A vacancy is coming to the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit Court (Kane County, Illinois). The retiring judge serves on one of the countywide seats. His retirement is announced for early 2026. The announcement was made after the 2026 election filing period. As such, this seat will be on the ballot in 2028. Under Illinois law, the Illinois Supreme Court will appoint someone to fill that vacancy. This will continue until the next time the seat is up for election. Whomever is appointed must run in 2028.
Here’s what this means in practical terms: whoever is appointed to fill this vacancy serves as a circuit court judge. That person’s appointment runs through early December 2028 (until the election results are announced). This election is different. Judicial retention elections only allow voters to vote “yes” or “no” on keeping a sitting judge. This is one of the rare moments when the public can actually choose among candidates for a circuit court judgeship. It is the one window when qualified lawyers from our community can present themselves to the voters.
I intend to do precisely that.
SEEKING AN APPOINTMENT
In Illinois, each member of the Illinois Supreme Court has a responsibility. They select appointees to fill vacancies in their jurisdiction. The Illinois Supreme Court votes on the designated persons. The court officially appoints its chosen candidate to fill a vacancy. Some justices create a selection committee. Sometimes that committee is made up of attorneys, other times it is made up of attorneys and community members. Lawyers interested in an appointment submit applications. Those applications are reviewed by the committee, and recommendations are made to the justice. The justice has the final word on whom to select for a vote by the full Supreme Court.
The process used for the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit does not involve a committee. The Honorable Elizabeth Rochford will make her choice for consideration. According to her chambers, there will be an application that interested candidates may complete and submit for consideration.
I will seek an appointment for this upcoming vacancy. I have done this once before for another vacancy in 2023. I did not run for that seat in 2024. This time, I want to be clear with the voters of Kane County. I intend to run for this judgeship in the 2028 election. I will run even if I am not appointed to fill the vacancy. I am exploring the support I will have in that campaign.
I am announcing my intentions early, because I believe judicial offices, especially those that are elected, should be open, transparent, and genuinely accessible to the people. Too often, an appointment effectively locks up the seat because no one wants to challenge an appointee. That is convenient for insiders, but it is not necessarily in the public’s best interest.
MY QUALIFICATIONS
I have spent my career preparing for this level of judicial service.
- 31 years of active law practice as of November 10, 2025.
- 26 of those years were primarily spent in public service. This includes working at the Cook County Public Defender’s Office. It also includes the Chicago Transit Authority Law Department and the State of Illinois.
- The past five years as an Administrative Law Judge for the Illinois Department of Public Health have been significant. During this time, I continue to hear contested matters involving nursing homes, long-term care facilities, and other healthcare-related cases. This work includes trials applying the Illinois Rules of Evidence and the Illinois Code of Civil Procedure.
- An unblemished professional record.
- Rated “Qualified” by the Kane County Bar Association.
Beyond my day-to-day work, I have poured a lot into the profession:
- Leadership roles in the Chicago Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association, Kane County Bar Association, and the Muslim Bar Association of Chicago.
- Founding member of the Muslim Bar Association of Chicago. I have served on its board in multiple roles, including president, and now I serve on the Advisory Board.
- Former director of the Chicago Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division and service on the CBA Judicial Evaluation Committee.
- Within the Illinois State Bar Association:
- Elected member of the ISBA Assembly representing the 16th Judicial Circuit;
- Past chair and current member of the Human and Civil Rights Section Council;
- Vice chair of the Diversity Leadership Council;
- Member of the Racial and Ethnic Minorities in the Law Committee; and
- Member of the ISBA Assembly Finance, Budget, and Audit Committee.
My commitment to service is not limited to the legal profession. I have been a longstanding community volunteer. I was a volunteer youth wrestling coach for six years. I served one four-year term as an elected member of my school board. I regularly speak to high school and community college students and to the public through public libraries. My talks focus on the rule of law, human and civil rights, and the U.S. legal system. With my family, we serve the unhoused and the hungry locally through volunteer work with local charities.
All of this is to say: I know this community. I have worked in it for decades. And, I understand how the law actually affects people.
WHY ANNOUNCE AN EXPLORATION NOW?
Most candidates will wait until the spring of 2027 to speak publicly about their intention to run for a judgeship. I’m doing it now. I have been working on making our judiciary more diverse. I am also working to improve the pipeline of candidates to the judiciary. One of my priorities is to raise the visibility of a judicial election for the general public. I want to ensure it is not left primarily for the legal community.
Now, more than ever before, we see the significance that our courts play in defending democracy. The judiciary is a bulwark against authoritarianism. The public needs to make thoughtful, well-informed decisions about who will serve as judges in their community.
I will continue my advocacy work around making the judiciary more diverse. I will continue my efforts to build a more diverse pipeline for the judiciary as well. This is work I have been doing and will continue to do after becoming a circuit court judge.
WHAT COMES NEXT?
My wife and I raised our four beautiful children in Kane County. It is our home. We will remain part of this community for years to come.
I am grateful to serve as an Administrative Law Judge and as a bar association and community leader. My service in these spheres will continue uninterrupted. When the official vacancy is announced, I will prepare and submit my application.
When the time is right—closer to spring 2027—I will establish a formal campaign.
Until then, the public can learn about my positions on the rule of law. They can explore my views on access to justice and the importance of a judiciary. The judiciary needs to understand both the law and the people it serves. My views and positions on all of this are evident in my writing, public speaking, and track record.
Thank you.
Junaid Mustafa Afeef
JUNAID AFEEF 