Rocio Armendariz has been an assistant public defender with the Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender since 2010. She started her career with the office in the Civil Division representing parents charged with the abuse and/or neglect of their children. In 2014, she transferred to the Felony Trial Division. Most recently, you can find her in Homicide Task Force. Prior to joining the Cook County Public Defender’s Office, she worked for a small immigration law firm counseling and representing non-citizens before immigration officers and immigration court. She has also worked for two different criminal law firms and worked at the Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing. Rocio graduated from Boston University in 2005 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. She received her J.D. in 2007 from DePaul University College of Law. She is from the Jersey Shore and only has two degrees of separation from The Boss.

Emily De Yoe has been an Assistant Public Defender with the Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender since 2013. She began her career in the Child Protection Conflicts Unit before moving to assignments in First Municipal and then on to Felony Trial Division where she has been since 2015. Prior to joining the office, Emily worked as Assistant Counsel to the Speaker of the House in Springfield, Illinois (she believes all former bosses are innocent until proven guilty). She also previously worked for the National Conference of State Legislatures in Denver. Emily graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor’s Degree in History. She received her J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Emily also has her L.L.M. in Rule of Law for Developing Countries, from Loyola’s Rome Campus. She has a dog named Harold and she’s definitely not at all weird about him.