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:
Effective January 1st, trial clerks will no longer be required to file a Notice of Appeal in criminal cases where the defendant is represented by counsel. Instead, defense attorneys will be responsible for filing timely Notices of Appeal.
ST. LOUIS – Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025 – Lashly & Baer, P.C. announced today that it will open a new office in Edwardsville, Illinois effective January 1, 2026. The new location expands the firm’s presence in Illinois and reinforces its long-term commitment to serving clients throughout the Metro East and surrounding communities.
Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright today confirmed that 51 of its lawyers globally will be promoted to partner, effective January 1, 2026.
Still looking for holiday gift ideas for colleagues? Check out the Illinois Bar Journal’s “Holiday Gift Guide 2025,” written by Pointers From Practice HQ columnists Jeffrey S. Krause and Jeffrey S. Schoenberger. The list includes productivity products, apps, gadgets, and other items that will bring value, efficiency, and perhaps even a bit of fun to your working day.
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.
The need to obtain school student records may arise in everything from dissolution of marriage proceedings to general civil litigation and administrative proceedings, such as grievance proceedings involving school staff, observes Christian Ketter in his December Illinois Bar Journal article, “What’s in the File?” But Ketter notes the Illinois School Student Records Act ensures that a student’s individually identifiable information remains insulated from those contexts.