Beyond the Bench is a monthly feature to get to know more about judges and justices in Illinois, beyond their legal duties.
Name: Justin Zimmerman
Title: Associate Judge
Circuit or Judicial District: 3rd Judicial Circuit, Madison County.
What are you looking forward to this fall?
I look forward to cooler temperatures and visiting state parks for the fall colors.
What is the last movie you watched, and would you recommend it?
The Princess Diaries – 4 stars.
Have you traveled abroad? If so, what was your favorite trip? If not, where would you like to visit?
Liberia, Costa Rica. I hope for a return trip to visit different areas of the country.
What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
Salted Caramel Cookies and Cream from Clemintine’s Creamery.
The legal profession is always evolving. How do you imagine the field will change in the next ten years?
I am optimistic about the increased use of LLMs and related AI tools. In particular, self-represented litigants hopefully will possess greater resources to participate in routine or lower-stakes cases.