cook county courtroom assignments

State of Illinois

Chancery Division

The Chancery Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County is established pursuant to General Order 1.2, 2.1 (b) of the General Orders of the Circuit Court of Cook County and is divided into two sections: the  General Chancery Section and the  Mortgage Foreclosure / Mechanics Lien Section .

The Chancery Division hears matters concerning:

• Injunctions
• Class Actions
• Mortgage Foreclosures
• Declaratory Judgments
• Contract Matters
• Creditors' Rights
• Construction of Wills and Trusts
• Trusteeships
• Receiverships
• Dissolutions of Partnerships and Corporations
• Statutory and Administrative Reviews
• Mortgage Foreclosures Section / Mechanics Lien Section
• General Chancery Section

Judges Information

General administrative orders, case information.

For case information, contact the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County .  Chancery Clerk Phone: (312) 603-5133

Clerk of the Circuit Court Forms Search

Zoom Information

General Chancery Section Zoom Information

Mechanics Lien/Mortgage Foreclosure Section Zoom Information

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Injustice Watch

Nonprofit newsroom investigating the Cook County court system

Illinois courts name 22 new associate judges in Cook County

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The Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts on Thursday named 22 new associate judges who will take the bench in Cook County.

Associate judges are chosen via a closed election that only Cook County’s 249 circuit court judges can vote in. They share nearly the same responsibilities as the circuit judges, whom Cook County voters choose in public elections. But associate judges earn slightly lower salaries, and can’t vote in internal court elections for the chief judge or new associate judges, and must get the chief judge’s permission before presiding over a felony trial.

More than 200 people applied for associate judge positions earlier this year. The candidates were evaluated by the Chicago Bar Association and the Alliance of Bar Associations, and a nominating committee led by Cook County Circuit Court Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans narrowed the applicants down to a shortlist of 44 that circuit court judges then voted on via mail. Ballots were due Tuesday.

Below is the full list of the 22 new associate judges. Click here for a more detailed analysis of the new class of associate judges .

Maryam Ahmad Lloyd James Brooks Barbara Lynette Dawkins James Thomas Derico, Jr. Sabra Lynne Ebersole Carl Lauras Evans, Jr. William Nicholas Fahy Barbara Nubia Flores Mitchell Benjamin Goldberg Jasmine Villaflor Hernandez Matthew William Jannusch Martha-Victoria Jimenez Diana Elena Lopez Kerrie Elizabeth Maloney Laytin Thomas A. Morrissey James Bryan Novy Eric Michael Sauceda Theresa Marie Smith Conyers Ankur Srivastava Pamela J. Stratigakis Anthony Charles Swanagan Andreana Ann Turano

*This is a developing story. Stay tuned for updates.

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that associate judges must get permission from the Illinois Supreme Court before presiding over a felony trial. However, associate judges only require permission from the local chief judge to take on felony cases. We regret the error.

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by Aviva Waldman and Adeshina Emmanuel, Injustice Watch September 9, 2021

This <a target="_blank" href="https://www.injusticewatch.org/judges/associate-judges/2021/list-cook-county-associate-judges-announcement/">article</a> first appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.injusticewatch.org">Injustice Watch</a> and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.<img src="https://i0.wp.com/www.injusticewatch.org/wp-content/uploads/cropped-Injustice-Watch-favicon.png?fit=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1" style="width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;"><img id="republication-tracker-tool-source" src="https://www.injusticewatch.org/?republication-pixel=true&post=342290&amp;ga4=G-EKE4ZDKXQD" style="width:1px;height:1px;">

Aviva Waldman

Aviva Waldman is a rising fourth-year at the University of Chicago and is interning at Injustice Watch through the University’s Institute of Politics. Originally from San Diego, California, Aviva studies English and has written for the University’s independent student newspaper, the Maroon. When she’s not trying to keep her two cats out of trouble, she likes to read, write, and go for long walks in Washington Park.

