Biography Support and Volunteers Insight to Catherine Home

On Catherine Barbercheck It was my eighth grade teacher at Holy Cross School in Champaign who first suggested that I Consider becoming a lawyer. I was raised here in Champaign County, the oldest child and only girl in a working class family of seven children, where independence and hard work were expected. Financially, I was on my own at 18 and responsible for obtaining the money necessary to pay for my schooling. During the four years of college and three years of law school I worked at many jobs: nights at a student newspaper, cleaning houses, as a clerk in a men's clothing store, as a secretary/receptionist, research assistant, and a law clerk. My background and experiences have given me a better understanding of the variety of problems that the average person faces, and a real empathy with their circumstances. Over the years I have come to realize that the law is a very crude tool for resolving delicate human difficulties. In fashioning a code to cover resolution of a variety of wrongs, the subtleties of real justice are often lost. I fully believe in our system of laws, and that it is the best foundation from which to attempt to establish a fair society for everyone. However, it is an imperfect and evolving process which requires a commitment from everyone to make it as effective as possible. Coming to the law to obtain resolution of human issues is often seen as a somewhat elitist undertaking. It is intimidating and even threatening to the average person who has no belief that he or she won't be crushed under the weight of a system they don't truly understand. I feel it is very important for lawyers, judges, and other professionals associated with the judicial system to make the experience of individual citizens in their contacts with the law as comfortable, respectful, and understandable as possible. In my 21 years of practice, I have attempted to engage in a partnership with my clients. My philosophy is that we work together to determine the best way to resolve their difficulties. It is also important for the court, even in its need for impartiality, to work in this partnership by providing a source of resolution rather that frustration for those who need its assistance. These positions have inspired me to consider the next step in my legal career--running for election to the position of Circuit Judge for Champaign County. I am very pleased that Larry Johnson has agreed to chair my campaign and we are in the process of setting up an organization of county-wide volunteers.