Nominations for two awards to be conferred by the Illinois Supreme Court's Commission on Access to Justice close on November 2

The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice (ATJ Commission) is seeking nominations for two awards, the Jeffrey D. Colman Access to Justice Award and The Hon. Thomas L. Kilbride (Ret.) Judicial Access to Justice Award. These awards are designed to recognize and celebrate exceptional contributions to increasing access to the court system by improving the experience of litigants.

The Jeffrey D. Colman Access to Justice Award will be given to a lawyer, paralegal, or courthouse employee who has made a significant or meaningful contribution to improving access to our court system for litigants who are self-represented, limited English proficient, disabled, or otherwise vulnerable.

The Hon. Thomas L. Kilbride (Ret.) Judicial Access to Justice Award will be given to a member of the judiciary who has made a significant or meaningful contribution to increasing access to the court system by improving the experience of litigants.

Nominations must be made by November 2, 2026, and must be submitted via an online form. Interested persons can learn more about either award, and access the online nominating form, by clicking on either of the links above.

Award winners will be announced in December and a reception to celebrate the awardees will be held in the spring.

Christopher Bonjean leaves the Supreme Court

Christopher Bonjean, the Chief Communications Officer for the Illinois Supreme Court's Office of Communications and Public Information, is leaving that post, effective August 17. The Supreme Court's press release on the subject is here.

Bonjean has very helpful to FWIW over the years. While he did not answer my every question, he has responded promptly and courteously when his duties to the Court permitted. I am appreciative. The linked press release does not specify what Bonjean will do next, but I certainly wish him well in his new endeavors.

Judicial hopefuls: Here's a list of your new best friends

Kidding. I kid.

Here's the straight news: Supreme Court Justice Sanjay T. Tailor has announced the formation of a screening committee to evaluate candidates for interim Cook County judicial appointments that Justice Tailor may make. The Supreme Court's press release announcing the formation of the committee is here.

Members of the Committee are:

• Hon. Ketki Shroff Steffen (ret.),
• Hon. Patricia Holmes (ret.),
• Hon. Rita Novak (ret.),
• Paul Castiglione of the Khowaja Law Firm, LLC,
• Monica Khetarpal of Jackson Lewis PC,
• Juan Morado, Jr., of Benesch Law,
• Jesse Ruiz of The Vistria Group,
• Joan Akalaonu of Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP,
• Linda Coberly of Winston Taylor LLP,
• John C. Sciaccotta of Aronberg Goldgehn Davis & Garmisa,
• Jeffrey M. Mathis of King & Jones,
• Eirene N. Salvi of Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C.,
• Daniel Kotin of Tomasik Kotin Kasserman, LLC,
• Adam Zebelian of Schiller DuCanto & Fleck LLP,
• Joel Bruckman of Smith, Gambrell, & Russell, LLP,
• Jeanette Sublett of Neal & Leroy, LLC, and
• Donna Haddad of the Northwestern University Energy Innovation Lab

Steffen and Castiglione will co-chair the new committee.

Now, if you had a relationship with one or more of these individuals before this week's announcement, I suppose you might reasonably send a congratulatory note to that individual, or to those individuals, on LinkedIn or Facebook or Instagram or via email or possibly even by snail mail. Pick one. And only one.

If, on the other hand, you had no relationship with anyone on this list before now, leave these poor folks alone.

No, seeing one of them across the room at a seminar, or sharing an elevator once at the Daley Center, does not constitute a preexisting relationship. Pretending otherwise will not enhance your chances for a bench appointment. And you may be branded as a stalker.

You have been warned.

Who Sits Where: Bastille Day Edition

Updated 7/19/26

I am keenly aware nominating petitions for the 2027 mayoral election can not be circulated until July 28. It is therefore far, far, far too soon to be thinking about the 2028 Cook County judicial primary. At least for normal people.

But normal people are not in charge of our political system... politicians are. (If more normal people got directly involved in our political system, maybe some of those dominating the process now could be pushed back to the fringes, where they belong. But I digress.)

Those who hope to secure Cook County judgeships, even if they are mostly normal, or at least partially normal, have little choice but to start peering into the distant future, looking past the 2027 mayoral, and considering what may be available in March 2028 (or maybe February -- there has been talk of moving the primary up to benefit Gov. Pritzker's presidential ambitions).

There will eventually be, in addition to the vacancies listed below, ten subcircuit vacancies, two each in the new subcircuits 16-20. So far, only two have been allocated: the vacancy created by the retirement of Associate Judge Sybil C. Thomas has been assigned to the 19th Subcircuit, while the vacancy created by the February passing of Associate Judge Scott Norris has been assigned to the 20th. Obviously, there will be more retirements in the coming months and new vacancies will need to be added for these.

For the present, however, the list below is as accurate as I can make it... and thanks to reader input since this post first appeared, it is much more accurate now.

When this post first appeared, I went out on a limb just a bit in assigning the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Sophia Hall to the 15th Subcircuit. Here was my thinking: Judge Hall was the last serving judge who was elected prior to the adoption of the original subcircuit system, in 1992. Before we had subcircuits, we elected judges countywide, citywide, or suburbs-only. The citywide and suburbs-only seats, when they opened up, were assigned to the original subcircuits (1-15). The order of assignment was determined by lottery, the results of which were memorialized in a Supreme Court order. The last pre-1992 judge to retire before Judge Hall was Judge Irwin J. Solganick; his vacancy was assigned to, and filled from, the 7th Subcircuit in 2024. Per that venerable Supreme Court order, I believed Judge Hall's vacancy would have been assigned to the 15th Subcircuit.

On the other hand, at least according to its website, the Supreme Court believes Judge Hall's vacancy should be filled from the 5th Subcircuit. I've updated accordingly. (But I'd still like to know how Judge Hall's vacancy was allocated; hopefully, someone will educate me. Lord knows, I could use it.)

All errors or omissions in the following list are mine alone. Updates to the this post will be made, or new lists put up, as events warrant. Herewith, then, the list:

Supreme Court Vacancy

Vacancy of the Hon. Mary Jane Theis - Sanjay T. Tailor

Appellate Court Vacancy

Vacancy of the Hon. Terrence J. Lavin - Unfilled

Countywide Circuit Court Vacancies

Vacancy of the Hon. Daniel J. Kubasiak - Unfilled
Vacancy of the Hon. Kelly M. McCarthy - Not Seeking Retention
Vacancy of the Hon. Diana Rosario - Unfilled
Vacancy of the Hon. Shelley Sutker-Dermer - Not Seeking Retention

Subcircuit Vacancies

1st Subcircuit
Vacancy of the Hon. Donna L. Cooper - Not Seeking Retention

3rd Subcircuit
Vacancy of the Hon. Kenneth J. Wadas - Not Seeking Retention

5th Subcircuit
Vacancy of the Hon. Sophia Hall - Unfilled

9th Subcircuit
Vacancy of the Hon. Sanjay T. Tailor

12th Subcircuit
Vacancy of the Hon. Pamela E. Loza - Unfilled

Fearless prediction: Justice Tailor will be slated for the Theis vacancy on the Illinois Supreme Court in 2028

Disclaimer: This essay contains a prediction. I don't usually make predictions, because, if I really could predict the future, I'd wait until the Powerball jackpot got large, buy one ticket, and really retire. Retire in style. And, besides, past performance is not indicative of future results, etc., etc.

On the other hand, one of the things that makes us human is our ability to discern patterns. Successful pattern recognition was vital to the evolution of our species: Our remote ancestors, back in Africa, learned to recognize which subtle noise in the brush was a stalking predator, and which noise was just the night breeze. (The ones who couldn't figure out which was which didn't get the opportunity to become our ancestors.) Nowadays we still try and find patterns in our surroundings. We're always trying to 'connect the dots.' If you are inclined to agree with the person who suggests a pattern of some sort, you may hail him or her as a pundit... if you disagree, you might revile that person as a conspiracy theorist.

Have I adequately managed your expectations yet?

Gosh, I hope so.

