Justice Sanjay T. Tailor Appointed Illinois Supreme Court’s First Indian American Justice

On January 30, 2026, Sanjay T. Tailor will make history as the first Indian American to serve on the Illinois Supreme Court. His appointment to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Mary Jane Theis marks the culmination of a distinguished 23-year judicial career that has broken barriers at multiple levels of the Illinois court system.

According to the Illinois State Bar Association, Justice Tailor expressed his gratitude upon his appointment, stating he is looking forward to continuing the work of ensuring that the justice system serves all people fairly and equitably. The appointment was made through Illinois’ unique constitutional process that allows Supreme Court justices to appoint interim replacements for retiring justices.

Education and Early Legal Career

Tailor earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in biological sciences from the University of Delaware. He graduated cum laude from Loyola University of Chicago School of Law in 1991, according to multiple sources including the Illinois State Bar Association and Trellis.Law.

His legal career began as a litigation associate at Chapman and Cutler LLP from 1991 to 1995, where he represented investors in securities fraud, corporate bankruptcy, and commercial law cases. According to his campaign biography, he also took on pro bono work representing individuals in both civil and criminal cases during this time.

In 1995, Tailor joined First National Bank of Chicago as in-house counsel, working on bank regulatory matters and a significant 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. In this role, he litigated high-profile cases involving medical malpractice, commercial disputes, constitutional law, and civil rights. He rose to Deputy Supervisor of the Torts and Civil Rights Section and even represented the County in a case before the United States Supreme Court, according to his official biography.

Judicial Career: Breaking New Ground

Tailor’s judicial career began in April 2003 when he was appointed as an Associate Judge on the Cook County Circuit Court. According to Trellis.Law, he became the second Indian American to preside as a judge in Cook County at that time.

Tailor’s professional involvement extends well beyond the bench. He currently serves as President of the Asian American Judges Association of Illinois and is a past president of the Lawyers Club of Chicago, the second-oldest bar association in the city.

Over nearly two decades on the Circuit Court, Tailor served in five different divisions, gaining broad experience across the judicial spectrum. As reported by the Illinois State Bar Association, he served in the Municipal Division, where he heard tort, contract, collection, and traffic cases. During this period, he and a colleague established a help desk to assist litigants who could not afford attorneys in collection cases.

From 2006 to 2009, he presided in the Domestic Relations Division, hearing divorce, parentage, and domestic violence cases. Between 2009 and 2015, he was assigned to the Law Division, where he heard commercial and tax disputes. From 2015 to 2020, he served in the Chancery Division, handling complex cases including injunctive relief claims, class actions, constitutional challenges to government action, and corporate governance disputes.

In January 2021, the Illinois Supreme Court elevated Tailor from Associate Judge to Circuit Judge. Chief Judge Timothy Evans subsequently named him Presiding Judge of the County Division, overseeing matters involving mental health, adoption, property tax, election, and civil asset forfeiture cases. He was later elected to a full term as Cook County Circuit Judge representing the 9th Judicial Subcircuit in November 2022.

On October 3, 2022, Tailor became the first Indian American appointed to the Illinois Appellate Court when the Illinois Supreme Court assigned him to the First District Appellate Court to fill the vacancy created by Justice Daniel J. Pierce’s retirement, according to the Illinois State Bar Association. As an appellate justice, he served as Presiding Justice of his division.

Academic Contributions

Since 2004, Tailor has served as an adjunct professor at Loyola University of Chicago School of Law, teaching Illinois Civil Litigation Practice, an advanced course in Illinois civil procedure. He has taught the course for over two decades, according to multiple sources. His scholarly work includes publications in both legal and scientific journals, including an article titled “Better Civil Practice in Dissolution of Marriage Litigation” published in the Loyola University Chicago Law Journal in 2009.

Leadership and Recognition

Tailor’s professional involvement extends well beyond the bench. According to the Illinois State Bar Association, he currently serves as President of the Asian American Judges Association of Illinois and is a past president of the Lawyers Club of Chicago, the second-oldest bar association in the city. He is a board trustee of the Illinois Judicial College and serves as a commissioner on the Illinois Supreme Court’s Commission on Access to Justice. He is also a board trustee of the Judges Retirement System of Illinois.

His other professional affiliations include the Illinois Judges Association, the Illinois Judicial Council, the South Asian Bar Association of North America, the South Asian American Bar Association of Chicago, and the Asian American Bar Association of Chicago. He previously chaired the India Committee for the American Bar Association’s International Law Section.

Tailor has participated in judicial evaluation processes conducted by various bar associations. According to the Illinois State Bar Association, he was found to be 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.

Tailor’s term will begin January 30, 2026, and run through December 4, 2028, according to the Chicago Tribune. If he wishes to continue serving beyond that date, he will need to run for election from the First Judicial District in 2028.

This story was aggregated by AI from several news reports and edited by American Kahani’s News Desk.