Adeshina Emmanuel

Adeshina was Injustice Watch's editor-in-chief from 2020 to 2022. He was born and raised in the Uptown neighborhood on Chicago’s North Side by an African-American mother and Nigerian father and studied journalism at Loyola University Chicago. His work over the past decade has spanned hyperlocal and national reporting with a focus on race, class, and institutional injustice.

Family Law Resources

This legal research guide features links to family law resources in Cook County, Illinois, the United States generally, and internationally. This guide also includes information on child support and resources for victims of domestic violence. All links are freely available to the public. For resources available within the Law Library see our  catalog .

I. Illinois Resources

Ii. cook county resources.

III. Family Law Web Sites

IV. Domestic Violence

V. child support resources, vi. international family law resources, vii. reference resources.

• New Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (P.A. 99-90)  (PDF)
• Parentage Act of 2015 (P.A. 99-85)  (PDF)
• Recent Articles on Family Law from the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA)
• Family Law from Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO) - Includes step-by-step guides on getting a divorce in Illinois, allocation of parental responsibilities (custody), changing child support payments, and enforcing child support orders.

Legislative

• Select Illinois Compiled Statutes for listing of Illinois laws. Maintained by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Searching Illinois Compiled Statutes (ILCS)

For example, locate the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (750 ILCS 5/) by:

• Browsing the chapters
• Search ILCS  Use the search term: "750 ILCS 5/" (use quotation marks for greater accuracy).
• Supreme Court opinions filed since May 23, 1996.
• Appellate Court opinions filed since September 3, 1996.

Administrative

• Illinois Administrative Code  - Maintained by the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules.
• Illinois administrative agency web sites  - Agency web sites may contain news releases, forms, publications, brochures, directories, and annual reports.
• Department of Children and Family Services  - Information on adoption, foster care, child protection. The "Policy and Rules" tab has text of administrative rules, agency guidelines, policy interpretations, policy guides and laws.
• Department of Healthcare and Family Services  - Links for child support enforcement, medical programs, pharmacy, agency information, brochures and forms, laws and rules. Formerly the Illinois Department of Public Aid.
• Domestic Relations Forms Select "Court Forms" button for listing of clerk of court forms.
• Cool County Joint Simplified Dissolution of Marriage Form  (PDF)
• Domestic Relations Division, Cook County Circuit Court  - Select Court Forms for sample petitions, judgments, parenting plan, prove up documents, and notice of motion. Information available on child support .
• Juvenile Justice and Child Protection Department, Cook County Circuit Court - Includes the Court Guide for Caseworkers, division orders, the Benchmark Hearing Program, and the Child Protection Mediation Program.
• Rules of the Circuit Court of Cook County
• General Orders of the Circuit Court of Cook County
• General Administrative Orders of the Circuit Court of Cook County
• General Administrative Rules of the Circuit Court of Cook County
• Cook County Commission on Women's Issues  - The Commission on Women's Issues advises on issues of concern to women and girls by developing policy and program recommendations addressing issues affecting the status of women and girls, including domestic violence, child care, economic equity, and health.

III. Family Law Websites

• In August 2016, Illinois Legal Aid merged with Illinois Legal Advocate, and now includes topics and guides written for legal aid attorneys. Select Legal Resources tab for listing of topics. Some features of the site are accessible for legal aid attorneys only. Provided by Illinois Technology Center for Law and the Public Interest and Chicago-Kent College of Law.
• American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML)  - Full-text resources under Journal  tab. Use the Find a Lawyer tool  to search for an AAML member attorney by name or location.
• ABA Guide to Family Law  - A book discussing the rights and responsibilities of people who are married, divorced, or living together. Full-text available online.
• Your Guide to Getting a Divorce in Illinois (PDF) - ISBA issued pamphlet giving an overview of divorce proceedings in Illinois. Also available at the Daley Center Law Library.
• Child Welfare Information Gateway  - Provides access to information and resources to help protect children and strengthen families. Extensive resources on child welfare, child abuse and neglect, adoption, and statistics.
• Social Security Handbook

Qualified Domestic Relations Orders (QDROs)

• Qualified Domestic Relations Orders and PBGC  (Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation)
• Divorce and QUILDROS  (State Universities Retirement System) - Helpful information if retirement benefits are being considered for possible division in divorce proceedings. For SURS members. 
• Division of Pension Benefits in Divorce (IMRF) - Information booklet, forms, calculation order. From the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund.

