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| Chief Justice Rita Garman |
Illinois Supreme Court Justice Rita Garman of Danville made history on October 28th of this year. Upon her swearing in at a ceremony at the Vermilion County Courthouse, Justice Garman became only the second female Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court in our state’s history. Chief Justice Garman is also the longest-serving female judge in the state, and the first Chief Justice to have served in virtually every judicial capacity in Illinois.
Chief Justice Garman grew up wanting to become a lawyer; a goal that was strongly encouraged by her late parents. Some law school professors admonished her, however, for taking up a seat in class that could have gone to a man. During her career on the Illinois Supreme Court, she has actively participated in hundreds of opinions as well as the Court’s administration; including the establishment of a Special Court Committee on Child Custody Issues to ensure that children’s best interests are the primary focus in child custody cases.
Representative Chad Hays (R-Catlin) sponsored and led Illinois House passage House Resolution 627 which honors Chief Justice Garman for her remarkable career of service to her community and to the people of Illinois.
Want to know more about the Illinois Supreme Court?
In a recent column, Reboot Illinois provides a little background on the current members of the Illinois Supreme Court.