After weeks of training with the Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender, a group of new lawyers took the Public Defender oath on Nov. 4, 2026, in a Chicago ceremony surrounded by friends and family.
“You are joining a legacy that literally helped shape the framework of public defense in America,” Illinois Supreme Court Justice Sanjay T. Tailor said at the ceremony before swearing in the new assistant public defenders. “Cook County public defenders have historically been at the forefront of national civil rights milestones, including In Re Gault, the landmark 1967 U.S. Supreme Court case establishing that juveniles have the right to counsel.”
Throughout the day, speakers encouraged the new lawyers to be their clients’ advocates and to remember the importance of their work, even on the challenging days.
“The road ahead is demanding, and the system is often weighted heavily against those you represent,” Justice Tailor said. “However, remember that you stand on the shoulders of legal giants who proved that a dedicated advocate can shift the scales of justice.”
Earlier that day, more than 1,500 new attorneys were sworn into the Illinois Bar across the state. “The Constitution has got to be your North star,” Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice P. Scott Neville said during the First District bar admission ceremony, where the new assistant public defenders were sworn in immediately before. “Lawyers must continue to create pathways that ensure access to the legal system reaches [...] those who need it most.”
View the photo gallery from the swearing-in ceremony.
The swearing-in ceremony follows the inaugural meeting of the Office of the State Public Defender (OSPD) Commission, held on Oct. 30, 2026, in both Springfield and Chicago. The meeting effectuates the Illinois FAIR Act, 725 ILCS 100, which was signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker in 2025 to provide for the constitutionally mandated public defense system in Illinois.
Cook County Public Defender Sharone R. Mitchell, Jr. said his office will have a new framework to ensure that public defense is delivered at the highest levels, no matter where defendants live.
“All the details it takes to putting together a statewide agency - this is an incredibly monumental task, but it takes a lot of precise work in the background,” Mitchell said. “I’m proud to be part of the Commission that will help see that work through.
The Commission will oversee and support the OSPD, which will be effective Jan. 1, 2027. The new position of the Statewide Public Defender is charged with leading the development of a statewide office and ensuring quality representation for people in criminal, juvenile delinquency, and dependency proceedings.
Sharlyn Grace, Deputy Public Defender, who also serves as policy director, said the implementation of the Statewide Public Defender will ensure that the current county-based public defense systems will be improved.
“It’s to support and supplement the work of the county public defender systems that exist now,” Grace said. “It's to make sure that the quality of representation is equally high across the state, and that we don't have justice by geography, that someone who's in one county has a different opportunity or different access to something that's supposed to be a constitutional right, is a constitutional right than someone in the neighboring county.”
A budget will be set at the Commission’s next meeting. OSPD will then present that budget to the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget. Negotiations on the budget will come next spring.
“The Office of the State Public Defender will be life-changing for indigent clients, their families and communities across Illinois,” Kahalah Clay, OSPD Administrator said. “The meaningful work of OSPD will establish equal justice for all by setting caseload standards, providing critical resources, and helping level the playing field between prosecution and defense. Most importantly, it will ensure that clients who cannot afford an attorney have access to the zealous, high-quality legal representation they deserve."
About the Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender
The Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender is one of the largest legal defense firms in the United States, with more than 500 attorneys and more than 700 employees overall, according to its website. Each year the office represents tens of thousands of Cook County residents charged with every type of criminal offense and parents facing civil cases involving accusations of abuse and neglect.