John B. Simon appointed to 1st District Appellate Court

The Illinois Supreme Court announced Thursday the appointment of John B. Simon to the Illinois Appellate Court. Mr. Simon is a well known attorney with the Chicago firm of Jenner & Block and has a long record of public service. He is a former U.S. Assistant Attorney, former member of the Illinois Racing Board and has broad corporate and litigation experience with Jenner & Block. He will serve as the co-chair of the Illinois Bar Foundation's Gala on Oct. 19.

Mr. Simon will fill the vacancy created by the death of Appellate Justice Michael J. Murphy who passed away Oct. 1.

Supreme Court Justice Charles E. Freeman recommended the appointment of Mr. Simon to the Supreme Court and will administer the judicial oath of office to Mr. Simon on November 1. The appointment will terminate December 1, 2014 when the position will be filled by the November 2014 General Election.

"It's an honor to have been appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court as a justice of the Illinois Appellate Court to succeed the late Justice Michael J. Murphy," said Mr. Simon. "He was a respected jurist who is greatly admired by me and all who knew him.

"I thank the Supreme Court for the confidence they have placed in me and I am humbled by the honor."

Mr. Simon is the son of the late Justice Seymour F. Simon, who served as a Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court for eight years and as an Appellate Justice for six years.

Mr. Simon began his legal career as an Assistant United States Attorney where he handled a wide variety of civil and criminal trials, administrative matters and appeals. Mr. Simon was appointed Chief of the Civil Division at age 29, the youngest person ever to serve as a division supervisor.

Following seven years in the Office of the U.S. Attorney, Mr. Simon joined a corporate and litigation law firm where he continued his litigation experience and branched into corporate transactional as well as governmental law. Mr. Simon joined Jenner & Block as a Partner in 1986.

Mr. Simon brings more than four decades of legal expertise in a myriad of arenas. His extensive litigation experience includes leading teams of attorneys in every phase of trial work, including contract, securities, antitrust, trade regulation, health care, employment, environmental, constitutional, tax, insurance, construction, class action, governmental and real estate matters.

Mr. Simon currently serves as chair of the Illinois Supreme Court Rules Committee and chair of the Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission.

The Rules Committee is charged with studying and recommending to the Court new Supreme Court rules or modifications to existing rules.

"As the liaison to the Supreme Court Rules Committee, I had the pleasure of working with several fine chairs of that committee," said Chief Justice Thomas L. Kilbride. "Mr. Simon is concluding a masterful term as the most recent chairman. He will be a fine addition to the Appellate Court, bringing his energy, intellect and experience to the position."

The Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission was created by the legislature in 2007 to assist and advise the Illinois Supreme Court in collecting and preserving documents, artifacts and the rich history relating to the Illinois judiciary, as well as performing an educational function. It recently completed a dramatization of the commitment trial of Mary Todd Lincoln, with well-received performances in Springfield and Chicago.

"John has been a respected member of the legal community for years. In addition to being a fine lawyer, his recent work with the Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission has been simply outstanding," said Justice Anne M. Burke, who serves as the Supreme Court liaison to the Commission."

Mr. Simon graduated with a B.S. degree from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. He received his juris doctor degree from DePaul University College of Law, and served as a member of the University's Board of Trustees since 1990, as vice chair from 1993-2003 and as chair from 2004-2008. Mr. Simon has also chaired DePaul's Advisory Board for the Center for Dispute Resolution since 2008.

Mr. Simon served as president of the Chicago Bar Association, president of the Lawyers Trust Fund of Illinois, and as a member of the Illinois Supreme Court Planning and Oversight Committee for its Judicial Performance Evaluation Program.
Mr. Simon was admitted to practice law in Illinois in 1967.