Anyway, turning to the case of Justice Sanjay T. Tailor: The Order elevating Tailor specifies that he "is appointed to the Supreme Court of Illinois to the position currently held by the Honorable Mary Jane Theis." Contrast this with the language of the 2022 Order which put Justice Tailor on the Appellate Court: "[T]he Honorable Sanjay T. Tailor, Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County, is assigned to duty in the Appellate Court of Illinois, First District."

While assigned to the Appellate Court, under the terms of the Supreme Court's 2022 Order, Justice Tailor remained a Circuit Court judge. He could be returned to that court whenever the Supreme Court decided to end his assignment. But now? Justice Tailor is being appointed to the Supreme Court. Come January 30, his 9th Subcircuit seat will be vacant. To remain on the bench in any capacity, Justice Tailor will have to stand for election.

So... presumably... he is running for the Supreme Court.

It doesn't have to be that way; he might choose not to run and simply retire when his appointment ends. Service on the State's highest court, even for only a couple of years, would be a great way to conclude a career. And, in Justice Tailor's case, such a meteoric rise: He was not exactly an overnight sensation, given that he served as an associate judge for roughtly 17 years prior to his appointment to a countywide vacancy in late 2020. But, following that appointment? He ascended through the ranks very rapidly indeed. FWIW readers will recall that Tailor did not run for the countywide vacancy to which he was appointed. Instead, he sought a 9th Subcircuit vacancy -- running unopposed in the 2022 primary. He received his appointment to the Appellate Court before his actual election (he was also unopposed on the November 2022 ballot).

FWIW readers may recall the case of Justice Caswell Crebs. Crebs hailed from Carmi, in White County, Illinois. He was elected a Circuit Judge in the far Downstate 2nd Circuit in 1945. He retired in 1964. In 1969, the Supreme Court called Crebs out of retirement to fill the 5th District vacancy created by the death of Justice Byron O. House. Crebs didn't run for the vacancy; it was subsequently filled by Justice Joseph H. Goldenhersh. Crebs did such a good job of not running for that vacancy that, in 1975, when a Second District vacancy opened up, following the resignation of Justice Charles H. Davis, the Supreme Court invited Crebs back. He did not run for that vacancy either (Justice Thomas H. Moran was elected to fill that seat).

It is possible that Justice Tailor may be following the Caswell Crebs career path.

But I wouldn't bet on it. It is probably significant that the Supreme Court announced Tailor's appointment simultaneously with the news of Justice Theis's resignation. Justice Theis began her career on the Supreme Court pursuant to an interim appointment in 2010; this was announced at the same time as the Court announced the retirement of Justice Thomas R. Fitzgerald. Theis was subsequently slated by the Cook County Democratic Party and won election in her own right in 2012.

In 2018, when Justice Charles E. Freeman retired from the Illinois Supreme Court, the appointment of Justice P. Scott Neville, Jr. was announced at the same time. Justice Neville (now Chief Justice Neville) was subsequently slated by the Cook County Democratic Party and elected in his own right in 2020. Justice Anne Burke retired in 2022; Justice Joy V. Cunningham was appointed as Burke's interim replacement immediately thereafter. Cunningham was thereafter slated by the Cook County Democratic Party and won election in 2024.

I think that's a pattern.

Therefore, while I can't prove it, and certainly no one told me, I suspect that the Supreme Court and Justice Tailor at least a nodding expectation that the Cook County Democratic Party will slate Tailor for the 2028 primary.

Whether Tailor runs or not, of course, there will be a contested primary for the Theis vacancy in 2028. I don't need be cautious in making that prediction.

Justice Theis to retire from the Illinois Supreme Court, Judge Sanjay Tailor appointed to fill vacancy

Herewith the Supreme Court's press release (I've added a few links):

llinois Supreme Court Justice Mary Jane Theis has announced her retirement from the Illinois Supreme Court effective January 29, 2026. Justice Theis has served on the Supreme Court since 2010 and retires as one of the most prolific judges in Illinois history, having served in all levels of the judiciary in 40-plus years on the bench. She served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from 2022 to 2025. Justice Theis’ full statement on her retirement is available here.

“I am deeply grateful to have had the opportunity to serve,” Justice Theis said. “It has been my foremost goal to further the Court’s mission of providing access to equal justice, ensuring judicial integrity and upholding the rule of law.”

The Supreme Court has constitutional authority to fill interim judicial vacancies and has appointed First District Appellate Court Justice Sanjay T. Tailor to fill Justice Theis’ seat. Justice Tailor, whose term is effective January 30, 2026, through December 4, 2028, will be the first Asian American to serve on the Illinois Supreme Court.

“I am grateful to Justice Mary Jane Theis and the other justices of the Illinois Supreme Court for their confidence and trust in appointing me Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court,” Justice Tailor said. “I also look forward to continuing the work of the Illinois Supreme Court to ensure that our system of justice serves all people fairly and equitably.”

Justice Theis succeeded retired Justice Thomas R. Fitzgerald in 2010, becoming the fourth woman to serve on the high court. The only child of Cook County Circuit Court Judge Kenneth R. Wendt and his wife, Eleanore, Justice Theis was born in Chicago. “When I was in high school,” she remembered, “I would go to his courtroom whenever I had an opportunity and watch the proceedings. It was a time when the law was changing very rapidly. He heard a lot of narcotics cases, and it was a time when issues about the Fourth Amendment were not only on the front pages of the newspapers, but also were important cases in the United States Supreme Court, and it seemed so compelling and exciting.”

Succeeding Justice Anne Burke as Chief Justice, Justice Theis became the fourth woman to serve as Chief on October 26, 2022, with the goal of “increasing public trust and confidence in the courts.” She added that people will accept court rulings if they believe they were impartially treated. “The perception of fairness is what holds together our communities, our court system, the rule of law, and our democracy.” As Chief, Justice Theis oversaw the establishment of the Illinois Courts Commission as an independent state agency to manage complaints against judges by the Judicial Inquiry Board. She also expanded “judicial education beyond the judges but to all the justice partners so that when people come into our courthouses, they will be met by a clerk of the court that has had the same kind of training.”

Justice Theis oversaw the creation of the Supreme Court Executive Committee on the Practice of Law (Executive Committee). The Executive Committee is charged with making recommendations on issues impacting the practice of law and unmet legal needs. It has proposed and passed numerous improvements, including three that took effect July 1, 2025.

“Justice Mary Jane Theis has had an extraordinary record of service to both the bench and bar. She has served with distinction at all levels of the judiciary including most recently as our Chief Justice. During her tenure as Chief, she was a national leader in addressing the unmet legal needs of those individuals who could not afford legal representation or who lived in areas of the state where legal representation was not available. As Chief, she appointed the first Supreme Court Executive Committee on the Practice of Law whose sole mission was to address the unmet legal needs of Illinois residents,” said Attorney J. Timothy Eaton, who serves as Chair of the Executive Committee. “It was through her leadership that the Executive Committee launched many programs to improve access to legal representation. She also was a student of the law, and her thoughtful and scholarly opinions will stand the test of time. She will be sorely missed.”

Justice Theis authored the opinion in Rowe v. Raoul, which declared the law eliminating cash bail in Illinois to be constitutional. Kankakee County State’s Attorney James Rowe filed a lawsuit against Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul challenging the constitutionality of the 2021 Illinois Safety, Accountability, Fairness, and Equity-Today (SAFE-T) Act that eliminated cash bail in the state of Illinois. After the Kankakee County Circuit Court declared the law unconstitutional, the Illinois Supreme Court in a 5-2 decision reversed the lower court’s judgment and affirmed the SAFE-T Act’s constitutionality. Justice Theis wrote that “our constitution creates a balance between the individual rights of defendants and the individual rights of crime victims. The Act’s pretrial release provisions set forth procedures commensurate with that balance.”

