1.

Name (State full name and any former names used) Beatriz Ana Frausto-Sandoval

2. Age 37

3. Education (List schools, years attended, and degrees received)

DePaul University College of Law, J.D., 2005

Washington University in St. Louis, B.A. 2002

4. Current occupation and employer

Principal/solo attorney at Law Office of Beatriz A. Frausto-Sandoval

5. Current hometown, and neighborhood if Chicago. If subcircuit candidate: How long have you lived there?

Chicago, Illinois, Gage Park neighborhood since 2010 (within 14th subcircuit),
Chicago, Illinois, Pilsen neighborhood—2003 to 2007 (within 14th subcircuit),
(Also, from 1989 to 2003 and 2007-2010 I lived in Cicero, at an address 2 blocks outside the
subcircuit)

6. Work history (List with years)

Law Office of Beatriz A. Frausto-Sandoval (6 years): Solo practitioner in a neighborhood-

oriented practice primarily representing individuals and families in immigration matters and
related criminal, family, labor, and other matters.
Hudson Legal Group (1 year): Contract attorney doing document review in a foreign language
division.
Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym, Ltd. (4 years): Associate in immigration practice
Law Office of Scott E. Bellgrau (1 year): Associate for a solo attorney responsible for various
immigration, criminal, traffic, real estate, and family law matters.

7. In what areas of law do you have experience?

I have extensive experience in the area of immigration law, including all types of family-based
immigration processes, immigrant and non-immigrant visa applications, Deferred Action for
Childhood Arrivals (DACA), asylum and refugee law, and other immigration-related matters.

I also have familiarity with criminal law, as well as experience in real estate, family law, traffic,
bankruptcy, and labor matters.

8. List your bar association memberships.

American Immigration Lawyer Association

Hispanic Lawyer Association of Illinois
Chicago Bar Association

9. List all professional, business, fraternal, scholarly, civic, charitable, or other organizations to which you
belong
 Catholic Charities—Board member of the City Southwest Regional Board since 2015

10. Describe your civic involvement.

As a member of the above-mentioned Catholic Charities board I have advocated for Catholic
Charities services in the southwest side of Chicago by planning events to raise money for services
(mostly health/mental health, child, senior, and food pantry-related services provided by Catholic
Charities), and raising awareness regarding Catholic Charities in the southwest side, both among
communities and individuals likely to need their services, as well as with other professionals who
may be able to support the mission.

I have also been very active in my community on a volunteer and consulting basis with various
organizations, including several churches, Catholic Charities of Chicago, and various labor
unions. I have conducted know-your-rights trainings and volunteered at legal workshops, for
instance citizenship and DACA application workshops. In the past year, I have presented
trainings to union stewards and key members of a local union with respect to the Trump
administration’s executive orders on immigration and how those will affect the mixed status
families of union members, as well as how it could affect various union activities and bargaining
in the future.

11. Describe your current and former political involvement.

I have never run for office or been involved in politics prior to my candidacy. As an immigration
attorney, I have always supported organizations that promote immigrants and work towards
legislation to fix our broken immigration system.

12. Have you run for judge before? When and for which seat?

No.

13. List your published writings, with dates and with links if available.

I haven’t published anything scholarly, however, I published a poem regarding my experience as

an immigration attorney in 2008. The poem is available at:
http://www.ilw.com/articles/2008,1014-sandoval.shtm#bio

14. Why do you want to be a Cook County judge?

I have served families and individuals as an immigration attorney for twelve years during which I
have come to care deeply for the communities in our city and county. As a judge, I would be able
to make reasoned, fair, and compassionate decisions which have a direct, immediate impact on
the people of the city and county. It is about time we had a Latina on the bench to represent the
14th judicial subcircuit, one of two subcircuits in Cook County with a large Latino population, yet
one which has consistently failed to reflect its’ communities. I am running in the 14th subcircuit
because for far too long the residents of these areas have not had any choice in their circuit court
 judges. This is the first contested primary for the 14th since 1994, a sad reality which reflects the
machine politics that goes into play in selecting and electing the local judiciary in Cook County.
This is wrong, and is the reason why we have many judges who do not truly understand nor
adequately represent the communities in the subcircuits.

15. What are the most pressing issues facing the justice system and why?

Fairness in the judicial system, and specifically the inequalities faced by people of color,
immigrants and people of lower socio-economic status is the most pressing issue facing our
justice system. Specifically, hallmarks of our justice system like cash bail and mandatory-
minimum sentences have been shown to disproportionately affect these communities. High jail
populations are also a huge concern for me. We must do more to provide avenues for real,
effective restorative justice which works to make victims and communities as whole as possible
while also valuing the potential of offenders to reintegrate into society. Prisons do not make us
safer, and frequently they make us less safe by exposing offenders to more illicit activity while
ensuring they lose more opportunities on the outside; and at the same time, we spend valuable tax
dollars on prisons which could instead be directed towards education and programs to eradicate
poverty, illegal drugs, and other root causes of crime.

16. How will your experiences help you serve as a good judge?

If I am elected to the circuit court, I would truly represent the communities, values, and history of
the 14th subcircuit, which encompasses the neighborhoods I’ve lived in nearly my whole life
(Cicero, Pilsen, Gage Park) and where I have served many families as an immigration attorney
for the past twelve years. I come from an immigrant, union family from Guadalajara, Mexico,
and was raised from age nine by my eight older siblings after my parents’ passing. I understand
the struggles that working families and immigrants face, and how challenging it can be for those
without resources to engage with our court systems. I deeply care for the right of ALL people—
regardless of legal status—living in the subcircuit area to access justice in all legal processes in
our courts.

As a lawyer, I possess great organizational, legal research, writing, and trial advocacy skills and
have a proven record in my chosen area of concentration. I will faithfully execute the letter of the
law with compassion and an understanding that the individuals appearing before me do not exist
in a vacuum; they are affected by their circumstances, education, racial and social background,
immigration status and a host of other factors not directly at issue before me. My career
representing mostly working-class individuals and families will make me a better judge since I
would bring a wider perspective to the bench. At a time when so many politicians are willing to
scapegoat immigrants, we need judges at all levels who will stand up for the real American values
of justice and liberty for all.

17. What do you wish voters knew about you?

I see myself as a people’s lawyer and have always related more to my clients than most peers in
the legal community. Similarly, I am not a typical judicial candidate, in fact, by the standards of
the mainstream bar associations, I am not qualified because I have not tried a jury trial in state
court. Nonetheless, I know I am more than qualified to preside over a court room as I am a
lawyer who has juggled high volume caseloads, and kept up with constantly changing
immigration law, regulations, and programs. Too many of our judges come from a homogeneous
pool of individuals who are not necessarily in touch with the mainstream, working class people of
Cook County. I wish voters knew that we can change this. If we value our civic duty as voters
and increase voter participation in local court elections, educate ourselves more regarding judges,
their performance as lawyers and on the bench, even their address history, we can change the
judiciary to truly reflect our communities and values.