Chief Judge Virginia M. Kendall was appointed to the Northern District of Illinois by President George W. Bush in 2006. She became Chief Judge in 2024.
Judge Kendall was born in Evanston, Illinois. Before joining the federal bench, she served over ten years as a federal prosecutor in Chicago, working in both the Public Corruption Unit and as the Child Exploitation Coordinator, where she tried dozens of jury trials. She is a noted expert on child exploitation and human trafficking. She is an adjunct professor at the University of Chicago Law School, Northwestern University School of Law, and Loyola University Chicago School of Law, teaching human trafficking, supply chain law, and public corruption.
Education
- Loyola University Chicago School of Law, J.D., 1992
- Northwestern University, M.A., 1987
- Northwestern University, B.A., 1984
Career
- Chief Judge, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois (2024–present)
- District Judge, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois (2006–present)
- Child Exploitation Coordinator and Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois (approximately 1995–2005)
- Adjunct Professor, University of Chicago Law School, Northwestern University School of Law, and Loyola University Chicago School of Law