Mary Elizabeth Perrigo, M.A. Legal Studies Master’s Degree

Ms. Perrigo chose the Legal Studies Master’s Degree program because at the time she was employed in a management position with a State agency in Springfield and, while she had a desire to continue her education, she thought law school would be too limiting for her future.

Ms. Perrigo found the Legal Studies professors and education “excellent” and credits the program with utilizing a broad-based approach which allowed her to gain the knowledge to advance her career in areas such as government relations and court administration. In her current position as Deputy District Court Administrator in Wisconsin’s First Judicial District, she works in a large, complex, urban court system and in addition to general court administration her areas of responsibility include media relations, security and community outreach. She is a member of the Public Relations Society of America and the National Association for Court Management, recently serving on the workgroup to develop the organization’s media guide.

Her role also includes serving as Chair, Public Outreach and Education, Milwaukee Community Justice Council; an Executive Committee member of the Milwaukee Homicide Review Commission; an appointed member of the Subcommittee on Security for the Planning and Policy Advisory Committee of the Wisconsin Supreme Court; and being a frequent contributor to The Third Branch, a quarterly publication of the Director of State Courts Office.

She has extensive experience in executive-level policy development and management with diverse organizations including serving as the Assistant Director of Legal and Legislative Affairs, Illinois Department of Registration and Education (now Department of Professional Regulation); Manager, American Society for Quality; and, government relations associate, Shea, Paige, Rogal, attorneys and lobbyists.

Ms. Perrigo is the past Director of the Olympic Development Program for Wisconsin Youth Soccer/US Youth Soccer and volunteered at the Dominican Center for Women as part of a literacy project for women. She has been recognized by the United States Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women, for “extraordinary contribution to the prevention of violence against women and dedication to the successful implementation of the Judicial Oversight Demonstration Initiative” and is a past recipient of “Woman Putting Their Stamp on Metro Milwaukee” an award from the United States Postal Service given as a part of their annual celebration of Women’s History Month.

Ms. Perrigo credits the UIS Legal Studies Master’s Program with helping her develop strategic and critical thinking skills, particularly the legal research and writing classes. She encourages students to pursue a Legal Studies Master’s Degree to develop those skills and learn about the law in a way that it can be applied to many situations and work environments. She also holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois Springfield and recently completed certification in judicial administration at Michigan State University.