Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis of the Supreme Court of Illinois has begun an application process for four Cook County subcircuit vacancies and one Cook County At Large vacancy.

The At Large vacancy was created by the retirement of Judge Paul Karkula on January 29, 2024. The subcircuit vacancies are for the seats of Judge Celia Gamrath (8th Subcircuit), Judge Patricia Mendoza (16th), Judge David E. Haracz (20th), and Judge Stephanie K. Miller (20th).

Under the Illinois Constitution, judicial vacancies are filled by Supreme Court appointment. The application process will lead to the final Court approval. Applicants will undergo an evaluation and screening process.

The application form and instructions may be obtained by visiting the Illinois Supreme Court’s website at www.illinoiscourts.gov and following the instructions in the latest news scroller announcing the Cook County vacancies A single application will be used to fill the two 20th Subcircuit vacancies.

Applicants must be a resident of the subcircuit they are applying for. City of Chicago residents can check their subcircuit residency. Suburban Cook County residents can use the map.

Applications must be filed electronically and the deadline for submission is 4:00 p.m. on September 16, 2024.

The persons appointed to fill the vacancies will serve until the first Monday in December following the November 2026 election.

To be eligible for consideration for appointment, the applicant must be a lawyer licensed to practice law in Illinois.