Court-Annexed Mandatory Arbitration Annual Report
Fiscal Year 2004

Circuit Court of Cook County

As a general jurisdiction trial court, the Circuit Court of Cook County is the largest unified court in the nation. Serving a population of more than 5.3 million people, this court operates through a complex system of administratively created divisions and geographical departments.

The Supreme Court granted approval to implement an arbitration program in Cook County in January 1990, after the Illinois General Assembly and the Governor authorized a supplemental appropriation measure for the start-up costs. Cases pending in the circuit's Law Division were initially targeted for referral to arbitration and hearings for those cases commenced in April 1990. Today, the majority of the cases transferred to arbitration are Municipal Department cases.

The Cook County program is supervised by Judge E. Kenneth Wright, Jr. and day-to-day operations are managed by an arbitration administrator and deputy administrator.