Born on March 3, 1946, in Portage, WI, Mike spent most of his younger years in Freeport, IL, where he attended St. Mary’s Grade School and Aquin High School. He received his BA from St. Ambrose College in Davenport, IA, in 1968, and his JD from the University of Illinois College of Law in 1971. During the time he was at the University of Illinois, he was an editor of the University of Illinois College of Law Forum.

Starting in 1971, he began to practice law in Freeport, IL in the firm that was started by his father, the Honorable Francis X. Mahoney. Judge P. Michael Mahoney was appointed a part-time U.S. Magistrate Judge on March 18, 1976. He held that position on a part-time basis as the only Magistrate Judge in the Western Division of the Northern District of Illinois until May 27, 1992, when he was appointed full-time U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of Illinois, Western Division.

From 1992 to 2002, Judge P. Michael Mahoney was an adjunct professor of Advanced Criminal Procedure at Northern Illinois University College of Law, a position he enjoyed very much. In that course, he taught third-year law students criminal procedure from a constitutional law vantage point.

Judge Mahoney served as the only Magistrate Judge in the Western Division until he resigned from his position on December 31, 2012 and accepted recall. Judge Mahoney remained on recall through May 1, 2014. As Magistrate Judge, Judge Mahoney was involved in virtually all types of civil litigation that occurred in the Western Division. Every civil case that was filed was assigned to him for handling of discovery matters, case management orders, and to hold settlement conferences.

Judge Mahoney has done settlement conferences in literally thousands of cases during his tenure.

Judge P. Michael Mahoney and his wife, Christine, reside in Freeport, IL. He has a son, Tim, who is the owner attorney of Mahoney & Mahoney, LLC, and a son, Dan, who also lives in Freeport, IL.