Peggy Foley Jones - Leading Lawyers 2009

Young life: Born and raised in Milwaukee, Wis., she was the middle child of seven. “I was always the compromiser because I got along with the older kids and I got along with the younger kids,” says Foley Jones. “And for some reason I was always able to take my father to task. We would argue a lot. I think he appreciated the intellectual banter, but sometimes he would get exasperated with me.”

Role model: Her father, a general surgeon, was her “role model and mentor in life.”

Practicing: While in sixth grade, she accidentally knocked a crucifix off the wall while playing ball in the classroom. “The teacher took me to the principal’s office. They were really angry about it. I took responsibility for it but I said, ‘If God didn’t want it to happen, it wouldn’t have happened.’ They brought my parents in. And I argued with the principal about it. I knew right then where I was going with my life.”

Working both sides: She worked for the city prosecutor’s office and then the public defender’s office. “I loved the public defender’s office. I tried more than 40 cases there. That’s unheard of.”

Contempt: While eight months pregnant with her first child, Foley Jones was working a concealed weapons case. When the verdict came down in her favor, she let out an “Ahhh!” and clapped her hands. Judge Michael Corrigan held her in contempt of court. “He called me back and said, ‘Don’t you ever yell in the courtroom.’ ” “But I am pregnant!” she replied. “He let me go and waived the fee and penalty, but it was a big deal. Judge Corrigan and I joke about it now.”

Becoming judge: She decided to run for the bench while trying a case before a new judge. “Both the prosecutor and I felt that they were making mistakes. At that point, I decided, I could make a difference.”

Pesho case: “It was almost like it was Charles Manson. It really shook up our community significantly.”

CWRU case: Foley Jones took over the case after the original judge became ill. “So I was sort of thrown to the wolves,” she says. “It was a memorable case for me because every one of those victims was emotionally affected by the event.”

Judge vs. lawyer: “As a judge you face an incredible amount of pressure from 9 to 5. At a law firm, you are working a lot of nights and a lot of weekends, but you don’t have the pressure of making decisions that affect people’s lives, or taking people’s homes away, or putting people in jail for life.”

Courtside: Foley Jones is an avid squash player.

Future: She’d like to become a national mediator and arbitrator. “It’s a valuable tool for parties to use instead of going to the courthouse. They end up settling earlier and saving some money.”