EDWARDSVILLE –– Third Judicial Circuit Judge Richard Tognarelli will serve on the bench and bar section council for the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA).
“Section councils and committees are the backbone of the ISBA,” James. F. McCluskey, president of the ISBA, said in a press release. “Leadership is vital to the success of these groups.”
This is the latest step for Tognarelli, who graduated from St. Louis University with his undergraduate and went on to receive his J.D. from St. Louis University School of Law. He launched his legal career in Collinsville before he was promoted to an associate judge in 2002. He was named Circuit Judge in 2008. Tognarelli is the chief criminal judge in Madison County and continues to manage veteran’s court and domestic violence accountability court.
The bench and bar section of the ISBA was developed with the purpose of encouraging and promoting collaboration, assistance and unity between state and federal judges as well as the practicing bar. The ISBA also aims to improve the judicial system for the public by creating positive relationships and connections between lawyers and the judges.
In addition to the ISBA, Tognarelli is a member of the Illinois Judges Association and the Madison County Bar Association. He and his wife currently live in Troy.
The ISBA has 28,000 members throughout the state, with offices in Springfield and Chicago. The organization assists lawyers and courts as well as offers special services to the general public.