Judicial Evaluations
The Chicago Council of Lawyers is committed to promoting a fair, impartial, and highly qualified judiciary. As part of this mission, we conduct comprehensive evaluations of judicial candidates and sitting judges, assessing their legal ability, integrity, experience, temperament, and commitment to equal justice. We provide access to current and past judicial evaluations and related write-ups to help inform the public, legal community, and voters.
We also encourage visitors to explore additional nonpartisan resources, including VoteForJudges.org, Injustice Watch, and the Illinois State Bar Association’s Judicial Evaluations, to gain a broader perspective on judicial candidates and the evaluation process.
For more articles and latest updates focused on judicial evaluation, ethics, accountability, and efforts to improve the quality and integrity of courts, check out our Judicial Performance and Accountability page.
March 27th, 2026
The Circuit Court of Cook County has announced 14 finalists for seven associate judge vacancies, following a competitive selection process led by Chief Judge Charles S. Beach II and the court’s Nominating Committee.
The Committee reviewed 100 applications, interviewed 74 candidates, and unanimously approved a final slate of 14 individuals. These candidates will now be considered by the circuit judges, who will vote to fill the open positions in accordance with Illinois Supreme Court Rule 39.
The announcement comes as the court continues to address a shortage of judges, making the timely appointment of qualified candidates especially critical. The selection process included evaluations conducted by the Chicago Bar Association and the Alliance of Bar Associations for Judicial Screening, which includes the Chicago Council of Lawyers and several other bar organizations.
Circuit judges will receive ballots and have 14 days to cast their votes. In the coming weeks, finalists will present their credentials through written materials and meetings with judges before the final selections are made.
March 18th, 2026
Preliminary results from the March 2026 Cook County judicial primary elections are now available. In a cycle marked by a high number of uncontested races and several candidates advancing despite mixed or negative bar ratings, these results offer an early look at how voters responded to this year’s judicial slate.
Learn more from Injustice Watch here: https://www.injusticewatch.org/judges/judicial-elections/2026-primary/2026/judicial-election-results-preliminary/
February 10th, 2026
The Chicago Council of Lawyers evaluates judges seeking retention, judicial candidates seeking to fill vacancies through the public election process, and judicial candidates seeking to fill Associate Judge vacancies.
Click here to download a PDF of CCL’s ratings.
Click here to download a PDF of CCL’s write-ups.
The Alliance of Bar Associations for Judicial Screening is comprised of:
Arab American Bar Association (AABAR)
Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Chicago Area (AABA)
Black Men Lawyers’ Association (BMLA)
Black Women Lawyers’ Association of Greater Chicago (BWLA)
Chicago Council of Lawyers (CCL)
Cook County Bar Association (CCBA)
Decalogue Society of Lawyers (DSL)
Hellenic Bar Association of Illinois (HBA)
Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois (HLAI)
Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA)
Chicago’s LGBTQ+ Bar Association (LAGBAC)
Puerto Rican Bar Association (PRBA)
Women’s Bar Association of Illinois (WBAI)
working collaboratively to improve the process of screening judicial candidates in Cook County, Illinois
Ratings Key:
| HQ | Highly Qualified | HR | Highly Recommended | |
| WQ | Well Qualified | R | Recommended | |
| Q | Qualified | NR | Not Recommended | |
| NQ | Not Qualified | ¹ | Not Evaluated Through No Fault of the Candidate | |
| Candidates Who Do Not Participate in the Alliance’s Evaluation Process Are rated “NR” | ||||
| Judicial candidates are rated by the Alliance members based on detailed information supplied by candidates, a background check by trained lawyers/investigators, and interviews of each candidate. Ratings reflect the Alliance’s opinion of whether candidates have the necessary qualifications for judicial service or ascension to a higher office and are not a reflection of the candidates’ abilities as lawyers or judges. |
Ratings Key:
| HQ | Highly Qualified | HR | Highly Recommended | |
| WQ | Well Qualified | R | Recommended | |
| Q | Qualified | NR | Not Recommended | |
| NQ | Not Qualified | ¹ | Not Evaluated Through No Fault of the Candidate | |
| Candidates Who Do Not Participate in the Alliance’s Evaluation Process Are Rated “NR” | ||||
| Per Alliance Guidelines Section IV “Minimum Years of Experience”, Any Candidate With Less Than Ten Years Of Experience Shall Be Rated “NR” | ||||
| Judicial candidates are rated by the Alliance members based on detailed information supplied by candidates, a background check by trained lawyers/investigators, and interviews of each candidate. Ratings reflect the Alliance’s opinion of whether candidates have the necessary qualifications for judicial service or ascension to a higher office and are not a reflection of the candidates’ abilities as lawyers or judges. |
