The Illinois Supreme Court announced on May 5 that bar admission ceremonies for the 279 new attorneys who passed the February 2026 Bar Exam will take place on Wednesday, May 6, across all five judicial districts of Illinois.
The upcoming ceremonies mark an important milestone for the legal community as each district hosts its own event. In Chicago, the First Judicial District ceremony will be held at 11:30 a.m., where Supreme Court Chief Justice P. Scott Neville, Jr., Justice Joy V. Cunningham, and Justice Sanjay T. Tailor will swear in candidates. The Second Judicial District’s ceremony is scheduled for Elgin at 10 a.m., led by Justice Elizabeth M. Rochford; Joliet will host the Third Judicial District at 11 a.m., with Justice Mary K. O’Brien presiding; Springfield’s Fourth Judicial District ceremony begins at 11 a.m., overseen by Justice Lisa Holder White; and Mt. Vernon’s Fifth Judicial District event starts at 2 p.m., conducted by Justice David K. Overstreet.
All candidates set to be sworn in have completed both a bar examination and an ethics examination and were certified by the Supreme Court Committee on Character and Fitness. The distribution of admittees includes: First District with 208, Second District with 21, Third District with 32, Fourth District with five, and Fifth District with twelve.
The Illinois Bar Association supports these new attorneys as part of its membership base of more than 28,000 members according to the official website according to the official website. The association promotes diversity, equity and inclusion within its ranks to foster participation among all attorneys and enhance community wellbeing according to the official website. It also recognizes excellence through awards for pro bono service and diversity leadership according to the official website.
For ongoing support of legal professionals in Illinois, the association provides continuing legal education programs as well as practice management resources and professional networking opportunities according to the official website. Administrative functions are managed from its headquarters at the Illinois Bar Center according to the official website, operating under guidance from an elected president along with a Board of Governors and an Assembly according to the official website.
Additional information about ceremony locations or proceedings can be found through James Brunner, Public Information Officer for the Illinois Supreme Court.
