Judge Ramon Ocasio III, a lifelong resident of Chicago, graduated from Roberto Clemente High School. After receiving his bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Judge Ocasio went to law school at Northeastern University School of Law in Boston Massachusetts. The number 1 public interest law school in the country.
Upon graduation from law school, Ramon Ocasio spent four years as a public defender representing indigent clients in criminal cases. He left his job as a public defender to run the Illinois Attorney General’s Northwest Regional consumer fraud office in Chicago. Eight years later he would return to the public defender’s office as an Attorney Supervisor, where he supervised 18 lawyers, working in the Chicago misdemeanor and felony branch courts.
Ramon Ocasio served as president of the Puerto Rican Bar Association of Illinois 1996 -1997. Acknowledging his leadership, as President of the Puerto Rican Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association presented Ramon Ocasio a Community Service Award. Ramon Ocasio was elected and served as a community representative on the Local School Council at InterAmerican Magnet, a Chicago Public School. Furthermore, Ramon Ocasio previously served, 10 years, as a Trustee for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development.
Judge Ramon Ocasio was elected to the bench in 2006. Judge Ocasio, prior to arriving in Maywood, served in traffic court, Cook County’s Bond Court, and the branch courts.
Judge Ramon Ocasio III arrived to the Fourth Municipal District in 2012 where he handled misdemeanor, traffic & bond court matters. Judge Ramon Ocasio also presided over the misdemeanor jury call and Drug Treatment Court. For the past four years, Judge Ocasio has presided over a felony court call.
Judge Ramon Ocasio was presented the 2016 Vanguard Award, by the Chicago Bar Association, which recognizes individuals who have made the law and the legal profession more accessible to and reflective of the community at large.
In May 2019, the George Pullman Educational Foundation awarded Judge Ocasio with their Most Valuable Alumnus Award for outstanding commitment to supporting Pullman Scholars.
The Illinois Supreme Court has named Judge Ramon Ocasio to serve on two committees:
- Supreme Court Committee on Juvenile Courts
- Court Leadership during COVID – 19 Task Force
Judge Ramon Ocasio was named the first President of the Illinois Latinx Judges Association 2018 – 2019.
