Ed Murillo: An Inside Look at the Law Helps Set His Direction

"I was amazed when I sat in court and listened to the city employee perjure himself on the stand," says Ed Murillo, graduate of The John Marshall Law School. "I helped research his background. I knew he was injured on vacation, not on the job. That case, and the encouragement of the Cook County state's attorney who mentored me, convinced me that I wanted to go to law school."

Murillo, who graduated in January 2008, is now an assistant Cook County state's attorney. As a student, he completed more than 13 months as a law clerk for the Cook County State's Attorney's Office working in the Felony Division and the Traffic Division. In October 2007, the state's attorney's office presented Murillo with the El Humanitario Award in recognition of his contributions as a student-lawyer and his volunteer efforts in the community.

The award presentation coincides with the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.

Murillo needed to complete an internship for his criminal justice degree at Western Illinois University. He got a placement at the state's attorney's office.  It changed his outlook.

"I went there to complete my degree. I was going to be the first one in my family to earn a college degree. But after that case and doing research on other cases, my attorney mentor, Curt James, kept encouraging me to go to school another three years to earn a law degree," Murillo said.

He started at John Marshall in January 2005. He became an active member of the Hispanic Law Student Association, the Criminal Law Society and the Illinois Latino Law Student Association.