Justice Theis’ three-year term as Chief concluded in October 2025. As an appellate court justice, she served as a Presiding Justice. She was Committee Chair of both the Committee on Judicial Education and the Committee on Judicial Conduct of the Illinois Judicial Conference, and a member of the Supreme Court Rules Committee. Justice Theis was President of the Appellate Lawyers Association and the Illinois Judges Association, as well as President and founding member of the Illinois Judges Foundation. She has been a member of the Board of Governors of the Illinois State Bar Association and the Board of Managers of the Chicago Bar Association and is a member of the Women's Bar Association of Illinois.

After graduation from Loyola University in 1971, Justice Theis pursued a law degree from the University of San Francisco. She later said that an internship at the Marin County, California, public defender’s office helped shaped her career. Returning to Chicago, she served as an assistant Cook County public defender until 1983, when she began her judicial career as a Cook County associate judge and in 1988 won election as a circuit judge. In 1993, she was assigned to the First District Appellate Court and was elected to the position in 1994, serving for 17 years.

On October 26, 2010, the Supreme Court appointed Justice Theis to fill the Fitzgerald vacancy.

“I am humbled by the confidence the Illinois Supreme Court has placed in me,” she told the Illinois State Bar Association at the time. “The fact is I love being a judge very much. I love the intellectual part of it. But most importantly, I have an opportunity to shape the law that affects the lives of the People of Illinois.”

In February 2012, Justice Theis wrote the opinion in People v. Wrice, regarding the 1983 conviction of Stanley Wrice for the abduction, rape, and deviate sexual assault of a Chicago woman. Wrice’s attorneys claimed that after his arrest he had been severely beaten into a confession by two Chicago detectives, both of whom worked under Jon Burge, a police lieutenant who was promoted to commander before being suspended in 1991 and fired in 1993 for systematically torturing black suspects. At the trial, prosecutors introduced Wrice’s alleged confession, and, although no physical evidence linked him to the crime, he was convicted by a jury and spent the next 31 years in prison.

In 2010, following special-prosecutor investigations of beatings by Chicago police, the Illinois Appellate Court ordered a hearing on Wrice’s torture claim. Prosecutors appealed to the Supreme Court. Justice Theis wrote the unanimous opinion, which held that “use of a defendant’s physically coerced confession as substantive evidence of guilt is never harmless error. The defendant has satisfied the cause-and-prejudice test for successive postconviction petitions.” The ensuing hearing culminated in Wrice’s exoneration. At the time of his release from prison, the cases of 25 prisoners convicted in part from coerced confessions obtained by Burge and his subordinates were pending review by the Circuit Court, resulting from the Supreme Court decision.

In March 2012, Justice Theis prevailed in a four-candidate Democratic primary race. In the November election, she easily defeated Cook County circuit judge James G. Riley by about 50 percentage points, earning a full 10-year Supreme Court term. She remarked at the time that the seven justices share a healthy respect and ignore partisan divide. “There are those who like to pigeonhole people and say we’re elected as Democrats and Republicans and, therefore, we must think a certain way,” Justice Theis said. “But if you really look at our cases, that’s not what’s happening at all. I’m proud of that non-partisan sense in our court.”

In 2016, Justice Theis delivered the unanimous 5-0 ruling in Mary J. Jones et al. v. Municipal Employees’ Annuity and Benefit Fund of Chicago, which struck down a 2014 state law intended to overhaul two of the city’s financially struggling pension systems. The legislation, supported by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, scaled back retirement benefits, required city workers and laborers to increase their retirement contributions in phases over five years, and lowered annual cost-of-living increases for retired workers. In court filings, attorneys for the City contended that the pension systems, not the city, had responsibility for paying out benefits to retirees, and that the municipal fund had just 37 percent of the amount needed to pay future retirement benefits, while the fund for laborers held slightly more than 50 percent of the needed money. “The Illinois Constitution mandates that members of the Funds have ‘a legally enforceable right to receive the benefits they have been promised’ – not merely to receive whatever happens to remain in the Funds,” Justice Theis wrote. “The General Assembly and the City have been on notice since the ratification of the 1970 Constitution that the benefits of membership must be paid in full.”

Justice Theis has taught at numerous judicial education programs, as well as conferences and seminars for the ISBA and CBA, and at Loyola University School of Law, Northwestern University School of Law, and the University of Illinois Chicago Law School. She has received various awards, including the Charles W. Daniels Judicial Leadership Award from the National Association of Pretrial Services Agencies (NAPSA) for the Court’s landmark work in supporting the expansion of pretrial services throughout Illinois. Justice Theis has also received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Illinois Judges Association, Catholic Lawyer of the Year from the Catholic Lawyers Guild, Celtic Lawyer of the Year from the Celtic Lawyers Society of Chicago, the Mary Heftel Hooten Award from the WBAI, and the Access to Justice Award from the ISBA. Justice Theis is the recipient of the American Constitution Society Legal Legend - Honor from the Chicago Lawyer Chapter.

Justice Sanjay Tailor has been a judge for 23 years, sitting on the trial and appellate courts. His appointment today makes him the first Asian American to serve as a justice of the Illinois Supreme Court. He was first appointed to the bench as an Associate Judge in 2003 and won election as Circuit Judge in 2022. He served in five different divisions of the Circuit Court including as Presiding Judge of the County Division. He also served in the Chancery, Law, Domestic Relations and Municipal Divisions. For the last three years he has served by assignment as a First District Appellate Court justice, including as Presiding Justice of his division.

Before joining the bench, Justice Tailor served as an Assistant State’s Attorney in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. He also practiced law as a senior attorney at the First National Bank of Chicago, and associate at Chapman and Cutler LLP.

Justice Tailor is a board trustee of the Illinois Judicial College, the body entrusted with the continuing education and training of Illinois judges and their justice partners. He is a commissioner of the Illinois Supreme Court’s Commission on Access to Justice. He is also a board trustee of the Judges Retirement System of Illinois.

For two decades, Justice Tailor taught a course on Illinois civil procedure as an adjunct professor at Loyola University of Chicago School of Law. Justice Tailor earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Delaware and received his Juris Doctor with honors from the Loyola University of Chicago School of Law.

He is the President of the Asian American Judges Association of Illinois and a past president of the Lawyers Club of Chicago. His additional professional affiliations include the Illinois Judges Association, the Illinois Judicial Council, the South Asian Bar Association of Chicago, and the Asian American Bar Association of Chicago.

Because service in the Illinois General Assembly did not come with enough perks already....

Reminiscent of the late Sydney J. Harris, here's a thing I learned en route to looking up other things....

Effective January 1, 2025, the Illinois Supreme Court has amended Supreme Court Rule 795 (CLE accreditation standards and hours), by adding a new subsection (d)(13), which provides:

Service as Elected or Appointed Member of the Illinois General Assembly. An attorney elected or appointed to the Illinois General Assembly earns three hours of general MCLE credit by attending at least one day of one qualifying legislative session. A "qualifying legislative session" is any official regular, special, or veto session of the Illinois General Assembly for which the member is present in the Illinois House of Representatives or Illinois Senate chambers or any official committee or subcommittee meeting of the Illinois House of Representatives or Illinois Senate for which the representative or senator is present. Credit for this attendance is limited to 3 hours for each qualifying legislative session and is capped at 12 hours in each two-year reporting period. There is no carryover of these credits to another two-year reporting period and no professional responsibility credit is available. The attorney must report the credit earned from this activity to the MCLE Board using the Board's online submission process no later than the reporting deadline for the reporting period in which the attorney earned the credit. Newly admitted attorneys do not earn Illinois MCLE credit under this provision.

It's not a complete get-out-of-CLE-free pass for lawyer-legislators: Hauling one's carcass down to Springfield and staying the day provides only a maximum of 12 of the required 30 CLE hours in any one reporting period (and only three in any given session) -- and the honorable member must still enter his or her attendance in the now-usual online manner (the dozen hours are not assumed or automatically conferred). Moreover, these are general credits only, meaning attendance doesn't count toward the various professional resopnsibility hours requirements.

