The Illinois Supreme Court has chosen Justice P. Scott Neville, Jr. as its next Chief Justice. He will become the 123rd Chief Justice — and only the second Black jurist in Illinois history to hold the post.
Neville’s three-year term begins October 26th, succeeding Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis. He says public trust requires courts to be fair, accessible, and understandable, and he aims to make Illinois a national model of equal justice.
A lifelong civil rights advocate, Neville prosecuted the landmark 1992 Chicago Ward “Re-Map” case alongside R. Eugene Pincham and Barack Obama. He later served as a Cook County judge, Appellate Justice, and joined the Supreme Court in 2018.
An installation ceremony is set for October 24th in Chicago.
