--- title: "Mary Jane Theis | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/mary-jane-theis-4259" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-08-22" --- # Mary Jane Theis Supreme Court of Illinois · Judge ## Profile - Court: Supreme Court of Illinois - State: Illinois - Role: Judge - Service status: former - Last verified: 2026-08-22 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Judge, Illinois Supreme Court, 2010-present - 2022–2025: held the role of Chief Justice after Anne M. Burke’s retirement - 1988–1994: Full judge, Cook County Circuit Court - 1983–1988: Associate judge, Cook County Circuit Court - Succeeded by Justice Sanjay T. Tailor, the first Asian American on the Illinois Supreme Court - In her retirement statement, she expressed gratitude for her role in advancing judicial integrity, access to justice, and public trust - Appointed to the Illinois Cook Judicial Circuit Court as an associate judge and served for 10 years - Theis was born Mary Jane Wendt to Eleanore and Kenneth Wendt, a Cook County Circuit Court judge and Illinois legislator ### Education - University of San Francisco School of Law in — J.D. (1974) - Loyola University — 1971 - B.A. from Loyola University Chicago and a J.D. from the University of San Francisco School of Law ### Additional information - 1993–2010: Judge on the Illinois First District Appellate Court; also held the role of president of the Illinois Judges Association (1997–1998) - Judge, 2009-2009 - Born February 27, 1949, in Chicago, Illinois. - American jurist best known for her service as Justice and later Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court - She is recognized for her expertise in judicial ethics, family law, and sentencing, and for a consensus-building, fair, and rigorous leadership style - Birth place: Chicago, Illinois ## 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 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/4259/mary-jane-theis/) - [Official roster](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/4259/mary-jane-theis/) - [Supreme Court of Illinois current judicial profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/4259/mary-jane-theis/) - [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) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/4259/mary-jane-theis/) - [Mary Jane Theis - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Mary_Jane_Theis) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/mary-jane-theis-4259", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/mary-jane-theis-4259", "name": "Mary Jane Theis | KnowJudges", "description": "Mary Jane Theis, Supreme Court of Illinois. 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