Laura Liu

Laura Cha-Yu Liu (July 19, 1966 – April 17, 2016) was an American state appellate court judge.

Born in Carbondale, Illinois, Liu grew up in Austintown, Mahoning County, Ohio. In 1987, Liu received her bachelor's degree from Youngstown State University and her law degree from University of Cincinnati College of Law in 1991. From 1991 to 2010, Liu practiced law in Chicago, Illinois. In 2010, Liu became the first Chinese-American woman to be appointed Illinois Circuit Court judge for Cook County, Illinois. Then, in 2014, Liu became the first Chinese-American to be appointed to the Illinois Appellate Court. Liu died of cancer.