Mary Jane Theis
Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court
Assumed office
October 26, 2022
Preceded byAnne M. Burke
Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court
Assumed office
October 26, 2010
Preceded byThomas Fitzgerald
Personal details
Born
Mary Jane Wendt

(1949-02-27) February 27, 1949
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseJohn Theis
RelativesKen Wendt (father)
EducationLoyola University Chicago (BA)
University of San Francisco (JD)

Mary Jane Theis (born February 27, 1949) is a justice of the Illinois Supreme Court for the First Judicial District in Cook County, Illinois.

Early life

She was born Mary Jane Wendt in Chicago, Illinois, to Eleanore and Kenneth Wendt, a member of the Illinois General Assembly and a longtime judge in Cook County.[1][2][3] She is a member of the Democratic Party.[4]

She received her bachelor's degree from Loyola University Chicago and her J.D. degree from the University of San Francisco School of Law.

Career

Attorney

Theis was assistant public defender in Cook County from 1974 to 1983.[5]

Political career

Theis became a judge in 1983, serving as associate judge (1983–1988), circuit court judge (1988–1994), and appellate court judge (1993–2010).[5] In 2010, she was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to fill a vacancy on its bench, taking office October 26, 2010.[6] She won a full term in a partisan election in 2012.[7] In the general election, Chicago Tribune endorsed her for election to a full term, citing her "universally accepted expertise on judicial ethics, family law, sentencing, fairness."[8] She previously served as chair for the Illinois Judicial Conference's Committees on Education and Judicial Conduct, as well as on the Illinois Supreme Court's rules committee.[9] In September 2022, she was named chief justice after the retirement of then-chief justice Anne M. Burke, effective October 26, 2022.[10]

Educator

Theis has taught at law schools in Chicago (Loyola University School of Law, Northwestern University School of Law, and the John Marshall Law School) and at Illinois and Chicago bar association conferences and seminars.[11]

Honors and awards

Awards which Theis has received include a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Illinois Judges Association, the Mary Heftel Hooten Award from the Women's Bar Association of Illinois, and the Access to Justice Award from the Illinois State Bar Association.[11]

Personal life

Theis is married to John T. Theis, and they have two children and seven grandchildren.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "The 7 justices of the Illinois Supreme Court". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Eleanore Wendt". Chicago Tribune. February 26, 1992. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  3. ↑ Merrion, Paul (January 24, 2015). "How will Illinois' high court rule on pension reform?". Crain's Chicago Business. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Election Vote Totals Results". www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 "Mary Jane Theis, Supreme Court Justice First District". Illinois Courts. Archived from the original on December 27, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  6. ↑ "JUSTICE MARY JANE THEIS TO BECOME NEWEST MEMBER OF THE ILLINOIS SUPREME COURT" (PDF). Illinois Courts. 25 October 2010. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  7. ↑ "Illinois judicial elections, 2012". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  8. ↑ "Bring some order to the court: Endorsements for Cook County judges". Chicago Tribune. October 21, 2012.
  9. ↑ "Mary Jane Theis". VoteSmart.org.
  10. ↑ Kapos, Shia (September 13, 2022). "Anne Burke turns the page". POLITICO. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  11. 1 2 "Justice Mary Jane Theis". Loyola University Chicago. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
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