Supreme Court Justice Mary Jane Theis Announces Additional At-Large Cook County Circuit Vacancy

Justice Mary Jane Theis of the Supreme Court of Illinois has begun an application process for an additional At-Large Cook County Circuit Court judicial vacancy.

The first vacancy, which was previously announced last month, was created as a result of the retirement of Judge Sharon Sullivan. The latest vacancy will be created by the resignation of Judge Joan M. O’Brien effective Sept. 18.  

Justice Theis will fill both vacancies from applications submitted during the application period that started August 2, 2021, and which ends on October 1, 2021. Interested candidates who have already applied for the Sullivan vacancy do not need to submit another application to be considered for the O’Brien vacancy.  

Under the Illinois Constitution, judicial vacancies are filled on an interim basis by Supreme Court appointment. Justice Theis will make recommendations to the Supreme Court after applicants undergo a screening and evaluation process.  

That process will include an evaluation by the Alliance of Bar Associations, which is made up of 11 bar groups in the Cook County area, and the Chicago Bar Association. Further review will be conducted by a special judicial screening committee that Justice Theis established in 2013. If applicants have already been evaluated by the bar associations, they should include copies with the application. Applications may be submitted without bar evaluations.

To be eligible for consideration for appointment, applicants must be a lawyer in good standing licensed to practice law in Illinois and a resident of Cook County.  

The deadline for submission of applications is 4 p.m. on Friday, October 1, 2021.

Applications are available here and may be submitted electronically to lmarino@illinoiscourts.gov.

The persons appointed to fill the vacancies will serve until the first Monday in December following the November 2022 general election.