Irwin N. Cohen graduated from the University of Chicago Law School in 1930 and later earned a degree from the Northwestern University School of Commerce. Cohen worked as a capital stock assessor in the legal department of the Illinois Tax Commission from 1936 to 1941 when he returned to private practice. He then served as Assistant U.S. Attorney from 1949 to 1954, briefly holding the position of U.S. Attorney for two months in 1954 before being appointed Chief Counsel to the City Council Emergency Crime Committee or "Big Nine." The Emergency Crime Committee was charged with investigating political corruption in Chicago, especially alleged links between organized crime and the police. Cohen became Commissioner of the Chicago Dept. of Investigation in 1955 and served as a Judge in the Cook County Circuit Court toward the end of his professional legal career.
From the description of Judge Irwin N. Cohen papers, 1954-1968. (University of Illinois-Chicago Library). WorldCat record id: 58973801
