Justice Thomas Harris receives high marks in Illinois Bar Association judicial review

[March 07, 2018]  The Illinois State Bar Association has released the results of its judicial evaluations and advisory poll in advance of the March 20, 2018 primary election and has given Justice Thomas Harris of the 4th District Appellate Court high marks in both its evaluation and advisory poll.

The ISBA’s judicial evaluations committee rated Justice Harris “Highly Qualified.” The evaluation was based on interviews with judges and attorneys as well as Harris’ interview before 11 members of the committee. The committee noted “(Harris” is well versed in the law and very well prepared for cases that come before him. He spends extensive time to understand the issues. He has excellent legal ability and temperament. He is a very hard working and conscientious judge well respected by his colleagues and the attorneys who practice before him including both prevailing and non-prevailing parties.”

Justice Harris also received high marks in the bar association’s advisory poll in which 98.74 percent of the responding attorney within the appellate district found he “meets requirements of office.” His scores ranged between 98 and 99 percent in the separate categories of integrity, impartiality, legal ability and temperament.

Justice Harris is currently the presiding justice of the appellate court and has been service on the court since January 2013 by assignment of the Illinois Supreme Court. He is running unopposed in the March 20th Republican primary.

Justice Harris is a Lincoln native and graduate of the University of Illinois and the University of Colorado Law School. He was in private practice from 1988 to 2007. In 2007 he was appointed associate judge and was elected resident circuit judge in Logan County in 2008. Where he served until his assignment to the appellate court in 2013.

Justice Harris is an appointed member of the Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice and the Illinois Judicial Conference. He previously served as the editor-in-chief of the Illinois Barn Journal. Justice Harris and his wife Regina live in Lincoln. They have three children.

The 30 counties in the 4th District are Adams, Brown, Calhoun, Cass, Champaign, Clark, Coles, Cumberland, DeWitt, Douglas, Edgar, Ford, Green, Jersey, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Mason, McLean, Menard, Moultrie, Piatt, Pike, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Vermillion, and Woodford.

[Release by the Illinois Bar Association provided by Justice Thomas Harris]