Illinois Supreme Court Appoints Terra Costa Howard as Circuit Judge in Dupage County

Posted on September 23, 2025 by Marybeth Stanziola

Justice Mary K. O’Brien and the Illinois Supreme Court have announced the appointment of Terra Costa Howard as a Resident Circuit Judge in the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit (DuPage County), Fifth Subcircuit.

Ms. Costa Howard is being appointed to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Paul Fullerton. The appointment is effective October 17, 2025, and will conclude on December 7, 2026.

Heartland Community College to host event examining 90s Bloomington murder case

Heartland Community College criminal justice students will host an event on Oct. 2 examining an old murder case, wrongful convictions, and DNA evidence.

From: 
25 News Now

Court blocks Trump admin’s demand for SNAP data following Illinois AG lawsuit

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and 21 other states are celebrating a victory in a case where they filed a lawsuit to prevent the Trump Administration from accessing information on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients.

From: 
WCIA

New Illinois Workplace Pay Transparency Act amendments target employer agreements

These amendments, which take effect June 1, 2026, expand employee protections by broadening definitions, tightening restrictions on certain contractual provisions, and altering available remedies for employees bringing actions against employers for violations of the Illinois Workplace Transparency Act.

From: 
The National Law Review

Quick takes on Illinois Supreme Court opinions issued Thursday, September 18, 2025

Leading appellate attorneys review the Illinois Supreme Court opinions handed down Thursday, September 18. 

From: 
The Bar News

Trump's civil rights boss challenged by appeals court weighing Illinois assault weapons ban

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, the head of the Justice Department’s civil rights division, took the unusual step of traveling to Chicago to briefly participate in arguments Monday before the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

From: 
Chicago Sun-Times

The Law Clerk’s Law Clerk

Posted on September 22, 2025 by Marybeth Stanziola

 U.S. Circuit Court law clerk Matthew N. Preston II spent considerable time running the artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT through extensive testing in various aspects of his work and life. His article “The Law Clerk’s Law Clerk” in the September 2025 Illinois bar Journal is his firsthand account of that experience. Preston describes how tools like ChatGPT might help—and hinder—the judiciary, particularly the law clerks tasked with preparing judges for their decisions.