Justice Lisa Holder White and the Illinois Supreme Court have announced the appointment of Fifteenth Circuit Associate Judge John D. Hay as Resident Circuit Judge of Jo Daviess County.
Judge Hay is being appointed to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Resident Circuit Judge Kevin J. Ward. The appointment of Judge Hay is effective September 2, 2025, and will conclude on December 7, 2026.
On Tuesday, July 30, 2025, the Judicial Council of the National Bar Association hosted its 54th Annual Thurgood Marshall Luncheon at the Hyatt Hotel in Chicago. This year’s luncheon marked a historic moment as Illinois Appellate Court Justice Freddrenna M. Lyle was sworn in by Justice P. Scott Neville, Jr. and installed as the new Chair of the Judicial Council.
Marcia M. Meis, Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, announced today that the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit judges voted to select Hany G. Khoury as an associate judge of the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit.
Mr. Khoury received his undergraduate degree in 1997 from Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, and his Juris Doctor in 2000 from the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. Mr. Khoury is currently affiliated with the Rock Island County Public Defender’s Office in Rock Island, Illinois.
An effective oral argument can illuminate critical points and new perspectives that transcend the briefs, writes Christian Ketter in his August Illinois Bar Journal article, “Answer the Question!” But too often, Ketter argues, one clenches defeat from the jaws of victory by refusing to grapple with the hypothetical bounds of the unknown. And rarely does a precedent present itself with perfectly aligned facts—hence, the nature of appellate review.
Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, a not-for-profit organization with a long and successful history of civil rights enforcement and advocacy, seeks an attorney to join our legal team and work to address systemic racism and advance economic opportunity, applying creative legal strategies through a community-driven advocacy model. The attorney will serve in the position as a Program Counsel or Senior Counsel depending on years of legal experience.
The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice (ATJ Commission) is seeking two volunteer members to serve on its Forms Committee. The expected term of service is three years (starting on January 1, 2026). We are specifically seeking candidates from the following court stakeholder groups:
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is accepting applications for one attorney position.
Justice Mary K. O’Brien of the Supreme Court of Illinois has begun an application process for a Resident Circuit Judge vacancy in DuPage County – Fifth Subcircuit. Please be advised that any candidate seeking appointment to this vacancy shall reside within the subcircuit boundaries. See 705 ILCS 35/2f-18 (West 2022); 705 ILCS 40/2(d) (West 2022).
The vacancy will be created by the retirement of Judge Paul Fullerton on October 15, 2025.
Each August, the Illinois Bar Journal publishes its “Legislative Roundup,” a summary of bills awaiting or just signed by the governor and of interest to members of the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA). Several of these bills were supported by the ISBA or revised after ISBA input. Some were written by members or grew out of ISBA initiatives. The Legislative Roundup that appears in the August Illinois Bar Journal was painstakingly compiled by David P.
The Illinois Judicial College has approved a group of Illinois Circuit Clerks and selected members of their staff to participate in the Certified Court Manager (CCM) Program, a nationally recognized professional development initiative developed by the National Center for State Courts (NCSC).