Commissioner's Details

Cook County Circuit Court Judge ShawnTe Raines-Welch is currently assigned to the Fourth Municipal District. She hears misdemeanor and criminal traffic cases as well as local adjudication matters. She ran for election in the fourth judicial subcircuit and assumed office on December 5, 2022.

As a longtime resident of the fourth sub-circuit area and graduate of Proviso West High School, she has strong ties to the local community. Judge Raines-Welch is a regular parent volunteer for the local organizations. In addition to providing pro bono legal services to seniors and veterans as an attorney, Judge Raines-Welch was the Vice President of the Proviso Township Mental Health Commission that serves twelve villages within the fourth judicial sub-circuit. She was also a zoning commissioner for the Village of Hillside prior to taking the bench.

As a judge, she wants to provide the kind of justice that considers the diverse constituency of the community regardless of race, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, mental health and disability. Although she believes that our legal system is one of the best, Judge Raines-Welch understands there are still inequities for certain groups. She wants to provide the kind of justice that is based upon inclusion and equality and keeps the community in the forefront.

Judge Raines-Welch possesses a diverse educational and professional background. She graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. She is an alumni of The John Marshall Law School (now known as the UIC School of Law). Prior to taking judicial office, she was a partner at a well-known municipal law firm. Judge Raines-Welch served as general counsel to multiple municipal entities and supervised a team of litigation associates. During her legal career, she worked as a plaintiff’s personal injury attorney and civil defense attorney. She practiced before the trial court and appellate court at the state and federal levels. Her practice areas included civil rights litigation, contracts, labor and employment, school law, park district code and municipal law. Judge Raines-Welch also conducted internal investigations and represented clients in disciplinary proceedings. In addition to experience serving as inspector general for a municipal client, she also represented public and private clients during disciplinary hearings and arbitrations.