On January 30, 2026, Justice Sanjay T. Tailor will make history by becoming the first Indian American to serve on the Illinois Supreme Court. His appointment fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Mary Jane Theis and represents the culmination of a distinguished 23-year judicial career marked by multiple historic milestones within Illinois’ court system.
According to the Illinois State Bar Association, Justice Tailor expressed gratitude following his appointment and emphasized his commitment to ensuring that the justice system serves all people fairly and equitably. His elevation to the state’s highest court followed Illinois’ unique constitutional process, which allows sitting Supreme Court justices to appoint interim replacements when a justice retires.
Education and Early Legal Career
Justice Tailor earned his Bachelor of Arts in Biological Sciences from the University of Delaware. He went on to graduate cum laude from the Loyola University of Chicago School of Law in 1991, as reported by the Illinois State Bar Association and Trellis.Law.
He began his legal career as a litigation associate at Chapman and Cutler LLP from 1991 to 1995, representing investors in matters involving securities fraud, corporate bankruptcy, and commercial law. During this period, he also undertook pro bono work, representing individuals in both civil and criminal cases.
In 1995, Justice Tailor joined the First National Bank of Chicago as in-house counsel, where he worked on bank regulatory issues and played a role in a major bank merger. From 1996 to 2003, he served as an Assistant State’s Attorney in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office Civil Actions Bureau, litigating complex and high-profile cases involving medical malpractice, commercial disputes, constitutional law, and civil rights.
His leadership within the office led to his promotion as Deputy Supervisor of the Torts and Civil Rights Section, and he later represented Cook County in a case before the United States Supreme Court, according to his official biography.
Judicial Career: Breaking New Ground
Justice Tailor’s judicial career began in April 2003, when he was appointed as an Associate Judge of the Cook County Circuit Court. According to Trellis.Law, he became only the second Indian American judge to preside in Cook County at the time—marking the beginning of a judicial path defined by service, distinction, and historic firsts.
Justice Tailor’s professional contributions extend well beyond the courtroom. He currently serves as President of the Asian American Judges Association of Illinois and previously held the role of President of the Lawyers Club of Chicago, the city’s second-oldest bar association.
Over nearly two decades on the Cook County Circuit Court, Justice Tailor served in five different divisions, building a broad and well-rounded judicial portfolio. According to the Illinois State Bar Association, he began in the Municipal Division, where he presided over tort, contract, collection, and traffic cases. During this time, he and a fellow judge established a help desk for self-represented litigants, providing assistance to individuals who could not afford legal representation in collection matters.
From 2006 to 2009, Justice Tailor served in the Domestic Relations Division, adjudicating cases involving divorce, parentage, and domestic violence. He was then assigned to the Law Division from 2009 to 2015, where he handled commercial litigation and tax disputes. Between 2015 and 2020, he served in the Chancery Division, overseeing complex matters such as injunctive relief claims, class actions, constitutional challenges to government actions, and corporate governance disputes.
In January 2021, the Illinois Supreme Court elevated Justice Tailor from Associate Judge to Circuit Judge. Shortly thereafter, Chief Judge Timothy Evans appointed him Presiding Judge of the County Division, a role in which he supervised cases involving mental health, adoption, property taxation, elections, and civil asset forfeiture. He was later elected to a full term as Cook County Circuit Judge for the 9th Judicial Subcircuit in November 2022.
On October 3, 2022, Justice Tailor reached another historic milestone when he became the first Indian American appointed to the Illinois Appellate Court. The Illinois Supreme Court assigned him to the First District Appellate Court to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Daniel J. Pierce, according to the Illinois State Bar Association. During his tenure on the appellate bench, he served as Presiding Justice of his division, further underscoring his leadership within Illinois’ judiciary.
Since 2004, Justice Tailor has served as an adjunct professor at Loyola University of Chicago School of Law, where he teaches Illinois Civil Litigation Practice, an advanced course focused on Illinois civil procedure. According to multiple sources, he has taught the course for more than two decades. His academic contributions extend to both legal and scientific scholarship, including the article “Better Civil Practice in Dissolution of Marriage Litigation,” published in the Loyola University Chicago Law Journal in 2009.
Leadership and Recognition
Justice Tailor’s professional leadership extends well beyond the courtroom. According to the Illinois State Bar Association, he currently serves as President of the Asian American Judges Association of Illinois and previously served as President of the Lawyers Club of Chicago, the city’s second-oldest bar association. He is also a board trustee of the Illinois Judicial College and serves as a commissioner on the Illinois Supreme Court’s Commission on Access to Justice. In addition, he is a board trustee of the Judges Retirement System of Illinois.
His professional affiliations include the Illinois Judges Association, Illinois Judicial Council, South Asian Bar Association of North America, South Asian American Bar Association of Chicago, and the Asian American Bar Association of Chicago. He previously chaired the India Committee of the American Bar Association’s International Law Section.
Justice Tailor has also undergone extensive judicial evaluation by multiple bar organizations. According to the Illinois State Bar Association, he was rated “Highly Qualified” by both the Illinois State Bar Association and the Chicago Bar Association, “Well Qualified” by the Chicago Council of Lawyers, and “Highly Qualified” by the Decalogue Society of Lawyers.
Justice Tailor’s term on the Illinois Supreme Court will begin on January 30, 2026, and run through December 4, 2028, according to the Chicago Tribune. To continue serving beyond that date, he will be required to stand for election in the First Judicial District in 2028.
