Diane Larsen
Diane Joan Larsen was a judge of the Cook Circuit of Illinois.[1] She joined the court in 1998.[2] She retired from the bench on January 25, 2019.[3]
Education
Larsen earned a B.A. in psychology from DePaul University in 1979, going on to earn her J.D. from Loyola University of Chicago in 1983.[2]
Career
Prior to her judicial election, Larsen was Chief of Policy Litigation in the City of Chicago's law department. She spent 15 years there, concentrating on the defense of civil rights policy and class action suits at a federal and state level.[2]
Larsen has also worked as an adjunct professor at Loyola University, teaching appellate advocacy.[2]
Awards and associations
Larsen received the Hooten Award from the Women's Bar Association of Illinois in 2008.[2]
Elections
2016
Judges of the Illinois Circuit Court stand for retention after their first full term. To be retained, a judge must receive at least 60 percent of the vote.[4][5] Diane Larsen was retained in the Illinois Cook Circuit Court, Diane Larsen Retention Election with 76.06 percent of the vote.
| Illinois Cook Circuit Court, Diane Larsen Retention Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes votes | |
 Diane Larsen | 76.06% | |
| Source: Illinois Board of Elections, "Elections Results, General Election 11/8/2016," accessed November 28, 2018 | ||
Selection method
- See also: Partisan elections
There are 513 judges on the Illinois Circuit Court, each elected in partisan elections to six-year terms. Upon the completion of these terms, judges who wish to continue serving must compete in uncontested, nonpartisan retention elections.[6]
The chief judge of each circuit court is selected by peer vote; he or she serves in that capacity indefinitely.[6]
The circuit courts are also served by 391 associate judges, who are limited in that they may not preside over cases in which the defendant is charged with a felony (an offense punishable by one or more years in prison). Associate judges are appointed to four-year terms by circuit judges.[7][6]
Midterm vacancies are filled by Illinois Supreme Court appointment.[6]
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a judge must be:[6]
- a U.S. citizen;
- a circuit/county resident; and
- licensed to practice law in Illinois.
2010
- See also: Illinois judicial elections, 2010
Larsen was retained in 2010, receiving 78.07 percent of the vote.[8][9]
Larsen was recommended for retention by the Judicial Performance Commission of Cook County.[10]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Illinois Courts, "Judges of the Cook Judicial Circuit," accessed December 29, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Official biography of Judge Larsen (dead link)
- ↑ Illinois Bar Association, "Recent appointments and retirements," accessed December 13, 2019
- ↑ Illinois State Bar Association, "Judicial Evaluations - How it works," accessed November 19, 2019
- ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Illinois," archived October 2, 2014
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Illinois," archived October 2, 2014
- ↑ State of Illinois, "About the Courts in Illinois," accessed June 30, 2014
- ↑ Cook County Clerk, "General Election – Combined Summary Report," November 2, 2010
- ↑ Judicial Performance Commission of Cook County sample ballot (dead link)
- ↑ Judicial Performance Commission of Cook County, "Report on the Judges Seeking Retention on the November 2, 2010 Ballot in Cook County," archived January 30, 2012
Federal courts:
Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Central District of Illinois, Northern District of Illinois, Southern District of Illinois • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Central District of Illinois, Northern District of Illinois, Southern District of Illinois
State courts:
Illinois Supreme Court • Illinois Appellate Court • Illinois Circuit Court
State resources:
Courts in Illinois • Illinois judicial elections • Judicial selection in Illinois
