The Illinois Supreme Court has appointed Jacob H. Jost as the new Reporter of Decisions, a position that ensures opinions issued by the Supreme and Appellate courts are published with accurate case citations and proper style.

Mr. Jost's appointment took effect April 1, 2016. He replaces Urbana resident Amy L. Tomaszewski, who served in the role for two years. Mr. Jost joins the Court's staff from Chief Justice Rita B. Garman's office, where he had worked as a judicial law clerk since 2013.

"Having worked closely with Jacob Jost for over two years, I am well aware of his many accomplishments and talents that make him so well suited for the position of Reporter of Decisions. Jacob brings not only a first-rate legal mind and a background in technology to his new role, he also brings deep familiarity with the day-to-day operations of the Illinois judicial system," Chief Justice Rita B. Garman said.

"The Court wishes to thank Amy Tomaszewski for her service during a time of transition. Moving forward, we expect great things from the Reporter’s Office as it enters a new era with this summer’s implementation of a web-based case management system."

The Reporter of Decisions is appointed by the Supreme Court and serves at the pleasure of the Court. The Reporter of Decisions directs a staff that publishes opinions of the Supreme and Appellate courts in the Official Reports and is responsible for verifying case citations, editing opinions for style and grammar, and publishing Illinois Supreme Court Rules.

"This position is a great opportunity for me to continue to serve the Illinois judiciary," Mr. Jost said. “I look forward to polishing the courts’ opinions and helping the Reporter’s office adapt to a shifting technological landscape.”

Mr. Jost earned bachelor’s degrees in Spanish and broadcast journalism, along with a master’s degree in journalism, from the University of Missouri. He worked as a web and investigative producer for WBIR-TV in Knoxville, Tenn., leading its online efforts as the executive producer of online media.

Mr. Jost left journalism to attend law school, earning his juris doctor degree with the highest honors from University of Illinois College of Law in May 2013. While there, he served as editor-in-chief of the University of Illinois Law Review. During law school, Mr. Jost worked as a law clerk at the Macon County Circuit Court in Decatur and as a summer associate at Samuels, Miller, Schroeder, Jackson & Sly in Decatur. He makes his home in Monticello with his wife, Rhea, and their three children.

In addition to his legal experience and understanding of the Court's procedural practices, Mr. Jost's background in web publishing provides him with a technical background that will be helpful in advancing the Court's continuing goal to utilize technology to make the judicial system more efficient and transparent.
Predecessors of Mr. Jost have assisted the Supreme Court in various efforts to bring the court system into the digital age, including posting opinions online to ensure public access and transitioning to a public domain citation system that eliminated the expense of publishing opinions in bound volumes.