Northern Illinois University
College of Law

Michael Mahoney received his B.A. degree from St. Ambrose College in Davenport, Iowa in 1968 and his J.D. Degree from the University of Illinois College of Law in 1971. During the time he was at the University of Illinois, he was an editor of the University of Illinois College of Law Forum and a research assistant for a member of the faculty.

Starting in 1971, he began to practice law in Freeport, Illinois in the firm that was started by his father, the Honorable Francis X. Mahoney. Judge Mahoney was appointed as part-time U.S. magistrate judge on March 18, 1976. He held that position on a part-time basis until May 27, 1992, when he was appointed full-time U.S. magistrate judge for the Northern District of Illinois, Western Division.

Judge Mahoney served as the only magistrate judge in the Western Division until he resigned his position on December 31, 2012 and accepted recall. Judge Mahoney remained on recall through May 1, 2014.

As magistrate judge, Judge Mahoney was involved in virtually all types of civil litigation that occurred in the Western Division. Every civil case that was filed was assigned to the Magistrate Judge for handling of discovery matters, case management orders, and also to hold settlement conferences.

Judge Mahoney has done settlement conferences in literally thousands of cases during his tenure as magistrate judge. Judge Mahoney, for over a decade, handled the Rockford desegregation case, People Who Care v. District 205. 

From 1992 to 2012 Judge Mahoney was an adjunct professor of advanced criminal procedure at NIU College of Law. In that course he taught third year law students criminal procedure from a constitutional law vantage point. He has recently rejoined the faculty at NIU to teach the same course.

Judge Mahoney has been honored with two dedications in his name. The Mediation Center at the Stanley J. Roszowski Federal Courthouse in Rockford, Illinois has been dedicated by the Federal Judges of the Northern District as the P. Michael Mahoney Mediation Center, and the local chapter of the Federal Bar Association in the Western Division is named the P. Michael Mahoney Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.

Since May 1, 2014, Judge Mahoney has been associated with the law firm of Mahoney and Hauser, Ltd. in Freeport, Illinois. Judge Mahoney joined his son in the firm that was started by his father. Judge Mahoney now only does mediation, arbitration and special assignments from the District Court and does not practice law.