Justice Lisa Holder White and the Illinois Supreme Court have announced the appointment of Erin C. Hannigan as Resident Circuit Judge for the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, Subcircuit 1, Winnebago County.
Ms. Hannigan is being appointed to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Chief Judge John Lowry. The appointment of Ms. Hannigan is effective January 20, 2026, and will conclude on December 7, 2026.
Justice Lisa Holder White and the Supreme Court of Illinois announced today the appointment of retired Judge Richard H. Gambrell in the Ninth Judicial Circuit.
Judge Gambrell is being appointed to the vacancy created by the retirement of Fulton County Resident Circuit Judge Thomas B. Ewing on Jan. 2, 2026. The appointment is effective Jan. 19, 2026, and concludes on Dec. 4, 2028.
Marcia M. Meis, Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, announced today that the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit judges voted to select Jonathan C. Ruud as an associate judge of the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit.
Mr. Ruud received his undergraduate degree in 1999 from Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois, and his Juris Doctor in 2004 from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois. Mr. Ruud is currently affiliated with Hanna & Ruud, LLC in Moline, Illinois.
Justice Elizabeth M. Rochford of the Supreme Court of Illinois seeks public comment on the 11 applicants for an At-Large Circuit Judge vacancy in the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit, Kane County.
The vacancy will result from the retirement of the Honorable Kevin T. Busch effective January 29, 2026.
Under the Illinois Constitution, the vacancy will be filled by Supreme Court appointment. Applicants being considered for appointment to the judgeship are:
Chief Justice P. Scott Neville, Jr. and the Supreme Court of Illinois announced today the recall and assignment of seven retired circuit court judges from Cook, Will, and Pope counties to address a shortage of judges in the Circuit Court of Cook County.
Section 15 of article VI of the Illinois Constitution provides that any retired Judge, with his or her consent, may be assigned by the Supreme Court to judicial service for which he or she shall receive the applicable compensation in lieu of retirement benefits. Ill. Const. 1970, art. VI § 15
Justice David K. Overstreet of the Supreme Court of Illinois has begun an application process for an at-large circuit judge vacancy in the Sixth Judicial Circuit.
The vacancy was created by the retirement of Judge Jeffrey Geisler.
Justice David K. Overstreet and the Illinois Supreme Court have announced the recall and assignment of the Honorable Mark H. Clarke (ret.) to the Fifth District Appellate Court.
Judge Clarke is being assigned to fill the vacancy created by the upcoming retirement of Justice James R. Moore, effective December 31, 2025. The assignment of Judge Clarke is effective January 27, 2026, and will conclude on December 4, 2028.
Public invited to submit comments on 2 applicants
Justice Lisa Holder White of the Supreme Court of Illinois has announced the formation of a judicial screening committee for the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit – Subcircuit No. 1.
The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice (ATJ Commission) announced today the winners of two awards, the Hon. Thomas L. Kilbride (Ret.) Judicial Access to Justice Award and the Jeffrey D. Colman Access to Justice Award.
The 2025 recipients are Chief Administrative Law Judge Brian Weinthal and Brenda Sprague, Executive Assistant to the Chief Judge of the First Judicial Circuit. These awards are designed to recognize and celebrate exceptional contributions to increasing access to the court system by improving the experience of litigants.
The National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) will begin offering a new version of the bar examination, known as the NextGen Uniform Bar Examination (NextGen UBE), beginning in July 2026.