Cynthia A. Grant
The Clerk of the Supreme Court is appointed by the Court, reports to the Court and serves at the Court’s pleasure. The Clerk is the Court’s principal case processing and records manager who operates the office through a staff of specialized deputies, and by planning, developing, and implementing policies and procedures necessary to execute the responsibilities of the office. The office has existed since circa 1818 and supports the Court in the exercise of its statewide jurisdiction, authority to regulate the practice of law in Illinois, and supervisory authority over the courts in the state.
In its case management capacity, the Clerk’s Office maintains four distinct automated dockets, executing all associated processes, to ensure compliance with Supreme Court Rules and to ensure that cases are effectively monitored and scheduled, from initiation to issuance of mandates and final orders as appropriate. The general docket unit of the office supports the Court’s primary docket. The miscellaneous record docket consists primarily of attorney matters. The miscellaneous docket consists of conviction related cases filed by pro se incarcerated litigants and provides a forum without compromising standard filing requirements. The proposed rule docket was developed and functions consistent with the mandate of Supreme Court Rule 3. E-filing of Court documents began in 2012 on a pilot basis and in July 2017, mandatory e-filing of civil cases was established through a single, centralized electronic filing manager (EFM), called eFileIL and included integration with the Court’s case management system.
In its record management capacity, the Clerk’s Office maintains the Court’s active and closed files and permanent records, dating to 1818, including historically significant documents which are housed and preserved in the State Archives by agreement, and through an agreement with State Archives oversees the conversion of paper documents to microfilm, a more stable medium.
The Clerk’s Office registers and renews
professional service corporations and
associations, and limited liability companies
and partnerships engaged in the practice
of law. In October 2012, the Supreme Court
announced an e-renewal process that gave
law firm entities the option to electronically
renew their annual registration and pay the
$40 renewal fee electronically. In 2022,
approximately 86% of law firm entities chose
to electronically renew their registration.
The Clerk’s Office is also responsible for
maintaining the roll of attorneys, which
includes the licensing process, and issuance of
law licenses; files judicial financial disclosure statements required of state court judges.
Beginning in March 2019, state court judges
were offered an electronic option to file their
annual statement of economic interests. The
office compiles, analyzes, and reports statistics
on the Supreme Court’s caseload and other
activity, as reflected in the accompanying
statistical summary and narrative for 2022.
The Clerk’s Office provides information to the public at large and the practicing bar and has working relationships with other courts and judicial branch offices, Supreme Court agencies, and state and county departments.