Berman, Arthur L.

Born May 4, 1935, Chicago, IL. Politician. Berman attended Chicago Public Schools and earned his bachelors degree at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana in 1955 before going on to law school at Northwestern University, where he graduated with honors in 1958. While at Northwestern, he served as Chairman of the Student Board of Governors and as editor of the Northwestern University Law Review. Berman's career in public service started in 1956 when he was the 50th Ward President of the Young Democrats. He was a member of the 48th and 49th Ward Democratic Organizations from 1968 to 1999. In 1966 he ran for State Representative in the Illinois House of Representatives, a position he retained until 1976. In 1977, Berman ran for and won the 9th District post of Illinois Senator, which he retained until 1999. He officially retired in 2000 as the longest serving Democrat in the Illinois General Assembly. During his legislative career he was recognized as a leader in education reform and championed many other causes including unions, crime, illiteracy, and special education. His interest and advocacy in education culminated in the passage of several education reform laws. After retiring from public service Berman served as the Director of Labor Mediation Services for the Chicago Public School system from 2000 to 2005.