanced it to trial. She presided over numerous trials made rulings on all motions and evidentiary foundations. After the trial, she examined the evidence and transcripts and prepared written opinions for the Court. She was responsible for conducting all case law research before rendering her opinions. As Commissioner of the Illinois Court of Claims, she was able to serve both in a judiciary capacity, as well maintain her own law practice at the same time.

ATTORNEY AT LAW (15 Years)
SOLE PRACTITIONER
For 15 years Judge LaGuina Clay-Clark successfully operated her own legal practice with a concentration in personal injury, real estate and probate. The balance of her practice centered around a civil litigation with experience in wrongful death, personal injury, torts, election law, contracts, LLC's and estate planning. Judge Clay-Clark represented her clients with grace, skill and competence. Never, in her 15 years as a practicing attorney was there a single complaint filed against her.

ARBITRATOR (7 Years)
CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY
Judge Clay-Clark served as an Arbitrator for the Circuit Court of Cook County Mandatory Arbitration Program for seven years. She presided as one of three experienced Arbitrators over many cases dealing mainly with personal injury and property damage lawsuits. She examined the evidence and made determinations on damages and awards.

TEACHER (17 Years)
CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Judge LaGuina Clay-Clark taught and nurtured our children for 17 years as Chicago Public School teacher at Myra Bradwell Elementary School on the south side of Chicago. She was ranked "Superior," for every year that she taught which is the highest possible ranking for a school teacher. After teaching within the classroom for seven years, Ms. Clay-Clark was taken out of the classroom and made the Mathematics and Science Resource Teacher. In this position, she assisted teachers on how to teach math and science and brought innovative techniques to the school and its educators. She continued to directly touch the lives of our children by conducting the school's annual science fairs and mathematics competitions and tutored hundreds of students one-on-one. She designed, developed and implemented a hands-on Science program for over 300 third grade students in Bradwell's "School Within a School." She was also responsible for writing state and federal grants and proposals and managed a .8 million-dollar budget after procuring the grants. After 17 years, she resigned her position as a teacher to devote all of her time to her legal practice.