The Honorable Patricia Logue (“Pat,” to her friends) was a brilliant lawyer, a trailblazing jurist, and a hero to the LGBTQ community. Pat’s legacy includes numerous landmark cases she litigated over her 14 years as a lawyer with Lambda Legal that transformed the lives of LGBTQ people nationwide. To quote Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, who honored Pat in the Congressional record, “Pat’s life and work are a call to action, a reminder that each of us has the power to effect significant change. For her leadership and courage, her intellect and compassion, we owe Patricia M. Logue a debt of gratitude.”
Pat graduated from Brown University and earned her law degree from Northwestern University School of Law. In 1993, Pat opened the Midwest Regional Office of Lambda Legal, serving as its managing attorney and in varying capacities, including as Interim Legal Director and Director of Constitutional Litigation. Colleagues remember Pat as a visionary, a risk-taker, and an optimist who invariably chose the boldest and bravest path to victory.
In 2007, Pat joined the bench as an associate judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County, serving in the Domestic Relations Division. As a judge, Pat performed marriage ceremonies for many same-sex couples in fitting recognition and celebration of her role in achieving the milestones that made marriage equality possible.
In recognition of her scholarship and contributions to the fight for LGBTQ equality, Pat received numerous honors over her lifetime, including the National Lesbian and Gay Lawyers Association’s Dan Bradley Award in 2007 and the American Constitution Society Chicago Chapter’s Abner Mikva Legal Legends Award. She was inducted into Chicago’s LGBT Hall of Fame in 2003.
Pat is survived by her wife, Marcia Festen, and their two daughters, Ruby and Ella, and granddaughter Hazel. The couple held a commitment ceremony in 2002 and were legally married in 2008 on the beach at Martha’s Vineyard’s Edgartown Lighthouse. She is also survived by siblings Elizabeth (William), Ann Martha (Joseph), Michael, and Tim (MaryAnn). A memorial service will be held for Pat this June in Chicago.