State Law Compilations

• Marriage Laws of the Fifty States, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico - Comparative table of marriage laws from the Cornell Legal Information Institute (LII)
• Divorce Laws of the Fifty States, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico - Comparative table of divorce laws from the Cornell Legal Information Institute (LII)

State Surveys

• Topical Index: State Statutes on the Internet - Find family law statutes focusing on adoption, divorce, emancipation of children, and marriage from all states. From the Cornell Legal Information Institute (LII)
• Family Law in the Fifty States - Charts for maintenance (alimony), custody criteria, child support guidelines, grants and residency requirements for divorce, and property. Provided by the Family Law Section of the American Bar Association (ABA)

If you or a loved one is a victim of domestic violence you can get help by contacting the 24-hour multilingual toll-free Domestic Violence Help Line at 1-877-863-6338 or by TTY at 1-877-863-6339.

• Domestic Violence Victim Services - Illinois Department of Human Services resources for victims of domestic violence.
• Help on Domestic Violence - City of Chicago resources for victims of domestic violence.
• Domestic Violence Division, Cook County Circuit Court  - Information about the courthouse and its service. Forms  for Order of Protection, Stalking No Contact, Civil No Contact, and other domestic violence actions available. For assistance deciding which kind of protective order is appropriate for your circumstance consult the Orders of Protection page.
• Domestic Violence Resources  - Information on how to obtain an order of protection. From the Cook County Clerk of Court.
• Illinois Legal Aid Online - Family & Safety  - Topics covered include protected persons, remedies, procedures, types of orders, and enforcement. 
• Advocating for Women - Information and brochures on domestic violence, teen dating violence, and crime victim services. From the Illinois Attorney General.
• Sample safety plan  (PDF) - A fill in the blank form for establishing a domestic violence safety plan. From the National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence (NCDSV).
• Office on Violence Against Women - Part of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ)
• Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence: A Primer for Judges
• Meeting the Legal Needs of Child Trafficking Victims: An Introduction for Children's Attorneys & Advocates (PDF)
• Statutory Charts - These charts summarize statutes from all 50 states regarding domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, dating violence, and trafficking.
• WomensLaw.org - State-by-state legal information and resources on domestic violence.
• Illinois Child Support Services - Resources for custodial and non-custodial parents, Illinois employers, and other state agencies.
• Unclaimed Child Support Check Search - Search for unclaimed child support checks in Cook County. Provided by the Clerk of the Circuit Court.
• supportpay.com - Includes child support guidelines, calculators arranged by state, and family law resources.
• Compliance Guide for Qualified Medical Child Support Orders (QMCSO)  (PDF) - From the United States Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration.
• Office of Child Support Enforcement - Includes pamphlets, handbooks and guides on child support enforcement, and information about child support enforcement systems.
• Representing Children Worldwide  - A research project of Yale Law School that compiles information and resources on "how children's voices are heard in child protective proceedings" worldwide in 2005. Includes summaries of the practices of the 194 signatories to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child (UNCRC).
• Judicial Assistance - Information on international judicial assistance, notarial services, and authentication of documents.
• International Parental Child Abduction - Resources from the U.S. Department of State. Information booklets, country-specific reports, texts of legislation and international conventions.
• Commission on European Family Law (CEFL) - CEFL studies family law in Europe with a focus on harmonization efforts. Features information from 22 European countries including analysis in English along with text of legislation.
• Where to Write for Vital Records - From the CDC National Center for Health Statistics

PLEASE NOTE: The websites listed in this guide are for information only and are not endorsed or supported by the Cook County Law Library. Please independently verify the accuracy and currency of all information. Consult an attorney for legal advice.

Compiled by Jean M. Wenger

Revised March 2021 by David Sanborne

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