Illinois Supreme Court Assigns Judge Judith C. Rice to the First District Appellate Court
Cook County Circuit Judge Judith C. Rice will sit on the First District Appellate Court from November 6 through December 7, filling the vacancy left by Justice LeRoy K. Martin Jr.'s retirement, the Illinois Supreme Court announced. Rice, the Circuit Court's Presiding Judge of the Domestic Violence Division, is running unopposed for an appellate seat in Tuesday's election.
The Illinois Supreme Court has assigned Cook County Circuit Court Judge Judith C. Rice to the First District Appellate Court, the court announced on October 30. Judge Rice is being assigned to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice LeRoy K. Martin Jr. The assignment is effective November 6, 2026, until December 7, 2026.
The First District, based in Chicago, hears appeals from the Circuit Court of Cook County, so the assignment moves one of that court's own presiding judges upstairs for a month. Rice has served since 2021 as Presiding Judge of the Circuit Court's Domestic Violence Division, according to the Chicago Council of Lawyers' evaluation report for Tuesday's general election.
Rice's path to the appellate bench is already on the ballot. She is running unopposed in the November 2026 election for a seat on the Appellate Court, the Supreme Court's announcement notes. Rice was admitted to practice law in 1988 and was elected to the Circuit Court in 2014, serving in the First Municipal and Domestic Relations divisions before taking over the Domestic Violence Division, according to the Council of Lawyers' report, which finds her Qualified for the Appellate Court.
The assignment runs through December 7, 2026, as the court's announcement states. Rice's own appellate candidacy is decided by voters on Tuesday, November 3.
