LOS ANGELES, CA - The North American South Asian Bar Association (“NASABA”) is proud to announce that founding member of the Pakistani American Bar Association (PABA) and former NASABA Board member, Pamela Leeming has been appointed as a full Circuit Court Judge of Cook County, Illinois. When  Leeming is sworn-in at the Illinois Supreme Court on December 1, 2009, she is expected to become the first Pakistani-American Judge in Illinois and the United States.  Leeming will also serve as the only Asian-American full Circuit Court judge in Cook County, with voting rights in the Associate Judge appointments.

The Cook County court system, established in 1964, is one of the largest unified systems in the world.

Leeming, a 1989 graduate of John Marshall Law School, has been with the Cook County Public Defender’s office her entire legal career. In this capacity,  Leeming has successfully tried numerous cases in both bench and jury trials. She is currently a special litigator in the Legal Resource Division, where she handles cases involving DNA and forensic evidence. Leeming’s commitment to public service is also well-documented with her pro bono work and significant volunteer work for various homeless and women’s organizations. “Pamela Leeming’s role as a judge will be a continuation of her demonstrated pledge to public service, the South Asian legal community and her Illinois roots.” said President of NASABA, Sonjui Kumar, a partner at Kumar Pathak LLC.