Prior to winning election to the Illinois General Assembly, Senator Madigan worked as a teacher and the Assistant Dean for Adult /Continuing Education at Wilbur Wright College. She served as President of the Board of the Inspiration Café, a supportive restaurant designed to enable homeless people to become self-sufficient, and is a member of the Steering Committee of Women’s Voices, Women’s Votes. Since 1994, Senator Madigan has been an attorney for the law firm of Sachnoff & Weaver, Ltd.

During her first term as State Senator, Madigan worked to address a serious problem in her district by securing $1 million to pay for the costs of identifying trees infested by the Asian Longhorned Beetle and for the purchase and maintenance of new trees. She successfully sponsored and passed legislation which would allow high school students to serve as election judges. Governor Ryan also signed Madigan sponsored legislation allowing police to seize a vehicle if it contains a secret compartment that can be used to transport guns or drugs. Governor Ryan signed another Madigan sponsored bill which provides housing redevelopment grants.

In addition, Madigan co-sponsored legislation to create the Family Loan program, which would provide small, no-interest loans to low income families. She also co-sponsored the Children’s Product Safety Act, prohibiting the sale of unsafe toys and products in Illinois. Additionally, she is the co-sponsor of legislation to help survivors of domestic violence maintain their privacy and safety.

Senator Madigan resides in the Lakeview neighborhood and remains active in a variety of community organizations and civic affairs. In particular, she currently serves on the Board of Advisors of the AIDS Living Remembrance Committee and is Co-chair of the Ravenswood Beautification Committee, a group dedicated to replacing trees lost to the Asian Long-horned Beetle infestation in Chicago’s Ravenswood neighborhood. Senator Madigan is a member of the Executive Committee of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations and is a member of the Loyola School of Law Alumnae Project Steering Committee.

Senator Madigan was recently awarded a fellowship with the Bowie Institute for Legislative Leadership Development in Madison, Wisconsin and the Program for Emerging Political Leaders at the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration, University of Virginia. In November 1998, Senator Madigan was named as one of the “Top 40 Under 40” by Crain’s Chicago Business.