Hancock County, Illinois, is accepting applications for the position of Public Defender. All applicants must provide proof of a valid Illinois law license, be in good standing with the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, and have prior criminal law experience. Hancock County is located in West Central Illinois. The County Seat is Carthage, Illinois.
The application is available online at www.9thjudicial.org and should be mailed to:
WILMINGTON, Del. – Jan. 7, 2026 – Maron Marvel, a leading national litigation defense firm focusing on risk management, mass and toxic tort litigation, general liability, environmental law, and commercial litigation, is proud to announce the promotion of 10 attorneys, including three elevations to Shareholder and seven to Partner, effective January 1, 2026.
Governor J.B. Pritzker recently announced that Louis George Apostol will continue to serve another term as Public Administrator of Cook County.
Mr. Apostol has a distinguished 45-year career as a practicing attorney in Illinois. He has been reappointed to this position multiple times since 1991. He formerly served as Executive Director & General Counsel to the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board and was appointed Commissioner/Trial Judge on the Illinois Court of Claims.
By Mark Kevin Wykoff, Sr.
The Illinois Bar Journal’s January cover story, “Help Is on the Way,” dives deep into the ARDC’s new guide for attorneys interested in implementing artificial intelligence in their practice. The IBJ interviews the guide’s author as well as other attorneys who see the fast-evolving technology as a key tool for attorneys in the new year. That said, the IBJ also explores the caveats the ARDC’s guide lays out for using AI ethically and accurately.
Read the "Help Is on the Way" in the January Illinois Bar Journal.
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:
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.