--- title: "Cynthia Y. Cobbs | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/cynthia-y-cobbs" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-08-01" --- # Cynthia Y. Cobbs Illinois Appellate Court, District 1 · Appellate Court Justice ## Profile - Court: Illinois Appellate Court, District 1 - State: Illinois - Role: Appellate Court Justice - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-28 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Appellate Court Justice (2015–present) — Assigned to the 1st District Appellate Court - Justice on the Illinois Appellate Court, 1st District, serving since 2015, and is the first African American and first woman to serve as Director of the Illinois Courts - Cook County Circuit Court Judge (2011–2024) — Handled traffic cases (DUI, misdemeanors), civil trials, and other matters - Senior Judicial Law Clerk to Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles E. Freeman ### Education - B.A. — Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland, a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Maryland and her law degree from IIT-Chicago-Kent College of Law ### Additional information - Justice Cobbs presides over appeals from the Cook County Circuit Court, including administrative decisions and final judgments from trial cases. - Justice Cobbs serves on the Board of Trustees of the Illinois Supreme Court’s Judicial College, the Supreme Court Rules Committee, and the Board of Directors for South Suburban PADS (homeless services). - She has received numerous honors, including the Chicago Bar Association’s Earl Burris Dickerson Award, National Bar Association’s Heman Sweatt Award, Cook County Bar Association’s Kenneth E. Wilson Award, and the CF Stradford Award ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### recording and broadcasting Scope: statewide Photography, broadcasting, and recording in an Illinois courtroom are permitted only under Supreme Court authority or Rule 44's stated exceptions; participants may not record a remote proceeding unless the court directs it or extended-media coverage is approved. Evidence excerpt: the taking of photographs in the courtroom during sessions of the court or recesses between proceedings and the broadcasting or televising of court proceedings are permitted only to the extent authorized by order of the Supreme Court [Illinois Supreme Court Rule 44, Photography and Video in the Courtroom](https://ilcourtsaudio.blob.core.windows.net/antilles-resources/resources/8db700cb-c17a-421d-8fdc-95ad22b399c9/Rule%2044.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### official record Scope: statewide The official record may be taken stenographically or through a Supreme Court-approved electronic recording system, including approved videoconferencing services. Evidence excerpt: The record of court proceedings may be taken by stenographic means or by an electronic recording system, including video conferencing services, approved by the Supreme Court. [Illinois Supreme Court Rule 46, Official Record of Court Proceedings](https://ilcourtsaudio.blob.core.windows.net/antilles-resources/resources/24ad75b6-a0a0-4a9f-b44e-1cf4daa67820/Rule%2046.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### appellate extended media coverage Scope: statewide All five Illinois Appellate Court districts accept extended-media requests for oral arguments, normally at least seven days in advance, subject to approval and continuing control by the assigned appellate panel. Evidence excerpt: All five districts of the Illinois Appellate Court shall allow requests for extended media coverage of oral arguments in accordance with the provisions of this policy. [Policy for Extended Media Coverage in the Illinois Appellate Court](https://ilcourtsaudio.blob.core.windows.net/antilles-resources/resources/bfba1aa7-2408-416d-89b5-88fd3af5a247/Extended%20Media%20Coverage%20Appellate%20Court%20Policy%20No%20Forms.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/justice/1/Cynthia-Y-Cobbs/justice/) - [Official roster](https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/justice/1/Cynthia-Y-Cobbs/justice/) - [State of Illinois Office of the Illinois Courts official judicial roster](https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/justice/1/Cynthia-Y-Cobbs/justice/) - [Illinois Supreme Court Rule 44, Photography and Video in the Courtroom](https://ilcourtsaudio.blob.core.windows.net/antilles-resources/resources/8db700cb-c17a-421d-8fdc-95ad22b399c9/Rule%2044.pdf) - [Illinois Supreme Court Rule 46, Official Record of Court Proceedings](https://ilcourtsaudio.blob.core.windows.net/antilles-resources/resources/24ad75b6-a0a0-4a9f-b44e-1cf4daa67820/Rule%2046.pdf) - [Policy for Extended Media Coverage in the Illinois Appellate Court](https://ilcourtsaudio.blob.core.windows.net/antilles-resources/resources/bfba1aa7-2408-416d-89b5-88fd3af5a247/Extended%20Media%20Coverage%20Appellate%20Court%20Policy%20No%20Forms.pdf) - [Celebrating Black History Month with Justice Cobbs | State of Illinois Office of the Illinois Courts](https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/News/1500/Celebrating-Black-History-Month-with-Justice-Cobbs/news-detail) - [Cobbs, Cynthia Y. | State of Illinois Office of the Illinois Courts](https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/justice/1/Cynthia-Y-Cobbs/justice) - [Official biography source for Cynthia Y. Cobbs](https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/justice/1/Cynthia-Y-Cobbs/justice/) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/cynthia-y-cobbs", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/cynthia-y-cobbs", "name": "Cynthia Y. Cobbs | KnowJudges", "description": "Cynthia Y. Cobbs, Illinois Appellate Court, District 1. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.", "dateModified": "2026-08-01", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/cynthia-y-cobbs#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/cynthia-y-cobbs#judge", "name": "Cynthia Y. 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Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://ilcourtsaudio.blob.core.windows.net/antilles-resources/resources/bfba1aa7-2408-416d-89b5-88fd3af5a247/Extended%20Media%20Coverage%20Appellate%20Court%20Policy%20No%20Forms.pdf). Collected 2026-07-26.