There are many reasons why lawyers might want to research judges. They might want to learn how a judge rules or runs the courtroom to gain a tactical advantage in litigation - or to decide whether to file a motion for substitution of judge before any substantive rulings are made. Attorneys seeking to fill a vacancy in one of Illinois' circuit courts might want to learn more about, and get in contact with, the judges who will select the new jurist. But what resources exist for these purposes? There are familiar legal research tools like Westlaw, Lexis, or Fastcase for reading published opinions. While this might be useful for learning about federal judges, where even trial courts have published opinions, it is less so for learning about state judges. The Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law publishes a website that contains biographical and professional data for all of the judges sitting on the bench in 2015. It is located at http://illinoisjudges.law.northwestern.edu/. The site has gathered data from several sources including the Illinois Supreme Court website, Sullivan's Judicial Profiles, individual judges' websites, and other sources.

The largest group, 1,121, was admitted in the First Judicial District during two ceremonies at Arie Crown Theater in Chicago. Justice Anne M. Burke presided over the 9:45 a.m. ceremony and Justice Mary Jane Theis presided over the 12:45 p.m. ceremony. ISBA President Vincent F. Cornelius addressed the class.

Supreme Court Justice Thomas L. Kilbride presided over the Third Judicial District ceremony at the I-Wireless Center in Moline.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Lloyd A. Karmeier presided over the Fifth Judicial District ceremony at the Southern Illinois University School of Law Lesar Auditorium in Carbondale. The ISBA was represented by 3rd Vice President David B. Sosin.