Still... was there really a burning need for this? Were significant numbers of lawyer-legislators working so diligently on the people's business that they were failing to attend to their own CLE requirements? One guesses that Someone Important must have asked for this... but FWIW does not have the investigative resources to find out who that Someone Important might be.

Supreme Court Justice Joy V. Cunningham announces formation of a standing judicial selection committee

Catching up on things that happened during my hiatus...

Illinois Supreme Court Justice Joy V. Cunningham has announced the formation of a standing Judicial Selection Committee. The committee has been formed for the purpose of assessing the qualifications of those who apply for appointment to vacancies in the Supreme Court’s First District (i.e., Cook County).

The committee, which will be chaired by attorney Tim Tomasik of of Tomasik Kotin Kasserman LLC (pictured at right), consists of both non-lawyers and lawyers who reside in Cook County. The non-lawyer members of the committee are Dr. Byron Brazier of the Apostolic Church of God and former Equality Illinois Board Chair Dalila Fridi. The other attorneys on the committee are (in alphabetical order) Suyash Agrawal of Massey & Gail LLP; Edward Austin of Edward J. Austin PC; Terri Mascherin of Jenner & Block LLP; Kerry Peck of Peck Ritchey LLC; Patricia Rangel of Rangel Rangel & Associates; Larry Rogers Jr. of Power Rogers LLP; Eirene Salvi of Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C.; and Andrea Zopp of Cleveland Avenue LLC.

Pursuant to the Illinois Constitution, judicial vacancies on the Circuit and Appellate Courts are filled on an interim basis by Supreme Court appointment. According to long-standing custom and practice, the three justices elected from the First Judicial District divide the availble Cook County appointments amongst themselves. The exact mechanism or manner of distribution has never been made public, but, generally speaking, each justice could fill one-third of the available vacancies -- if they so choose. Some vacancies go unfilled in every election cycle.

Justices can fill 'their' vacancies one-by-one or in groups, as Chief Justice Theis is now doing.

Regardless of the Cook County justice making the appointment, appointed individuals have to run in the next election in order to hold their seats. All interim appointments expire on the first Monday in December of the year that the vacancy is filled by election.

A great night to be a slated Cook County judicial candidate

The majority of races were uncontested -- victory laps -- default judgments (that's a better legal term, anyway).

And in those countywide races where the party's judicial candidate faced an opponent, the party's candidate won:

• Justice Joy Virginia Cunningham keeps her seat on the Illinois Supreme Court by a nearly 3-1 margin, with similar lopsided margins in the City and suburbs alike.


• Appellate Court Justice Cynthia Y. Cobbs keeps her seat on the Appellate Court, winning by a roughly 70-30 margin in the City, and nearly as large as margin in the suburbs.


• Slated Appellate Court candidate Celia Louise Gamrath received over 72% of the suburban vote and nearly 71% of the City vote.


• All four slated candidates for the Circuit Court won their races, too. Pablo deCastro, Neil Cohen, Edward Joseph Underhill, and Debjani 'Deb' Desai compiled comfortable margins over their opponents.

It was a great night to be slated for judicial office countywide.

At this hour, it looks like former Appellate Court Justice Eileen O'Neill Burke will squeak past Clayton Harris III in the race for Cook County State's Attorney. She is running behind Harris in the latest City numbers, but by less than 2,000 votes with 91.25% of the votes counted. On the other hand, she is up by more than 15,000 in the suburbs, with 96% of the votes in.

And the Chicago transfer tax increase proposal is down by roughly 22,000 votes with 91.25% of the votes counted.

But the Devil is in the details... and there are mail-in ballots yet to be counted. So these seeming setbacks to the Party tidal wave may yet be overcome.

And, whether O'Neill prevails or not, it was a tidal wave: The Party's candidate for Clerk of the Circuit Court, Mariyana T. Spyropoulos, easily ousted incumbent Iris Y. Martinez. And Martinez was also defeated in her bid to remain 33rd Ward Committeeperson.

Subcircuit candidates running with the support of local Party leaders also fared well tonight... but not as well as those running countywide. We'll look at the subcircuits next.

Start here for the most complete information about every 2024 Cook County judicial race

Bumped up for greater visibility

This is the interactive, voter-friendly part of FWIW. What follows is a list of every Cook County judicial vacancy on the March primary ballot. Voters may be surprised to note how many are uncontested.

Please note that unless otherwise indicated (with the phrase "November election contest") all of the persons running in uncontested races are as good as elected already (and in recognition of this fact, the Supreme Court has given several of these persons -- those not already serving on the bench by appointment -- a head start on their judicial careers). There are no Republican candidates except in those few subcircuit races where a November election contest is indicated. There are no Republican judicial candidates seeking any countywide vacancies, on any Cook County court. There are no Republican primary contests at all. The following is not a partisan statement; it is merely a statement of fact: In the March 19 primary, in order to have any say in who serves in our local courts, one has to take a Democratic ballot.

Of course, not all races are uncontested. These are the ones voters should be looking for. All the contested races in the list below are live links. When you click on any of these, you'll be taken to a post that will show all the candidates in that race, in ballot order, with all ratings and other information about each candidate that I've been able to assemble. Where a candidate has provided FWIW with a statement "in their own words", a link to that statement will be available from that post as well.

There is a link at the bottom of each of these Organizing the Data posts, so voters can examine each contested race in detail, one candidate at a time, and come right back here.

The linked posts will be updated as new information becomes available, right up until the polls close next Tuesday. This post will be at or near the top of FWIW until then.

And now the list:

Supreme Court - Burke Vacancy

Appellate Court - Connors Vacancy (uncontested)
Appellate Court - Cunningham Vacancy
Appellate Court - Delort Vacancy
Appellate Court - O'Neill Burke Vacancy (uncontested)

Countywide - Flannery, Jr. Vacancy
Countywide - Gaughan Vacancy (uncontested)
Countywide - Haberkorn Vacancy (uncontested)
Countywide - Hubbard Vacancy (uncontested)
Countywide - Maras Vacancy (uncontested)
Countywide - Mitchell Vacancy
Countywide - Murphy Vacancy
Countywide - Propes Vacancy
Countywide - Raines Vacancy (uncontested)
Countywide - Sullivan Vacancy (uncontested)
Countywide - Walker Vacancy (uncontested)

3rd Subcircuit - Brosnahan Vacancy
3rd Subcircuit - Harmening Vacancy (uncontested)

4th Subcircuit - Felice Vacancy (uncontested)
4th Subcircuit - King Vacancy (uncontested)
4th Subcircuit - Maloney Vacancy (uncontensted)

5th Subcircuit - Lewis Vacancy (uncontested)

7th Subcircuit - Solganick Vacancy

8th Subcircuit - Collins-Dole Vacancy (uncontested)

10th Subcircuit - McWilliams Vacancy (uncontested)
10th Subcircuit - Wojkowski Vacancy

11th Subcircuit - Collins Vacancy (uncontested)
11th Subcircuit - Daleao Vacancy

12th Subcircuit - Dickler Vacancy (uncontested)(November election contest)
12th Subcircuit - Quinn Vacancy (uncontested)(November election contest)
12th Subcircuit - Schleifer Vacancy (uncontested)(November election contest)

13th Subcircuit - Betar, III Vacancy (uncontested)
13th Subcircuit - Steffen Vacancy (uncontested)

14th Subcircuit - O'Hara Vacancy
14th Subcircuit - Pierce Vacancy (uncontested)

15th Subcircuit - Demacopoulos Vacancy
15th Subcircuit - Toomin Vacancy (uncontested)

16th Subcircuit - Converted from Flood Vacancy (uncontested)
16th Subcircuit - Converted from Griffin Jr. Vacancy (uncontested)

17th Subcircuit - Converted from Aguilar Vacancy (uncontested)
17th Subcircuit - Converted from Flaherty Vacancy (uncontested)

18th Subcircuit - Converted from Gottainer Edidin Vacancy
18th Subcircuit - Converted from Linn Vacancy (uncontested)(November election contest)

19th Subcircuit - Converted from Senechalle Jr. Vacancy

20th Subcircuit - Converted from Budzinski Vacancy

Organizing the Data: Supreme Court - Burke vacancy

Candidates are listed in the order that they appear on the ballot in the Democratic primary; no Republican filed for this vacancy. This post may be updated before the primary as new information becomes available.

