Former Illinois Supreme Court chief justice buys $1M condo on Chicago’s lakefront

Anne M. Burke, who served as Illinois Supreme Court chief justice, has purchased a condominium on Lake Shore Drive for just over $1 million, according to The Real Deal. This marks a significant change for Burke, who has lived in Chicago's 14th Ward since 1969 when her husband, Ed Burke, first became an alderman.

The Nov. 12 transaction lists only Anne Burke's name on the deed, while her husband, Ed Burke, recently released from federal prison, does not appear on the property documents. The Real Deal notes that the couple still owns their custom-built home on 51st Street, which they completed in the early 2000s. The new two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo spans roughly 1,740 square feet in a 1920s building at 850 N. Lake Shore Dr. Florida developer Crescent Heights purchased the historic 19-story structure last year and began converting it into condominiums.

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The sale price works out to approximately $580 per square foot. A court spokesperson explained that the Burkes are simply older individuals looking to move into a smaller living space.

Distinguished career and personal achievements

Anne Burke built an impressive career spanning several decades, Crain's Chicago Business reports. In 1968, she co-founded the Special Olympics alongside Eunice Kennedy Shriver, with historians later recognizing her as the "real sparkplug" behind the program's creation. After earning her law degree and joining the Illinois bar in 1983, Burke became the first woman appointed to the Illinois Court of Claims in 1987 under Gov. Jim Thompson.

Crain's Chicago Business further explains that she joined the state Supreme Court in 2006 and won two complete ten-year terms. Burke served as chief justice from 2019 to 2022 before retiring. Meanwhile, her husband, Ed Burke, faced legal troubles after his 2023 conviction on charges including racketeering, bribery, and extortion. He received a 24-month federal prison sentence in June 2024, but was released into community confinement after serving less than half his term.