Judge James Kaplan has been an active citizen of Chicago since his youth, serving his community and the public at large for decades. James grew up in Chicago, attending Lake View High School. After graduating from the University of Arizona, he went on to obtain his juris doctor at the Chicago-Kent College of Law. Since passing the bar in 1971, James has spent over forty years as an attorney in Cook County.

James has worked for the City of Chicago Department of Law as well as private practices. For years he practiced as a trial attorney and is licensed to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States. Between the years of 2005 and 2010, James served honorably as Judge for the Illinois Court of Claims.

With his spare time, James serves the community in numerous capacities. He has sat on St. Patrick’s High School’s board of trustees, the Board of Overseers for Chicago-Kent College of Law, and was Chairman of the Illinois Board of Higher Education. Additionally, James was Chairman of the Board for the Illinois State Advisory Council on the Education of Children with Disabilities. He has given guest lectures at the University of Illinois, Chicago; Southern Illinois University; and the Chicago Mayor’s Office. He and his wife Allin are the proud parents of three.

A great believer in the power of education, James supports NMTAC’s continuing efforts to improve the lives of organ transplant patients. NMTAC strives to educate the public about organ transplantation, to improve facilities and patient care, and to spearhead groundbreaking organ transplant research. A premier organ transplant center, Northwestern Medicine has the potential to change the lives of countless individuals in need of organ transplantation, and James is devoted to furthering this effort in whatever way possible.