Illinois Supreme Court Justice Mary Jane Theis announced on Wednesday an application process for a vacancy in the Sixth Judicial Subcircuit of Cook County.

The vacancy was created by the retirement of Circuit Judge Leida J. Gonzalez Santiago. Judge Santiago had served as a judge since 1992, when she became the first Hispanic woman elected to the judiciary in Illinois. Her retirement takes effect July 2, 2015.
Under the Illinois Constitution, judicial vacancies are filled on an interim basis by Supreme Court appointment until the next General Election. Justice Theis will make a recommendation to the Supreme Court after applicants for the position undergo a screening and evaluation process.

That process will include an evaluation by the Alliance of Bar Associations, which is composed of 11 bar groups in the Cook County area and the Chicago Bar Association. Further review will also be conducted by a special judicial screening committee that Justice Theis established in 2013 and is co-chaired by retired U.S. District Court Judge Wayne R. Andersen and retired Illinois Appellate Court Judge Michael J. Gallagher.

To be eligible for consideration for appointment, the applicant must be a lawyer in good standing licensed to practice law in Illinois and a resident of the Sixth Subcircuit.

The deadline for submission of applications is 4 p.m., Friday, July 31, 2015.

Notice of the vacancy and details of the application process were sent to various bar groups and posted on the Illinois Supreme Court's website at www.illinoiscourts.gov.

Instructions may be obtained from the Supreme Court's website at www.illinoiscourts.gov. From there, follow the instructions on the "Latest News" scroller announcing the Sixth Judicial Subcircuit of Cook County vacancy.

Applications may be submitted by mail to: Supreme Court of Illinois, Attention: Ms. Laurie Marino, 160 N. LaSalle Street, Suite N2013, Chicago, IL 60601.

Applications may also be submitted electronically to lmarino@illinoiscourts.gov.

If applicants already have been evaluated by the bar associations, they are asked to include copies with the application.
The person appointed to fill the vacancy will serve until December 5, 2016 when the position will be filled by the November 2016 general election.

The Sixth Judicial Subcircuit encompasses all or portions of several Chicago neighborhoods, including Albany Park, Avondale, Belmont-Cragin, Bucktown, Humboldt Park, Irving Park, Lincoln Square, North Center, Portage Park, Ravenswood and Wicker Park, among others.
To view a precise description and map of the Sixth Judicial Subcircuit, applicants should consult the State Board of Elections website at www.elections.il.gov/votinginformation/CookSubcircuits.aspx.