Devine Honors
Annual C.F. Stradford Award Recipients

Cook County State’s Attorney Richard A. Devine will present the Honorable Reginald H. Baker,
and attorney Victor P. Henderson, with the state’s attorney’s annual C.F. Stradford Awards in a
ceremony on Friday evening.

Judge Baker has been on the bench since 1988 and currently presides in the Preliminary Hearing
court in the Sixth Municipal District, Circuit Court of Cook County.  A former prosecutor, Baker
also served as a Military Judge in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, retiring with the rank
of colonel.  Baker has also taught criminal justice classes at Governor State University.

Victor P. Henderson is the current President of the Chicago Bar Association and a partner
in Holland & Knight LLP.  Henderson’s practice includes trial and appellate work in both state
and federal court cases involving product liability, contracts and complex litigation. He is also a
former counsel to a committee in the U.S. House of Representatives.  Prior to joining
Holland & Knight, Henderson worked for six years at Phelan, Pope & John Ltd. 

In conjunction with the Stradford Awards, two local students are given $1,000 scholarships
donated by State Farm Insurance.  This year’s student scholarship winners are Alexis B. Moore
of DeLaSalle Institute, who will attend St. Xavier University in Chicago and LaKeitha Butler
of Hirsch Metro High School, who will attend Western Illinois University in Macomb.
           
C. F. Stradford was a pioneering civil rights attorney and one of the founders of the National Bar
Association.   The awards honor African-Americans in the legal field, who are outstanding
professionals and citizens.   The event will be held again this year on Friday, February 22, 2008,

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