Joy Virginia Cunningham - #121

Campaign Website

Bar Association Evaluation Narratives

The Chicago Bar Association says:

Justice Joy V. Cunningham is “Highly Qualified” for Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court. Justice Cunningham was admitted to practice law in Illinois in 1982. She has served with distinction at every level of the judiciary. Justice Cunningham is highly respected for her legal knowledge and ability, unquestioned integrity and outstanding temperament.

The Chicago Council of Lawyers says:

Justice Joy Cunningham was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1982. She currently serves on the Illinois Supreme Court where she was appointed in December 2022. Prior to that appointment, she has served on the Appellate Court for sixteen years, as Senior VP and General Counsel for Northwestern Memorial Healthcare System, as an Associate Judge in the Circuit Court of Cook County, as Associate General Counsel for Loyola University and Loyola Medical Center, and as an Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Division where she began her career. She has served as an ALI advisor on Conflict of Laws and has lectured at UIC and Loyola Law Schools on trends in the law and legal practice. She is active in a number of bar associations, legal societies, and nonprofits including the Chicago Bar Association where she was President (2004-2005).

Justice Cunningham has been well respected in all of her previous positions, and is praised for her legal ability and knowledge as a Supreme Court Justice. She is reported to always be prepared for oral argument and her rulings are considered to be thorough and well reasoned. She is also praised for her calm and highly professional temperament. She is exceptionally active in community activities. The Council finds her Well Qualified for the Supreme Court.

The Illinois State Bar Association says:

Hon. Joy Virginia Cunningham has been licensed in Illinois since 1982. In December 2022, she was appointed to the Illinois Supreme Court upon the retirement of Justice Anne M. Burke. Prior to the appointment Justice Cunningham had served on the Appellate Court since 2006; prior to her election to the Appellate Court, she has been Senior Vice President and General Counsel for Northwestern Memorial System for six years. Justice Cunningham had also served as an associate judge in the Cook County Circuit Court between 1996 and 2000, where she presided over civil litigation. She is past president and a member of the Chicago Bar Association, including ISBA, Cook County Bar Association, Women’s Bar Association, Black Women Lawyer’s Association, and the Illinois Judges Association. Justice Cunningham has served on various Appellate Court and Supreme Court committees; has taught at judicial education conferences and written on various legal topics. She is the recipient of several awards, including most recently, the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Judicial Achievement Award in 2023 for the Women’s Bar Association and Judge Ann Claire Williams Award in 2023 from the Black Women Lawyer’s Association.

Attorneys described her as well-respected, diligent, and fair, with excellent legal knowledge and ability. They reported that she asks relevant questions, has a calm demeanor, and is known for her good character and high integrity. ISBA finds Justice Joy Virginia Cunningham highly qualified for election to the Illinois Supreme Court – First District.

Other Bar Association Evaluations

Arab American Bar Association: Recommended

Asian American Bar Association: Recommended

Black Men Lawyers' Association: Recommended

Black Women Lawyers' Association: Recommended

Cook County Bar Association: Highly Recommended

Decalogue Society of Lawyers: Recommended

Hellenic Bar Association of Illinois: Recommended

Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois: Qualified

Chicago's LGBTQ+ Bar Association (LAGBAC): Highly Recommended

Puerto Rican Bar Association of Illinois: Highly Recommended

Women's Bar Association of Illinois: Highly Recommended

Endorsements

Cook County Democratic Party
Chicago Federation of Labor
IVI-IPO
Chicago Teachers Union
Fraternal Order of Police, Chicago Lodge No. 7
Girl, I Guess
IUOE Local 399
Cong. Jan Schakowsky
Personal PAC

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Jesse G. Reyes - #122

Campaign Website

Bar Association Evaluation Narratives

The Chicago Bar Association says:

Justice Jesse G. Reyes is "Highly Qualified" for the office of Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court. Justice Reyes was admitted to practice law in Illinois in 1984 and served as a Cook County Associate Judge from 1997-2008; Circuit Court of Cook County Judge from 2008- 2012; and as a Justice of the Illinois Appellate Court from 2012-present. Justice Reyes is well regarded for his diligence, judicial experience, and passionate commitment to the law and our justice system.

The Chicago Council of Lawyers says:

Hon. Jesse G. Reyes was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1984. Since 2012, he has served as a Justice of the Illinois Appellate Court, First District, Fourth Division. Previously he was a Cook County Circuit Judge, where his assignments included the Chancery Division’s Mortgage Foreclosure/Mechanics Lien Section (2005-2012); the Chancery Division, County Department and the First Municipal District, Municipal Department (2002-2005); the First Municipal District, First District (2001-2005, 1997-1999); and the Sixth Municipal District (Markham, 1999-2001).

Judge Reyes has good legal ability and has had substantial experience both as a trial judge and as an Appellate Court Justice. He is reported to be well prepared at oral argument and his opinions are reported to be well written and well-reasoned. The Council finds him Qualified for the Illinois Supreme Court.

The Illinois State Bar Association says:

Hon. Jesse G. Reyes has been licensed in Illinois since 1984. He currently sits on the Appellate Court – First District. He was selected as an associate judge in 1997, elected to the circuit court in 2008 and, subsequently, elected to the Appellate Court – First District in 2012. While a circuit court judge he sat in Mortgage Foreclosure, Traffic, Domestic Violence, and the Sixth Municipal District (Markham). Before taking the bench, he was an assistant corporation counsel and an attorney for the Chicago Board of Education. Judge Jesse is a former president of the Illinois Judges Association, the Latin American Bar Association; former secretary of the Chicago Bar Association; and a former assembly member with the Illinois State Bar Association in addition to other committee work. He has lectured on legal topics and has been the recipient of several awards. He is the current president and a founding member of the Diversity Scholarship Foundation and sits on the board of the North Suburban Bar Association. The several awards, including most recently, the 2022 Distinguished Service Award from the Arab American Bar Association, the 2023 Socrates Dikastes Award from the Hellenic Bar Association, and a 2023 Appreciation Award from the Hispanic Illinois State Law Enforcement Association.

Attorneys described him as a hard worker who is prepared, strict and fair. He writes well-reasoned opinions and issues them in a timely fashion. ISBA finds Justice Jesse G. Reyes highly qualified to be elected as a Justice to the Illinois Supreme Court – First District.

Other Bar Association Evaluations

Arab American Bar Association: Recommended

Asian American Bar Association: Recommended

Black Men Lawyers' Association: Recommended

Black Women Lawyers' Association: Recommended

Cook County Bar Association: Recommended

Decalogue Society of Lawyers: Recommended

Hellenic Bar Association of Illinois: Recommended

Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois: Highly Recommended

Chicago's LGBTQ+ Bar Association (LAGBAC): Recommended

Puerto Rican Bar Association of Illinois: Highly Recommended

Women's Bar Association of Illinois: Recommended

Endorsements

AMVOTE PAC
United Hellenic Voters of America
Teamsters Joint Council No. 25
IBEW Local 134
IUOE Local 150

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Back to "Start here for the most complete information about every 2024 Cook County judicial race"

CBA releases narrative explanations of its Cook County judicial candidate ratings

The Chicago Bar Association has released its ratings of candidates running in next week's primary election.

The ratings themselves were released at the end of last week (March 8), and are available at this link. The complete Judicial Voters Guide, which contains the narrative explanations of the CBA's ratings, is in the process of being linked from this page this evening. As of 5:00 p.m. this evening (March 12), the link was not live, but FWIW has been advised that it will be live very soon.

Meanwhile, we have the narratives here.

In this post, we will look at the CBA's explanations of its ratings in the contested primary races for the Supreme and Appellate Court. In separate posts later this evening, we will publish the CBA's ratings in contested countywide races and in contested subcircuit races.

