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History of the Illinois Courts
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Illinois, Pre-U.S. History
The Indian tribes dwelling in what was to become Illinois had communal codes of conduct and simply structured judicial systems.
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Early Beginnings
Lake County's judicial history dates back to the 1830s.
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Illinois, Early U.S. History
Read about the early history of judicial courts in Illinois.
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Illinois Constitution of 1818
Illinois became a state in April 1818. Article IV of the new Constitution described the judicial system.
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Illinois Constitution of 1848
Article V of the Illinois Constitution of 1848 established a Supreme Court of 3 judges with 2 of the 3 constituting a quorum.
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Illinois Constitution of 1870
The Constitution of 1870 spelled out the new judicial system in Article VI.
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Judicial Article of 1964
Under the Judicial Article of 1964 the judicial power of Illinois was vested in a Supreme Court, and Appellate Court, and Circuit Courts.
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Judicial Article of 1970
Illinois has the distinct advantage of not only having one of the first truly unified court systems in the nation, but also having had the opportunity in the 1970 Constitution of refining and improving that system after a trial period.
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Structure of the Illinois Court System
View information about the Supreme Court, Appellate Court, and the Circuit Court serving the State of Illinois.
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Timeline of Judicial History
View a comprehensive timeline of the history of the judicial system in Illinois.