Academy Member Inducted 2023
Hon. Dorothy French Mallen (Ret.)
Winfield, IL 60190
Website: www.webstereganmediations.com
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- Practice Commenced2020
- # of MEDS (as of 21/11/24)
- # of ARBS (as of 21/11/24)
Current Practice
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- CHICAGO
- PEORIA
- ROCKFORD-FREEPORT
Biographical
Circuit Judge Dorothy French Mallen presided over a civil Courtroom in DuPage County from 2001-2020 hearing a diverse civil calendar from filing to resolution invovling simple to complex matters. The cases sought money damages for personal injury, including medical, institutional, and dental professional negligence, property damage, eminent domain, contract and commercial disputes, partnership dissolution, Residential Real Estate Property Act, sex abuse, BIPA (Biometric Information Privacy Act), BIFDA (Beer Industry Fair Dealing Act), Consumer Fraud Act, fraud, estate disputes, product liability, infliction of emotional distress, defamation/slander, premises liability, construction contract disputes, breach of fiduciary duty, wrongful termination, Illinois Wage Payment Act, legal malpractice, architectural malpractice, declaratory judgment and many other tort, contract or statutory civil causes of action.
Prior to her appointment as an Associate Judge and later election as a Circuit Judge, French Mallen practiced for 22 years in Chicago and the outlying counties as a civil trial attorney mainly involving medical and institutional malpractice cases. Because of her trial background, she understands the cost and risk involved to take a case through either bench or jury trial. Judge French Mallen is a strong proponent of resolving disputes pre-litigation or early in the litigation process to eliminate the cost of discovery and experts and obtain a known result. Even a mediation at the courthouse steps eliminates the risk of trial and further litigation expenses. If at all possible, a case should be submitted to mediation so that the litigants maintain control of the outcome. Once a case is submitted to a judge or a jury, control passes to the decision-maker. Even if a case is not settled, at least the litigants know why it is necessary to incur the expense and risk of trying the case.
As a judge in Law Division, French Mallen has pre-tried and mediated thousands of cases from the simple two-party to the complex multi-party case. Since her retirement from the bench in 2020, she has continued to serve as a neutral, assisting litigants toward mutually agreeable resolutions of their disputes. In Judge French Mallen's opinion, helping people to resolve disputes and obtain closure was the best part of being a judge. She is glad she can continue to perform that service as a private Mediator.
Case Experience
- Automotive
- Commercial/Business
- Construction
- Consumer Fraud
- Contract Disputes
- Discrimination
- Eminent Domain
- Employment
- Health Care
- Insurance
- Landlord/Tenant
- Legal Malpractice
- Lemon Law
- Libel & Slander
- Medical Devices
- Medical Malpractice
- Nursing Homes
- Partnerships
- Personal Injury
- Premises Liability
- Product Liability
- Professional Liability
- Professional Malpractice
- Professional Negligence
- Property Damage
- Real Estate
- Sexual Harassment
- Torts
- Trusts / Estates
- Wrongful Death
Education
Education:
1978 Illinois Institute of Technology/Chicago-Kent College of Law (High Honors) 3rd in the graduating class, Juris Doctor 1978 Corpus Juris Secundum Award
1977 American Jurisprudence Award for Trusts 1972 Michigan State University, B.S., Zoology, (High Honors), Teaching certificate in Biology
Professional Experience:
2020-present Webster Egan Mallen Mediations- Senior Mediator/Arbitrator
2020 Retired as a Circuit Judge from the 18th Judicial Circuit, DuPage County, Illinois Presided over civil cases in the Law Division from filing, Pre-trials, Trials, to post-trial motions
2010 Elected Circuit Judge of the 18th Judicial Circuit.
2001-2010 Associate Judge of the 18th Judicial Circuit-Assignment-Law Division-Jury/Bench for cases over $50,000; February 2001-Appointed as Associate Judge of the 18th Judicial Circuit-Assignment -Traffic Court (February 2001-April 2001), Domestic Relations (April 2001-2003)
1996-2001-Partner in charge of the Lisle office of Hinshaw & Culbertson
1983-1996 Partner at French Kezelis & Kominiarek, P.C.
1990-1995 Chief Executive Officer of French Kezelis & Kominiarek, P.C. 1986-1990 Managing Partner of the Wheaton office of French Kezelis & Kominiarek, P.C.
1979-1983 Associate with French Kezelis & Kominiarek, P.C.
1978-1979 Judicial Law Clerk in the Illinois Appellate Court, First District, for Justice Sheldon Brown and Justice Mayer Goldberg
1976-1978 Law clerk for French & Rogers
Memberships & Affiliations
Honors:
- Upon retirement, the 18th Judicial Circuit honored Judge French Mallen with an award for judicial excellence.
- In 2017, the Jury Verdict Reporter recognized her career with the Lifetime
Achievement Award. - In 2013 she was honored by the DuPage Association of Women Lawyers
with the Inspirational Woman Award. - In 2009 the Illinois State Crime Commission honored Judge French Mallen with its award for Judicial Excellence
- In 2008, she received the Bishop Shield Award.
Professional Membersihips:
Illinois State Bar Association
DuPage County Bar Association (Editorial Board-1996-1999, Editor-1999-2000, Chair of the Continuing Legal Education Committee, 2004, Vice Chair 2007, Chair-2008)
Women's Bar Association
DuPage Association of Women Lawyers (Board of Directors (1996-1999)
Society of Trial Lawyers, elected in 1992, Honorary Judicial Member, 2001
American Board of Trial Advocates (previous member)
DuPage Chapter of Inns of Court (previous member)
Illinois Judges Association
Rates Information
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