Judge Roti receives public service award

Cook County Judge Thomas D. Roti has received the Northwest Suburban Bar Association’s 2011 Public Service Award.

A judge since 2000, Roti presides over civil cases in Rolling Meadows’ Third Municipal District where he also supervises the mandatory arbitration program and serves as a mentoring judge.

Roti graduated from Loyola University and Loyola University School of Law and served in the U.S. Army Reserves for 15 years. Before his election to the bench, he worked for Dominick’s Finer Foods for 20 years, first as assistant general counsel and then as vice president-general counsel.

A longtime supporter of the bar association’s annual Mock Trial Invitational, Roti has been described as the event’s “go-to guy,” by association president Lee DeWald.

“We needed 14 courtrooms and Judge Roti got 13 of his contemporaries to don their robes and hear two cases on a Saturday,” DeWald said in a statement.

Accepting his award, Roti thanked his bosses and fellow bar members.

“I only hope to live up to the honor you have bestowed upon me,” he said.