First District Appellate Court Justice Thomas E. Hoffman dead at 77: 'His opinions were golden'

The first time Jim Figliulo, co-founder and former president of the Chicago Inn of Court, met Judge Thomas E. Hoffman, they were on opposite sides of the court.

Mr. Hoffman was ruling on a case Figliulo had a client in, and during a particularly tough attorney-client privilege matter, Figliulo said Mr. Hoffman made sure to intently hear out each side, taking an academic interest in the back-and-forth.

It immediately earned Mr. Hoffman Figliulo’s respect, something he would hold for their more than three decades of friendship and professional ties.

“He was a very smart guy, and I enjoyed appearing before him because you knew you were going to get a well-prepared judge who cared and who was thoughtful and listened,” Figliulo said. “Whether I agreed with it or not, I respected his decision. That’s sort of been the hallmark of his judicial career.”

Mr. Hoffman died July 4 at age 77. The First District Appellate Court justice is survived by his wife, retired Judge Margarita Kulys Hoffman, and his four children. Details on a memorial service have yet to be shared.

Leonard Amari, former president of the Illinois State Bar Association and the Justinian Society of Lawyers, said Mr. Hoffman was quiet but “quoted often” due to his writing that showed a depth of legal knowledge.

“There was no backstory, no agenda, he just followed the law,” Amari said. “His opinions were golden.”

Illinois Supreme Court Justice Joy V. Cunningham, who served on the appellate court with Mr. Hoffman from 2006 to 2022, described him as a “judge’s judge.”

“The sudden passing of a judge as loved as Thomas Hoffman is not just a loss to me but a loss for everyone who appreciates a high-quality justice system,” Cunningham said in a statement. “I feel very privileged to have worked with him, and he absolutely made me a better judge. I will miss him profoundly.”

Mr. Hoffman was born in Chicago on Dec. 23, 1947.

He attended Loyola University Chicago and later obtained his law degree from the UIC School of Law, then the John Marshall Law School, in 1971. Seventeen years later, he was awarded the law school’s “Distinguished Alumni” award, and he later served as president of the school’s alumni association in 1996.

Immediately after graduating, he was hired as an Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Chicago, where he worked until entering private practice in 1976. After 12 years practicing privately, Mr. Hoffman was appointed as an associate judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County in 1984.

In 1988, he won his first elected seat as a circuit judge and by 1993 was assigned to the First District Appellate Court. A year later, he was elected as an appellate judge, a seat he once again was confirmed to by 76% of the vote in 2024.

Mr. Hoffman was part of several decisions that made headlines, including being on a three-judge panel last year that upheld a $1.1 million jury award for a whistleblower who was fired by a Chicago police oversight agency after he found officers at fault in some cases.

Justice Mary Kay Rochford, who served with him on the First District Appellate Court, said the “decisions were always “well written and reasoned, concise and clear.”

“Justice Hoffman was a judge of the highest standards. He had an exceptional work ethic, was highly intelligent and had the utmost respect for the office,” Rochford said in a statement. “Justice Hoffman was a superb colleague and mentor and will be sorely missed by the members of the First District.”

In addition to his duties on the bench, Mr. Hoffman was also a member of legal professional groups like the Justinian Society of Lawyers and the Chicago Inn of Court, a chapter of the national organization.

According to Figliulo, the Inn of Court, where they met, was a place where Mr. Hoffman spent time “building bridges” with lawyers who he usually saw over the front of his desk as well as mentoring law students.

“Judge Hoffman was a big believer in teaching younger people the right way to practice law,” Figliulo said. “Law became a conversation, not just advocacy. He was very curious and thoughtful in the way he approached the legal problem.”

Outside the courtroom, though, Figliulo said Mr. Hoffman was more outgoing and avid about keeping up with current events, as he always wanted to discuss the news.

"He wasn’t the judge, he was just Tom,” Figliulo said.