Bernard M. Judge facts for kids

Bernard Judge (born January 6, 1940 – died June 14, 2019) was an American journalist. He held important leadership jobs at several big newspapers in Chicago. These included the City News Bureau of Chicago, the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times, and the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin.

Early Life and Education

Bernard Judge was born on the South Side of Chicago. His father was an immigrant from Ireland. Bernard went to Our Lady of Peace Catholic School. He then attended Leo Catholic High School in Chicago.

Later, his family moved to Oak Park, Illinois. Bernard transferred to Fenwick High School in Oak Park. He graduated from Fenwick in 1957. After high school, he went to John Carroll University, but he did not finish his degree there.

Professional Career

Bernard Judge served in the United States Army. He worked as a clerk at a Nike Missile site in Pennsylvania. After leaving the Army in 1964, he worked briefly at a steel factory. Soon after, he started his long career in the newspaper business. He became very well-known across the country. The actor Ed Asner even asked Judge for advice. Asner was playing a newspaper editor named Lou Grant on TV.

Judge started as a reporter at the City News Bureau of Chicago in 1965. He then joined the Chicago Tribune. There, he covered state and federal courts and government news. While he was there, two big investigative stories he led won the Pulitzer Prize. This is a very famous award for journalism. Later, in 2000, Judge even helped choose the winners for the Pulitzer Prize himself. In 1983, he returned to the City News Bureau of Chicago. This time, he was the Editor and General Manager.

Next, Judge moved to the Chicago Sun-Times. He became the editor for city news and an assistant editor. He led many projects that won over 20 state and national awards. One important series of stories helped stop a plan for a new main library. This then led to the building of the Harold Washington Library.

Judge later left the Chicago Sun-Times. He became the editor and vice president of the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin. In 2001, he became the person in charge of the Law Bulletin. In 2004, the newspaper celebrated its 150th anniversary. A top judge, Joel M. Flaum, praised Judge. He said Judge was "a beacon of excellence." When Judge retired in 2007, another judge, Thomas R. Fitzgerald, said Judge was loved by many lawyers. He said this was because of Judge's honesty. He understood that getting the story right was most important.

Retirement

After retiring, Bernard Judge continued to work. He served as a Hearing Board Officer for the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC). In this role, he acted like a judge. He helped decide cases about how lawyers behaved. In 2012, the Illinois Supreme Court appointed him to be a Commissioner for the ARDC. This meant he was a leader on their team.

Judge also joined a special group called the Illinois State Admissions Review Committee. This group looked into claims that some students got special treatment when applying to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The group made suggestions to make the admissions process fair and clear for everyone.

In his retirement, Judge also became an author for the first time. He wrote a book with Neal Samors. The book was called Chicago's Lake Shore Drive: Urban America's Most Beautiful Roadway.

Personal

Bernard Judge was married to Kimbeth Wehrli Judge. They had three children.

Death

Bernard Judge passed away from pancreatic cancer at his home in Chicago. He died on June 14, 2019.

Awards

• Chicago Journalism Hall of Fame
• Illinois Bar Foundation, 2006 Distinguished Award for Excellence
• Constitutional Rights Foundation of Chicago Bill of Rights in Action award (2001)
• Headline Club lifetime achievement award
• City Club of Chicago Excellence in Journalism award
• Illinois Press Association James C. Craven Freedom of the Press Award
• Fenwick High School Hall of Fame
• Fenwick Accipiter Award (first person to receive it, 1997)

Board Memberships

• Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago
• Catholic Charities
• Illinois First Amendment Center (Chairman, 2008)
• Fenwick High School