The Illinois Supreme Court underwent a dramatic transformation this year, and amid those significant changes, voters will be asked to weigh in on the current construction of the state’s highest court. Here’s what legal groups have to say about the elections.
While voters in specific counties will have to evaluate which judges to vote for in their given elections, the Illinois State Bar Association and the DuPage County Bar Association both release recommendations for races in the upcoming elections. A third group, the Chicago Council of Lawyers, offers recommendations for races in the first district.The organization uses three different ratings for judges: not recommended, recommended, and highly recommended.
The ISBA has candidates fill out a questionnaire, and also interviews lawyers familiar with candidates. A committee then rates them based on 12 criteria, including experience, legal knowledge, integrity and diligence, among other factors.This organization solicits written applications from candidates. A random member then interviews references and the candidates themselves, and the committee investigates the backgrounds of the candidates.
The council uses four ratings, including “not qualified,” “qualified,” “well qualified,” and “highly qualified” in its evaluations. Here is what the groups had to say about the candidates in the retention ballot in Cook County, as well as the two other Supreme Court races in Illinois.