McHenry-Raised Iain Johnston Appointed Federal Magistrate in Rockford to Replace P. Michael Mahoney

A press release from Northern Illinois Federal District Court Chief Judge James F. Holderman:

DISTRICT JUDGES SELECT IAIN DAVID JOHNSTON TO SERVE AS MAGISTRATE JUDGE IN WESTERN DIVISION

ROCKFORD- Chief Judge James F. Holderman today announced that attorney Iain David Johnston, has been selected by the district judges of the Northern District of Illinois to fill the judicial vacancy created when U.S. Magistrate Judge P. Michael Mahoney retired on December 31, 2012, after thirtysix years of service with the court.

Chief Judge James F. Holderman stated:

“Iain Johnston is an excellent lawyer who has proven himself to be outstanding in many areas of the profession, including as a trial and appellate lawyer in the federal courts.

“I am sure he will be well-received by the bar and the community as he takes over as our district’s U.S. magistrate judge headquartered in Rockford.”

Chief Judge Holderman continued by noting “the reason we have an outstanding magistrate judge bench here in northern Illinois is the hard work of the dedicated and discerning members of our U.S. Magistrate Judge Selection Panels. I thank them for their service to the court.”

The district’s Western Division U.S. Magistrate Judge Merit Selection Panel, comprised of both attorneys and non-attorneys, was chaired by the Honorable Val Gunnarsson, Chief Judge of the 15th Judicial Circuit in Carroll County, Illinois. The other members were Deputy Chair Herbert H. Franks, Sara M. Cliffe, Earl Dotson Jr., Mike Dunn, Patricia Fong, Thomas Laughlin, Glenn Schorsch, and Linda M. Zuba.

Iain Johnston

Iain Johnston

U.S. Magistrate Judge Designate Iain Johnston graduated cum laude from Rockford College in 1987.

Three years later, he graduated cum laude from The John Marshall Law School, where he currently serves as an adjunct professor.

After law school, Mr. Johnston was a judicial law clerk for Judge Philip Reinhard of the Illinois Appellate Court, Second District, and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Mr. Johnston then became an Assistant Attorney General, rising to the position of Unit Supervisor of the Civil Prosecutions Unit.

Thereafter, he joined Altheimer & Gray, where he became a partner in 2002.

From 2003 to 2008, Mr. Johnston was a Senior Counsel at Holland & Knight.

Mr. Johnston is a founding member of the law firm Johnston Greene LLC, where he has focused on a wide array of government and commercial matters since 2008.

As a Special Assistant Attorney General, he has represented the Illinois Division of Insurance and the Illinois State Police. Mr. Johnston has also served as an administrative law judge for the Division of Insurance, the Illinois State Police, and the Illinois Drycleaners Environmental Response Trust Fund Council.

Mr. Johnston is expected to assume the bench in late spring and will be headquartered in the Stanley J. Roszkowski U.S. Courthouse in Rockford.

He will work with U.S. District Judge Frederick J. Kapala and Senior U.S. District Judge Philip G. Reinhard.

Retired Magistrate Judge Mahoney has also agreed to continue to work on a recalled basis as needed.

“The magistrate judge assigned to the Western Division of the Northern District of Illinois is historically one of the busiest magistrate judges in the country,” stated Chief Judge Holderman.

Chief Judge Holderman continued, noting, “Retired Magistrate Judge Mahoney served the people of the Northern District of Illinois with great distinction for more than three and a half decades.

“I am sure that Iain Johnston is up to the task of providing that same great service.

“On behalf of the all judges of our court, I welcome Iain Johnston to the magistrate judge bench of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and thank Magistrate Judge Mahoney for his many years of service and for his continuing commitment to the court and the people of the Northern District of Illinois.”


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