BIO

John A. Fairman is an Associate Judge at the Fifth District Municipal Courthouse in Cook County, Illinois. Judge Fairman is assigned to the expungement-sealing courtroom and handles emergency mental health examinations and detention hearings. Additionally, he hears various civil, criminal, and traffic matters, rotating with the other municipal department judges in the Bridgeview courthouse.

Judge Fairman has spent years in public service with the state and federal government in Chicago, Illinois, and Washington, D.C.. As an attorney in private practice with a small and mid-sized firm, he handled civil and criminal cases and built a reputation for always seeking Fairness and Justice in the courtroom. As a former Cook County Assistant State's Attorney, Judge Fairman served in multiple divisions, including Child Support Enforcement, the First & Fifth Municipal Divisions, Community Prosecution, Felony Review, and as a Recruiter. During his tenure on Capitol Hill, he worked with the Judiciary Committee. He was the lead congressional staff member for the Enron Debacle of 2002 for the 18th Congressional District of Texas, where he helped write legislation to change the United States accounting laws.

Active in several legal and community organizations, Judge Fairman has served on the Hearing Board, Oversight Committee, Review Board for the Illinois Supreme Court, the board for South Suburban Council Treatment and Addiction Center, chair of the board for the Village of Justice Police & Fire Department, Trustee in the Village of Justice, National Treasure for the National Black Prosecutors Association, President of the National Black Prosecutors Association-Chicago Chapter, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, and a general board member for the Illinois Judicial Council, the Southwest Bar Association Phi Alpha-Theta Mu Lambda Chapter, and his Church.

On July 29, 2023, Judge Fairman received the League of Legends Champion Award in the "Improving the Judiciary category" from the Link & Option Center, Inc. As the youngest President in the history of the 100+ years of the Cook County Bar Association (CCBA), Judge Fairman has received numerous service and presidential awards from the CCBA. During his presidency, he introduced a Meet Greet Program between judges and attorneys, worked on statewide drug policy changes, and was the creative thought behind the Combined Minority Bar CLE Conference co-created with the Asian American Bar Association and the Hispanic Lawyers Association, now in its 15th + year.

Associations

Cook County Bar Association (Past President)

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Autism Awareness -South Suburban Annual Event Chair

National Bar Association

National Black Prosecutors Association-Chicago Chapter (Past President)

South Suburban Council Treatment & Addiction Center (Former Chair of the Board)

Southwest Bar Association (Former Board Member)

Illinois State Bar Association

Illinois Judicial Council (Former Board Member)

Police & Fire Commission (Chair of the Board, Village of Justice)

Village of Justice, Illinois (Former Trustee)