In releasing its ratings, the CBA explained that its non-partisan evaluations are the product of a comprehensive, peer-to-peer review process conducted as a long-standing public service by the CBA’s Judicial Evaluation Committee. Candidates who submit a questionnaire and participate in the screening process are evaluated based on seven criteria: integrity, legal knowledge, legal ability, professional experience, judicial temperament, diligence, and punctuality.

Candidates must also participate in a personal interview before members of the evaluation committee. They must receive a 60 percent favorable vote of the hearing panel members to receive a “Qualified” finding and an 80 percent favorable vote to receive a “Highly Qualified” finding. Candidates who receive less than a 60 percent favorable vote receive a “Not Recommended” finding, as do candidates who decline to participate in the evaluation process.

"With 69 judicial candidates on the ballot this primary, it is imperative for each candidate's qualifications to be accessible to Cook County voters," said Michelle Carey, Chair of the CBA's Judicial Evaluation Committee. "The CBA's 'Judge Smart Pocket Guide' is a valuable tool to help voters cast smart and informed votes for judicial candidates."

Supreme Court

Vacancy of the Hon. Anne M. Burke

Joy Virginia Cunningham - Highly Qualified
Justice Joy V. Cunningham is “Highly Qualified” for Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court. Justice Cunningham was admitted to practice law in Illinois in 1982. She has served with distinction at every level of the judiciary. Justice Cunningham is highly respected for her legal knowledge and ability, unquestioned integrity and outstanding temperament.

Jesse G. Reyes - Highly Qualified
Justice Jesse G. Reyes is "Highly Qualified" for the office of Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court. Justice Reyes was admitted to practice law in Illinois in 1984 and served as a Cook County Associate Judge from 1997-2008; Circuit Court of Cook County Judge from 2008- 2012; and as a Justice of the Illinois Appellate Court from 2012-present. Justice Reyes is well regarded for his diligence, judicial experience, and passionate commitment to the law and our justice system.

Appellate Court

Vacancy of the Hon. Joy V. Cunningham

Cynthia Y. Cobbs - Highly Qualified
Justice Cynthia Cobbs is "Highly Qualified" for the office of Justice of the Illinois Appellate Court. Justice Cobbs was admitted to practice law in Illinois in 1988. Justice Cobbs has over 20 years of Appellate experience as a judge and with the Administrative Offices of Illinois Courts. She has the highest rate of disposition of cases in her division and a very high affirmance rate for the decisions she has authored. Justice Cobbs has an excellent reputation among her peers and counsel appearing before her for oral argument. She is active in the profession and in the community and is a tremendous asset to the Illinois judiciary.

Carolyn J. Gallagher - Highly Qualified
Judge Carolyn Gallagher is "Highly Qualified" for the office of Justice of the Illinois Appellate Court. Judge Gallagher was admitted to practice law in Illinois in 1982 and was elected to the Circuit Court of Cook County in 2016. Judge Gallagher is currently assigned to the Probate Division. Judge Gallagher clerked for an Appellate Court Justice from 1982-1985 and during her legal career she had extensive trial and appellate practice experience. Judge Gallagher is highly regarded for her knowledge of the law, legal ability, and strong credentials in legal research and legal writing.

Vacancy of the Hon. Mathias W. Delort

Celia Louise Gamrath - Highly Qualified
Judge Celia Gamrath is “Highly Qualified” for the office of Justice of the Illinois Appellate Court. Judge Gamrath was admitted to practice law in Illinois in 1994. Judge Gamrath has almost three decades of experience as an appellate clerk, and as an appellate lawyer in private practice, including 13 years as a judge. She has demonstrated that she is a capable and fair judge in difficult assignments and is highly regarded for her legal knowledge, preparedness, temperament and work ethic by the attorneys who appear before her.

Leonard Murray - Qualified
Judge Leonard Murray is "Qualified" for the office of Justice of the Illinois Appellate Court. Judge Murray was admitted to practice law in Illinois in 1974 and is highly regarded for his legal knowledge, ability and fairness. Before his appointment to the bench, Judge Murray had extensive appellate court experience and drafted an instruction manual for judges in the Eviction Courts.

IUOE Local 399 offers endorsements in some Cook County judicial races

The International Union of Operating Engineers Local 399 has published its endorsements in a number of state, federal, and local races in anticipation of the March primary. Local 399's complete endorsement list can be found at this link.

In contested Cook County judicial races, Local 399 has made these endorsements:

Supreme Court Vacancy

Joy Virginia Cunningham

Appellate Court Vacancies

Cynthia Y. Cobbs (Cunningham vacancy)
Celia Louise Gamrath (Delort vacancy)

Circuit Court Vacancies

Pablo F. deCastro (Flannery, Jr. vacancy)
Wende Williams (Mitchell vacancy)
Edward Joseph Underhill (Murphy vacancy)
Debjani 'Deb' Desai (Propes vacancy)

Subcircuit Vacancies

Owens J. Shelby (7th Subcircuit - Solganick vacancy)
James V. Murphy (10th Subcircuit - Wojkowski vacancy)
Kim Przekota (11th Subcircuit - Daleo vacancy)
Steve Demeitro (14th Subcircuit - O'Hara vacancy)
Luciano "Lou" Panici, Jr. (15th Subcircuit - Demacopoulos vacancy)
Jeffrey G. Chrones (18th Subcircuit - Converted from Edidin vacancy)
Bridget Colleen Duigan (19th Subcircuit - Converted from Senechalle, Jr. vacancy)
Michael J. Zink (20th Subcircuit - Converted from Budzinski vacancy)

Local 399 also endorsed four subcircuit candidates who are unopposed in the Democratic primary, but who face Republican opponents in November. These are Alon Stein (12th Subcircuit - Dickler vacancy), Frank J. Andreou (12th Subcircuit - Quinn vacancy), James "Jack" Costello (12th Subcircuit - Schleifer vacancy), and John Hock (18th Subcircuit - Converted from Linn vacancy).

In other races of particular interest to FWIW readers, Local 399 has endorsed former Appellate Court Justice Eileen O'Neill Burke for State's Attorney, but chosen to remain "Neutral" in the race for the Clerk of the Circuit Court.

Teamsters Joint Council 25 makes endorsements in Cook County judicial races

This list comes from the website of Teamsters Local 710, which represents 12,000 members, including UPS workers and other warehouse workers "throughout the Chicago metropolitan area, as well as ramp workers, spotters, highway drivers and even more in the freight and transportation industries."

FWIW previously posted Cook County endorsements by Teamsters Local 700, which represents public employees, but also under the apparent umbrella of Teamsters Joint Council No. 25.

All this may be obvious stuff to the professional political class, but it is new and different to me, and perhaps some FWIW readers as well.

Teamsters Joint Council No. 25 has made endorsements in a host of races around the state (click here for the full list), but these are their choices in contested Cook County judicial races:

Supreme Court Vacancy

Jesse G. Reyes

Appellate Court Vacancies

Cynthia Y. Cobbs (Cunningham vacancy)
Celia Louise Gamrath (Delort vacancy)

Circuit Court Vacancies

Pablo F. deCastro (Flannery, Jr. vacancy)
Neutral (Mitchell vacancy)
Edward Joseph Underhill (Murphy vacancy)
Debjani 'Deb' Desai (Propes vacancy)

Subcircuit Vacancies

Owens J. Shelby (7th Subcircuit - Solganick vacancy)
James V. Murphy (10th Subcircuit - Wojkowski vacancy)
Kim Przekota (11th Subcircuit - Daleo vacancy)
Steve Demeitro (14th Subcircuit - O'Hara vacancy)
Luciano "Lou" Panici, Jr. (15th Subcircuit - Demacopoulos vacancy)
Jeffrey G. Chrones (18th Subcircuit - Converted from Edidin vacancy)
Bridget Colleen Duigan (19th Subcircuit - Converted from Senechalle, Jr. vacancy)
Michael J. Zink (20th Subcircuit - Converted from Budzinski vacancy)

Teamsters Joint Council No. 25 also endorsed four subcircuit candidates who are unopposed in the Democratic primary, but who face Republican opponents in November. These are Alon Stein (12th Subcircuit - Dickler vacancy), Frank J. Andreou (12th Subcircuit - Quinn vacancy), James "Jack" Costello (12th Subcircuit - Schleifer vacancy), and John Hock (18th Subcircuit - Converted from Linn vacancy).

