Justice Elizabeth Rochford of the Supreme Court of Illinois announced on May 26 the start of an application process to fill a Resident Circuit Judge vacancy in the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit, Fourth Subcircuit. The vacancy will occur following the retirement of Judge Susan Clancy Boles on July 31, 2026.
Under the Illinois Constitution, judicial vacancies are filled by appointment from the Supreme Court. Rochford said that this application process will result in full approval by the entire Court.
Notice regarding this vacancy is posted at the Kane County Courthouse. Application forms and instructions are available on the Illinois Supreme Court’s website at www.illinoiscourts.gov, under the latest news scroller about this judicial opening. Completed applications and supporting documents should be submitted to Stacie Ryan at sryan@illinoiscourts.gov by June 15, 2026, at 5 p.m.
The person selected will serve until December after the November 2028 general election. Eligibility requirements include being a lawyer licensed to practice law in Illinois and residing within both the Sixteenth Circuit and Subcircuit No. 4 boundaries at appointment time. A map of these subcircuit boundaries is available online.
For more information about this process, James Brunner, Public Information Officer for the Illinois Supreme Court, can be contacted at 217.208.3354 or jbrunner@illinoiscourts.gov.
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