Justice Theis announces application process for new countywide vacancy

Illinois Supreme Court Justice Mary Jane Theis today announced an application process for a temporary appointment to a countywide vacancy that will be created by the forthcoming retirement of Circuit Court Judge Joan M. O'Brien.

Today's announcement indicates that persons who have already applied for the Sullivan vacancy recently announced by Justice Theis will be automatically considered for this vacancy as well. There is no need for those persons to submit an additional application to be considered for the O'Brien vacancy. (With that sole exception, persons who have submitted applications for other, prior application processes must submit a new application in order to be considered for this vacancy.)

Applications for the O'Brien vacancy must be submitted by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, October 1, 2021. Application forms are available here and may be submitted electronically to lmarino@illinoiscourts.gov.

Under the Illinois Constitution, judicial vacancies are filled on an interim basis by Supreme Court appointment. Justice Theis will make recommendations to the Supreme Court for both the Sullivan and O'Brien vacancies after applicants undergo a screening and evaluation process. The persons appointed to these vacancies would serve until the first Monday in December following the November 2022 general election. To be eligible for consideration for appointment, applicants must be a lawyer in good standing, licensed to practice law in Illinois, and a resident of Cook County.

Applicants for this vacancy will be subject to further evaluation by both the Alliance of Bar Associations for Judicial Screening, a collaboration of 12 area bar groups, and the Chicago Bar Association. Further review will be conducted by a special judicial screening committee that Justice Theis established in 2013. Applicants who already have bar evaluations should include copies with their applications. Applications may be submitted without bar evaluations.