In other races of particular interest to FWIW readers, Teamsters Joint Council No. 25 has endorsed former Appellate Court Justice Eileen O'Neill Burke for State's Attorney and Mariyana Spyropoulos for Clerk of the Circuit Court.

ISBA releases narrative explanations of its candidate ratings in contested Supreme and Appellate Court races

The Illinois State Bar Association has published explanations for its ratings of Cook County judicial candidates on its website. To access these narratives, interested persons must first click on the Judicial Evaulations and Advisory Polls by County page, then click on the Cook County link.

Clicking in this fashion will bring up a candidate list, by office, first in ballot order and, then, in subcircuit order. (Clicking on the "Cook County" link in the preceding paragraph seems to go directly to the list, both on a desktop and phone. -- Ed.) One must click on the "read evaluation" link in order to read any narrative.

An ISBA spokesperson said that all this is supposed to make accessing the ISBA's information easier by phone and, therefore, since voters are allowed to carry their phones into the polling booth, that much more helpful to voters.

In this post, FWIW looks at the narratives released by the ISBA in contested races for the Appellate and Supreme Courts. In upcoming posts, we will look at the ISBA's narratives in contested countywide and subcircuit Circuit Court races.

Supreme Court

Burke Vacancy

Jesse G. Reyes -- Highly Qualified
Hon. Jesse G. Reyes has been licensed in Illinois since 1984. He currently sits on the Appellate Court – First District. He was selected as an associate judge in 1997, elected to the circuit court in 2008 and, subsequently, elected to the Appellate Court – First District in 2012. While a circuit court judge he sat in Mortgage Foreclosure, Traffic, Domestic Violence, and the Sixth Municipal District (Markham). Before taking the bench, he was an assistant corporation counsel and an attorney for the Chicago Board of Education. Judge Jesse is a former president of the Illinois Judges Association, the Latin American Bar Association; former secretary of the Chicago Bar Association; and a former assembly member with the Illinois State Bar Association in addition to other committee work. He has lectured on legal topics and has been the recipient of several awards. He is the current president and a founding member of the Diversity Scholarship Foundation and sits on the board of the North Suburban Bar Association. The several awards, including most recently, the 2022 Distinguished Service Award from the Arab American Bar Association, the 2023 Socrates Dikastes Award from the Hellenic Bar Association, and a 2023 Appreciation Award from the Hispanic Illinois State Law Enforcement Association.

Attorneys described him as a hard worker who is prepared, strict and fair. He writes well-reasoned opinions and issues them in a timely fashion. ISBA finds Justice Jesse G. Reyes highly qualified to be elected as a Justice to the Illinois Supreme Court – First District.

Joy Virginia Cunningham -- Highly Qualified
Hon. Joy Virginia Cunningham has been licensed in Illinois since 1982. In December 2022, she was appointed to the Illinois Supreme Court upon the retirement of Justice Anne M. Burke. Prior to the appointment Justice Cunningham had served on the Appellate Court since 2006; prior to her election to the Appellate Court, she has been Senior Vice President and General Counsel for Northwestern Memorial System for six years. Justice Cunningham had also served as an associate judge in the Cook County Circuit Court between 1996 and 2000, where she presided over civil litigation. She is past president and a member of the Chicago Bar Association, including ISBA, Cook County Bar Association, Women’s Bar Association, Black Women Lawyer’s Association, and the Illinois Judges Association. Justice Cunningham has served on various Appellate Court and Supreme Court committees; has taught at judicial education conferences and written on various legal topics. She is the recipient of several awards, including most recently, the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Judicial Achievement Award in 2023 for the Women’s Bar Association and Judge Ann Claire Williams Award in 2023 from the Black Women Lawyer’s Association.

Attorneys described her as well-respected, diligent, and fair, with excellent legal knowledge and ability. They reported that she asks relevant questions, has a calm demeanor, and is known for her good character and high integrity. ISBA finds Justice Joy Virginia Cunningham highly qualified for election to the Illinois Supreme Court – First District.

Appellate Court

Cunningham Vacancy

Carolyn J. Gallagher -- Not Qualified
Hon. Carolyn Gallagher was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1982. She was elected to the Cook County Circuit Court in 2016, retained in 2022, and has been assigned to the Probate Division since 2018 after first sitting in Housing and Traffic Courts. In July 2023, she became Supervising Judge of the Surety Section of the Probate Division. Judge Gallagher created the bench book for Minor Guardianship and is a member of various groups including the National College of Probate Judges. She has taught at DePaul College of Law.

Concerns were raised regarding the lack of diligence and punctuality in the courtroom, as well as the lack of diligence in the preparation of her application that contained numerous typos and grammatical errors. ISBA finds Judge Carolyn J. Gallagher not qualified to be elected as a Justice to the Illinois Appellate Court – First District.

Cynthia Y. Cobbs -- Highly Qualified
Hon. Cynthia Y. Cobbs was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1988. Prior to her appointment as a circuit court judge in 2011, she was the Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts after holding other positions within the court system. She was subsequently elected to the circuit court in 2014 and has been assigned to the Appellate Court since 2015. She was retained as a circuit court judge in 2020. She is a former chair of the Illinois Judicial Council, committee chair and board member of the Illinois Judges Association, as well as being a member of various bar and legal organizations. Judge Cobbs has spoken at judicial conferences, received various awards, including the C.F. Stradford Award from the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office; the Trailblazer Award from the Cook County Bar Association; and the Illinois Judicial Council President’s Award.

Attorneys consider her to be smart, knowledgeable, patient, and hard working. They report that she issues fair and well-reasoned decisions. ISBA find Justice Cynthia Y. Cobbs highly qualified to be elected as a Justice to the Illinois Appellate Court – First District.

Delort Vacancy

Celia Louise Gamrath -- Highly Qualified
Hon. Celia Louise Gamrath has been licensed in Illinois since 1994. After serving as a law clerk to the Appellate Court, she joined Schiller DuCanto and Fleck, rising to partner. In 2010 she was appointed to the Cook County Circuit Court, elected in 2012 and retained in 2018. She has been assigned to the Chancery Division since 2016 after previously serving in Domestic Relations. She is a past president of the Justinian Society, has been a board member of the Appellate Lawyers Association, the Illinois Judges Association, and secretary for the Chicago Bar Foundation. She is a former member of the Board of Governors, and the Assembly for the Illinois State Bar Association, is a past Vice President of the Board of Trustees for The John Marshall Law School, now known as the University of Illinois – Chicago Law School. Judge Gamrath has written on legal topics, teaches, and speaks at bar and law school events. She has received several awards, including the Illinois Bar Foundation’s Distinguished Service Award.

Attorneys praised her knowledge of the law, reporting that she gives fair hearings with well-reasoned and principled rulings. She is hard-working, impartial, and professional. ISBA finds Judge Celia Louise Gamrath highly qualified to be elected as Justice to the Illinois Appellate Court – First District.

Leonard Murray -- Highly Qualified
Hon. Leonard Murray has been licensed in Illinois since 1974. He was chosen as an associate judge in 2007 and retained as such in 2011 and 2015. He was elected to the Cook County Circuit Court in 2016. He is currently serving as a Supervising Judge, Municipal Department – Housing Section. Judge Murray has served on various committees, boards of various bar associations, including the Illinois State Bar Association, and has been a speaker on legal topics. He is a past president of the Cook County Bar Association, has chaired committees, been a board member of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association, and the National Bar Association. He has served on the Illinois Supreme Court committees and with various community organizations and received the Board of Governors Award in 2002 from the Illinois State Bar Association.

