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Patricia O'Brien Sheahan

Circuit Court Judge, Cook County

AI wrote this from the sources listed below. A second AI checked each sentence against its source, and software checked the links and dates. A person didn’t review it, so every sentence links to its source for you to check. Updated Wednesday, October 7, 2026.

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Overview

Judge Patricia O’Brien Sheahan was elected to the circuit court in 2014 and retained in 2020.1 She presides in the Law Division’s Trial Section.1 Before her election, she worked at Baker McKenzie and was associate general counsel at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.2 She serves on the board of the Illinois Judges Association.2 Illinois ABOTA named her 2025 Judge of the Year.3

Campaign money

No committee of their own. Judges up for retention campaign together through the Committee for Retention of Judges in Cook County.

Endorsements and bar evaluations

  • Chicago Federation of Labor4Union

Yes means the group recommends keeping the judge in office.

  • Chicago Bar Association: “Qualified”5
  • Chicago Council of Lawyers: “Qualified”6
  • Illinois State Bar Association: “Yes”1
  • Alliance of Bar Associations for Judicial Screening: All 10 other member groups that rated this judge said “Yes”.7 1 other member group published no rating. Each group’s rating (PDF)

Sources

  1. Cook County Judicial Evaluations - Illinois State Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association. Viewed Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
  2. Patricia Sheahan - Illinois Judges Association, Illinois Judges Association. Viewed Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
  3. 2025 Judge of the Year - ABOTA Illinois, ABOTA Illinois. Viewed Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
  4. NOVEMBER 3, 2026 GENERAL ELECTION ENDORSED CANDIDATES, Chicago Federation of Labor. Viewed Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
  5. Vote Smart: CBA Judicial Voter's Guide, General Election, November 3, 2026, Chicago Bar Association. Viewed Tuesday, October 6, 2026.
  6. Evaluation Report: Judges on the Ballot in the November 3, 2026 General Election, Chicago Council of Lawyers. Viewed Tuesday, October 6, 2026.
  7. Alliance of Bar Associations for Judicial Screening, 2026 General Election ratings, Alliance of Bar Associations for Judicial Screening. Viewed Tuesday, October 6, 2026.