Supreme Court gives seven judicial candidates a head start on their judicial careers

In a series of orders entered yesterday, the Supreme Court appointed seven individuals, not currently serving on the bench, to the judicial vacancies they are seeking in uncontested primaries.

Specifically, unopposed countywide candidate Jennifer P. Callahan (Raines vacancy) was appointed to the Raines vacancy.

Unopposed 4th Subcircuit candidate Koula A. Fournier (Maloney vacancy) was appointed to the Maloney vacancy.

Unopposed 8th Subcircuit candidate Loveleen Ahuja (Collins-Dole vacancy) was appointed to the Collins-Dole vacancy.

Unopposed 10th Subcircuit candidate Caroline Glennon-Goodman (McWilliams vacancy) was appointed to the McWilliams vacancy.

Unopposed 11th Subcircuit candidate Dawn Gonzalez (Collins vacancy) was appointed to the Collins vacancy.

The candidates for both 13th Subcircuit candidates are unopposed. Both received bench appointments yesterday. Ralph E. Meczyk (Betar III vacancy) was appointed to the Betar III vacancy; Mary Sevandal Cohen (Steffen vacancy) was appointed to the Steffen vacancy.

Each of these appointments is effective on February 2 (Groundhog's Day, or Candlemas, if you prefer) and will terminate on December 2 -- when (barring a meteor strike or some equally improbable event) each of these appointees will be sworn in for full six-year terms.

Each of the appointment orders contains specific language -- unique in my experience -- that says that the appointee "has received recent positive ratings from members of the Alliance of Bar Associations for Judicial Screening and the Chicago Bar Association following the interviews and evaluations."

There are other uncontested candidates, not all of whom are already serving on the bench. Some of these will have good bar evaluations; some of these may also receive early appointments at some point. Some of the uncontested candidates will perhaps have less than stellar bar evaluations or eschew screening altogether; none of these are likely to receive early appointments. Time will tell.

The Supreme Court's press release concerning these appointments is here.