Attorneys reported that he has good legal knowledge in his current assignment and is sensitive to the many pro se litigants who appear before him and stated that he is efficient in getting cases resolved. ISBA finds Judge Leonard Murray highly qualified to be elected as Justice to the Illinois Appellate Court – First District.

Fraternal Order of Police, Chicago Lodge No. 7, offers endorsements in some Cook County judicial races

The Fraternal Order of Police, Chicago John Dineen Lodge No. 7 has published endorsements in several local races, including several contested Cook County judicial primaries. A complete list of those endorsements currently shows as a 'pop-up' on the Lodge's home page; click here for a stand-alone .pdf copy.

In contested Cook County judicial races, the FOP has made the following endorsements:

Supreme Court Vacancy

Joy Virginia Cunningham

Appellate Court Vacancies

Carolyn J. Gallagher (Cunningham vacancy)
Celia Louise Gamrath (Delort vacancy)

Circuit Court Vacancy

Debjani 'Deb' Desai (Propes vacancy)

Subcircuit Vacancies

James V. Murphy (10th Subcircuit - Wojkowski vacancy)
Kim Przekota (11th Subcircuit - Daleo vacancy)
Bridget Colleen Duigan (19th Subcircuit - Converted from Senechalle, Jr. vacancy)

Readers will notice that Justice Cunningham has now been endorsed by both the CTU and the FOP. This may be the first time in some time that the Chicago teachers and police unions have agreed with each other on anything. (Cunningham has also been endorsed by Girl, I Guess.) (For what it's worth, I argue, in this post, published this morning, that endorsements from groups that ordinarily disagree with one another about the color of the sky should be seen as a positive reflection on the candidate's reputation for fairness.)

In other races of interest to FWIW readers, the FOP did endorse Iris Y. Martinez for Clerk of the Circuit Court... but it did not endorse Eileen O'Neill Burke for Cook County State's Attorney.

The FOP certainly appears inclined in Burke's favor. However, according to an article by Mitchell Krugel in the March issue of Lodge 7's Official Magazine, Burke did not ask for the police endorsement. Krugel writes:

It's not what you think. [Burke] revealed to [Lodge 7 Political Director Mike] Cosentino on a couple of occasions why a Lodge 7 endorsement would not be in her best interest.

"She has to oversee police officers and sheriffs, and some cases might come in front of her for criminal prosecution," he added. "She does not believe that getting an endorsement or money from any police organization or any sheriff's organization would be the correct thing to do. She said, 'To me, that's hypocritical, and I won't do it.'"

Chicago Teachers Union makes only one endorsement in a Cook County judicial race

The CTU's endorsement list is here. For the record, the CTU's sole judicial endorsement is for Justice Joy V. Cunningham for the Supreme Court because she "has ruled on important legal cases, including ruling that the landmark Illinois SAFE-T Act, which ended cash bail in Illinois and includes other important criminal justice reforms, was constitutional."

Why bother to mention the CTU here if it only makes one Cook County judicial endorsement?

Well... remember our discussion the other day, about how the influence of the bar associations is declining in every election cycle, while the reach of the Check Your Judges guide, published by Injustice Watch, just keeps growing and growing?

Remember that?

Well... here is a quote from the CTU Endorsement page:

For every election, the Injustice Watch website compiles a biography and scorecard for each and every judicial candidate. These dossiers are not endorsements, but provide essential information to help you cast an informed vote. Each entry includes official experience, notable achievements and entanglements, money raised and main backers, as well as endorsements. We highly encourage members to review candidate files for your elections as you cast your ballot.

The Alliance has recently published its evaluation grids, but while all 13 Alliance groups participate in the investigation of judicial candidates, the investigations being the foundation of the ratings given, most lack the resources to provide narrative opinions explaining their evaluations.

Two Alliance groups do explain their ratings. The Chicago Council of Lawyers, which has a long history of providing narrative explanations of its ratings, came out with its narratives last week (FWIW coverage here, here, and here). The Illinois State Bar Association, which began providing narrative explanations in most recent election cycles, expects to provide its narratives soon.

And, of course, the Chicago Bar Association, which is not an Alliance member (the Alliance of Bar Associations for Judicial Screening was formed, as its full name reveals, to break up the stranglehold that the CBA had on the evaluation of Cook County judicial hopefuls) does not have its evaluations out yet either. FWIW has learned that the CBA is hoping to have these out later this week. When they do come out, there will be explanations of the ratings issued. Moreover, the CBA conducts a separate investigation from that conducted by the Alliance -- similar, but separate -- giving the bar groups two distinct investigation processes in which to identify promising candidates as well as candidates who may not be quite so promising.

But Injustice Watch has been out there for some time already. Updates may be forthcoming, perhaps, as peer evaluations come out. But the bar groups are no longer driving the train; they're running hard just to catch the train as it leaves the station.

Back to the CTU for one moment, because we've been highlighting endorsements made for State's Attorney and Clerk of the Circuit Court by each of the various unions profiled: The CTU stands with Clayton Harris III for State's Attorney and Mariyana Spyropolous for Clerk of the Circuit Court.

IUOE Local 150 offers some endorsements in Cook County Judicial races

The International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 150 has announced endorsements in a great many races, both in Cook County, in surrounding counties, and in 16 of the 17 Illinois congressional races.

For the complete list, click here.

Among these many endorsements are some endorsements in Cook County judicial races. Local 150 has not made any endorsements in Cook County subcircuit races. In contested countywide races for the Circuit Court, Local 150 has endorsed only Debjani 'Deb' Desai (Propes vacancy).

For the First District vacancy on the Illinois Supreme Court, Local 150 has endorsed Appellate Court Justice Jesse G. Reyes. In the contested races for the First District Appellate Court, Local 150 has endorsed Justice Cynthia Y. Cobbs (Cunningham vacancy) and Judge Celia Louise Gamrath (Delort vacancy).

In other Cook County races of likely interest to FWIW readers, Local 150 has endorsed former Appellate Court Justice Eileen O'Neill Burke for State's Attorney and Iris Y. Martinez for Clerk of the Circuit Court.

IBEW Local 134 announces endorsements in Cook County judicial races

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 134 has announced endorsements for the forthcoming primary, including endorsements in several contested Cook County judicial primary races.

The complete list of Local 134s endorsments is here.

In contested Cook County judicial races, Local 134 has made these endorsements:

Supreme Court Vacancy

Jesse G. Reyes

Appellate Court Vacancies

Cynthia Y. Cobbs (Cunningham vacancy)
Celia Louise Gamrath (Delort vacancy)

Circuit Court Vacancies

Pablo F. deCastro (Flannery, Jr. vacancy)
Neil Cohen (Mitchell vacancy)
Edward Joseph Underhill (Murphy vacancy)
Debjani 'Deb' Desai (Propes vacancy)

Subcircuit Vacancies

Owens J. Shelby (7th Subcircuit - Solganick vacancy)
James V. Murphy (10th Subcircuit - Wojkowski vacancy)
Kim Przekota (11th Subcircuit - Daleo vacancy)
Luciano "Lou" Panici, Jr. (15th Subcircuit - Demacopoulos vacancy)
Jeffrey G. Chrones (18th Subcircuit - Converted from Edidin vacancy)
Bridget Colleen Duigan (19th Subcircuit - Converted from Senechalle, Jr. vacancy)
Michael J. Zink (20th Subcircuit - Converted from Budzinski vacancy)

IBEW also endorsed four subcircuit candidates who are unopposed in the Democratic primary, but who face Republican opponents in November. These are Alon Stein (12th Subcircuit - Dickler vacancy), Frank J. Andreou (12th Subcircuit - Quinn vacancy), James "Jack" Costello (12th Subcircuit - Schleifer vacancy), and John Hock (18th Subcircuit - Converted from Linn vacancy).

In other races of particular interest to FWIW readers, IBEW has endorsed former Appellate Court Justice Eileen O'Neill Burke for State's Attorney and Mariyana Spyropoulos for Clerk of the Circuit Court.