Judge April Perry
Name: April Michelle Perry
Current Role: Judge, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Confirmed: November 12, 2024 (commission received November 20, 2024)
Appointed by: President Joseph R. Biden
Party Affiliation: Not publicly confirmed
Born: 1979, San Diego, California
Career Overview
April Michelle Perry serves as a United States District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois. Nominated by President Joe Biden on July 11, 2024, she was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on November 12, 2024, and received her commission on November 20, 2024.
Perry’s legal career has bridged public service, corporate law, and ethics oversight. She is known for her experience in criminal prosecution, corporate compliance, and civil rights enforcement. Her judicial appointment added to the growing number of Biden-era confirmations aimed at diversifying the federal bench in terms of both professional background and representation.
Law Firm Experience and Public Service
After earning her law degree, Perry clerked for Judge Joel M. Flaum of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (2003–2004). She began her career in private practice in Chicago in 2004 before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, where she served from 2004 to 2016.
During her tenure as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Perry advanced to supervisory roles including Deputy Chief of the Narcotics and Gangs Section, Project Safe Childhood and VAWA Coordinator, Supervisory Litigation Counsel, and Civil Rights and Hate Crimes Coordinator. Her work focused on violent crime, human trafficking, and community protection.
From 2017 to 2019, Perry was Chief Deputy State’s Attorney and Chief Ethics Officer for Cook County, Illinois, where she led efforts to modernize ethical standards and transparency practices. She later joined Ubiety Technologies, Inc. as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary (2019–2022) and continued as Outside General Counsel through 2022. Prior to her federal appointment, she served as Senior Counsel for Global Investigations and Fraud and Abuse Prevention at GE HealthCare.
Perry also contributed to local governance as a Hearing Officer for the Chicago Police Board from 2021 to 2024.
Education and Early Life
Born in San Diego, California, Perry graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Science in 2000 and earned her Juris Doctor from Northwestern University School of Law (now the Pritzker School of Law) in 2003.
Major Cases and Actions
While serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Perry participated in numerous federal prosecutions involving organized crime, narcotics, and civil rights violations. As Civil Rights and Hate Crimes Coordinator, she supervised or advised on cases addressing hate-motivated offenses and misconduct under federal civil rights statutes.
Although specific case names are not widely publicized, her prosecutorial record in the Northern District of Illinois included leadership in Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative combating child exploitation and online abuse.
Publications
No books or authored publications are publicly listed under April Perry’s name. However, she has contributed to professional panels and academic discussions on prosecutorial ethics, civil rights enforcement, and public integrity, often in her role as adjunct professor and ethics officer.
Public Image and Focus
Perry is regarded as a disciplined and ethics-focused legal professional. Her career reflects a consistent emphasis on accountability and community safety, particularly in the areas of gender-based violence and law enforcement oversight. Colleagues describe her as pragmatic, data-driven, and deeply committed to institutional transparency.
Personal Life
Personal details beyond her birthplace are not publicly confirmed.
Fast Facts
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Full name: April Michelle Perry
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Born: 1979, San Diego, California
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Education: B.S., Northwestern University (2000); J.D., Northwestern University School of Law (2003)
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Clerkship: Judge Joel M. Flaum, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (2003–2004)
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Federal prosecutor: Assistant U.S. Attorney, N.D. Ill. (2004–2016)
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Ethics leadership: Chief Ethics Officer, Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office (2017–2019)
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Corporate counsel: Ubiety Technologies (2019–2022); GE HealthCare (2022–2024)
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Judicial service: Judge, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (2024–present)
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Teaching: Adjunct professor, University of Illinois Chicago School of Law
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Focus areas: Criminal justice, civil rights, ethics, and institutional reform
