Lake County lawyer receives Liberty Bell Award posthumously

The Liberty Bell Award for 2016 will be presented posthumously to Lorinne "Lori" J. Cunningham during a ceremony April 20 at the Lake County Bar Association luncheon in North Chicago.

Cunningham, 56, who died in January, was a lead litigator for Newland & Newland LLP in Libertyville. A Third Lake resident, Cunningham litigated more foreclosure defense cases in Lake County than any other lawyer.

She also did extensive work representing consumers in mortgage foreclosure and bankruptcy matters, and volunteered countless hours as a member of the Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Working Group, helping clients who could not afford to pay for her help or services.

"Lori was one of the most talented defense attorneys in the mortgage foreclosure area, always on top of the law and always well prepared, despite handling a huge volume of cases," said Chancery Judge Mitchell Hoffman.

"Frankly, she was the heart and soul of the mortgage foreclosure bar, endearing herself to defense and plaintiff's attorneys alike, through her true sense of collegiality and cooperation and her sharp and fun-loving wit."

The award will be presented by Chief Judge Jorge Ortiz to Cunningham's two daughters, Lynn and Jamie Hajek.

The Liberty Bell Award for an organization will be presented to The Illinois JusticeCorps program at the 19th Judicial Circuit Court in Waukegan. The program assists people who have questions about court-related matters or who may be visiting the courthouse for the first time and just need someone to direct them where to go.