Michael P. McCuskey received a B.S. in Education from Illinois State University in 1970. While a student at ISU, he was a member of the 1969 NCAA College Division baseball championship team. Judge McCuskey has been active over the years in supporting ISU. He previously served on the Board of the ISU Alumni Association and is currently a member of the ISU Attorney Advisory Council. ISU honored Judge McCuskey on February 20, 2003, by awarding him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. Following graduation from ISU, he taught history and coached baseball at Ottawa Township High School before entering law school. He graduated from Saint Louis University School of Law in 1975.
He was a partner in the law firm of Pace, McCuskey and Galley in Lacon from 1975-88. He also served as Marshall County Public Defender from 1976 until 1988. In 1991, he received the Illinois Public Defender Association’s Award of Excellence and Meritorious Service.
Judge McCuskey was elected Circuit Judge of the 10th Judicial Circuit in 1988 and assigned to felony court in Peoria. He was elected to the Third District Appellate Court in 1990. He then served as an Illinois Appellate Court Judge until May 4, 1998, when he was sworn in as a United States District Judge for the Central District of Illinois. Judge McCuskey currently sits in the United States District Courthouse in Urbana. He became Chief Judge of the Central District of Illinois on December 14, 2004.
Judge McCuskey is very active in the Illinois State Bar Association. He is currently Vice-Chair of the ISBA Civil Practice Section Council and past Chair of the ISBA Federal Civil Practice Section Council. Judge McCuskey previously served as a member of the Bench & Bar, Criminal Justice and General Practice Section Councils. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Bar Association of the Central and Southern Federal District of Illinois.
(term expires January 2011)
