The Illinois Supreme Court announced today that Justice P. Scott Neville, Jr., has been selected to serve as the Court’s 123rd Chief Justice. His three-year term will begin on October 26, 2025.
Chief Justice Neville will be the second Black Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court, following the late Justice Charles E. Freeman, who served in the role from 1997 to 1999.
Chief Justice Neville will succeed Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis, who has served in the role since 2022.
“Throughout his career, Chief Justice Neville has been a stalwart advocate for a fair and accessible justice system that works for every Illinoisan,” said Erika Harold, Executive Director of the Commission on Professionalism. “On behalf of the Commission, I congratulate him on being selected to serve as Chief Justice and look forward to supporting his goal of ensuring equal justice for litigants from all backgrounds and communities across Illinois.”
For many years, Chief Justice Neville has played an important role in the Commission’s annual professionalism orientations at Illinois law schools. During these orientations, he has spoken to first-year students about the importance of professionalism in law school and their legal careers and their roles in advancing accessible justice for all. He also administers the Pledge of Professionalism, during which the students pledge to uphold the highest ideals of the legal profession.
Chief Justice Neville began his legal career as the first Black law clerk for a Cook County Appellate Justice. He practiced civil rights and appellate law, and prosecuted the historic 1992 Chicago Ward “Re-Map” case with two well-known attorneys, former Appellate Court Justice R. Eugene Pincham and former President Barack Obama.
Chief Justice Neville became a Cook County Circuit Court Judge in 1999, an Appellate Court Justice in 2004, and an Illinois Supreme Court Justice in 2018, when he was appointed to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Freeman. Chief Justice Neville received his Bachelor of Arts at Culver-Stockton College and his juris doctorate at the Washington University School of Law.
According to the Court’s press release, Chief Justice Neville views himself as a public servant, elected to uphold his oath and the constitutional rights and democratic values, which have endured and shaped courts across generations.
As Chief Justice, his duties include overseeing the administration of the Illinois courts and more than 900 judges, supervising appointments to Supreme Court committees, leading the Illinois Judicial Conference, and presenting the Court’s annual budget to the General Assembly.
Justice Neville will be installed as Chief Justice at a ceremony on October 24 in Chicago.
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