Justice P. Scott Neville Jr., JD ’73, has been named the next chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court. A native of Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood, he will serve as chief justice for the next three years of his current 10-year term.
Neville becomes the court’s second Black chief justice, continuing a historic career marked by barrier-breaking achievements. In 1974, he was the first Black man to clerk for an appellate court justice in Cook County. He later served as a Cook County Circuit Court judge beginning in 1999, joined the Appellate Court in 2004, and was appointed to the Illinois Supreme Court in 2018 to fill the vacancy left by retiring Justice Charles Freeman, the first Black justice to serve on the state’s highest court.
Throughout his career, Neville has championed diversity and access to justice. He co-founded the Alliance of Bar Associations to bring together legal organizations representing diverse ethnic and LGBTQ+ communities and previously served as president of the Cook County Bar Association. He has also presided over high-profile cases, including a 2023 decision upholding Illinois’ assault weapons ban.
Neville succeeds Justice Mary Jane Theis as chief justice, furthering his commitment to equity and fairness in the legal system. WashU Law is proud to celebrate this milestone in the career of one of our distinguished alumni.
