The Illinois Judicial Conference has unveiled its 2026-2028 Strategic Agenda for the Illinois Judicial Branch.
The new Strategic Agenda outlines how the Judicial Branch will evolve and adapt to make the courts work better for the people they serve.
Chief Justice P. Scott Neville, Jr., emphasized that the Strategic Agenda focuses on removing barriers that prevent litigants from fully participating in the legal system.
The Chief Judge of the 7th Jucicial Circuit is posting notice for one (1) vacancy which exists in the office of Public Defender of Sangamon County. This vacancy is for the Public Defender position. Resumes are now being accepted for this vacancy, which will be filled by majority vote of the Circuit Court Judges in the 7th Judicial Circuit, State of Illinois.
Any person seeking appointment as the Public Defender of Sangamon County must be duly licensed as an attorney and counselor-at-law in the state of Illinois. Please submit a cover letter and resume to the following person:
The Illinois Supreme Court issued attorney disciplinary orders during its January 2026 Term of Court. Sanctions were imposed because the lawyers engaged in professional misconduct by violating state ethics law.
Justice Elizabeth M. Rochford and the Illinois Supreme Court have announced the appointment of Associate Judge Julia Ann Yetter as an At Large Circuit Judge in the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit, Kane County.
Judge Yetter is being appointed to fill the vacancy created by the impending retirement of Judge Kevin T. Busch on January 29, 2026. The appointment is effective February 2, 2026, and will conclude on December 4, 2028.
The Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC) announced today that the Southern Illinois University (SIU) School of Medicine’s Center for Rural Health and Social Service Development Rural Health Substance Use Disorder (CRHSSD) Leadership Center has recently awarded $45,000 to rural drug courts in Illinois. Six rural courts (Clinton, Hancock, Jackson, Montgomery, Richland, and Whiteside) will receive funds to enhance existing programs.
The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice (ATJ Commission) and the Access to Justice Division of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC) launched the application process for a grant initiative.
Illinois Supreme Court Justice Mary Jane Theis has announced her retirement from the Illinois Supreme Court effective January 29, 2026. Justice Theis has served on the Supreme Court since 2010 and retires as one of the most prolific judges in Illinois history, having served in all levels of the judiciary in 40-plus years on the bench. She served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from 2022 to 2025.
Effective January 1, 2026, the following individual is reappointed a member of the Judicial Conference of Illinois pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 41(b), for a term expiring December 31, 2028:
Justice Lisa Holder White and the Illinois Supreme Court have announced the appointment of Associate Judge Randy Yedinak as a Circuit Judge for Livingston County in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit.
Judge Yedinak is being appointed to fill the vacancy created by the impending retirement of Judge Jennifer Bauknecht on March 17, 2026. The appointment is effective March 18, 2026, and will conclude on December 7, 2026. Judge Yedinak is running unopposed by a party candidate for the seat in the March 2026 primary and November 2026 general election.
By Mark Kevin Wykoff, Sr.