NIU Law will host its 29th Annual Francis X. Riley Lecture on Professionalism which will be given on Friday, March 31 from 5-6 pm at the NIU College of Law. Our featured speaker will be The Honorable James E. Snyder, Ret. (’88) who will present, “Inclusion, Preservation and Curiosity.” The lecture will be held in person at the law school in the Riley Courtroom (170) in Swen Parson Hall. 1-hour PMCLE credit for Illinois attorneys (pending approval). RSVP to lawevents@niu.edu to attend in person or register via Zoom.
Following the lecture, the College of Law will host a special ceremony honoring its Alumni in the Judiciary with the unveiling of a new Judges’ Wall. The ceremony will then be followed by the Public Interest Law Society (PILS) auction, an annual student-run event that raises money for outreach assistantships awarded to innovative, enthusiastic and dedicated students at NIU College of Law who work in unpaid public interest legal positions. Food and drinks will be provided. If you are unable to attend in person, please donate or bid on items in our online auction (link to be provided soon).
The Francis X. Riley Lecture Series was established in 1994 to honor the late Professor Emeritus Riley, who devoted his life to the law and legal education. It brings distinguished speakers to the NIU College of Law to discuss current issues relating to the legal profession.
Judge James E. Snyder Bio
The Honorable James E. Snyder (Ret.) served for 16 years as an Associate Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. He was appointed to the bench in 2007 by the Illinois Supreme Court. Prior to his appointment to the bench he served as the General Counsel of the Illinois Human Rights Commission.
Judge Snyder is a former president of the Illinois Judges Association of the Alliance of LGBTQ Judges. He has been awarded the Illinois Judges Association Lifetime Achievement Award and has been awarded the Chicago Bar Association John Paul Stevens Award for public service. In addition, he received the NIU College of Law Distinguished Service Award in 2000 and 2021.
He served as a founding member and General Counsel of the Chicago Area Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and the AIDS Care housing initiative. He was member of the Illinois Federation for Human Rights – Equality Illinois and chairperson of the Fair Illinois ballot initiative defensive. Judge Snyder served as the Chairperson of New Judge Orientation programs for the Illinois Supreme Court and as a member of the Illinois Supreme Court Committee on Judicial Education.
He has been a frequent peer educator and lecturer on subjects including Access to Justice, Service to Self-Represented Litigants, Combating Implicit and Systemic Bias in Judicial Decision Making, Civil Procedure, Electronically Stored Information in Litigation, Alternative Dispute Resolution and State Court Complex Commercial Litigation.
He has served as a member of the Illinois Supreme Court’s Committee on Judicial Education, Committee on Judicial Performance Evaluation, Committee on Judicial Mentoring Program and as Chair of the Illinois Supreme Court Advanced Judicial Academy. Judge Snyder has written and lectured on fair employment and fair housing law and policy at law schools include the John Marshall Law School, Kent College of Law, Northern Illinois University, the Chicago Bar Association, and the Illinois State Bar Association. He serves on the faculty of the National Judicial College.
Judge Snyder is a 1988 graduate of the Northern Illinois College of Law, and he received his Bachelor of Arts in History from Northern Illinois University.
