July 28, 2020

Marcia M. Meis, the Director of the Administrative Office of Illinois Courts (AOIC), was honored on July 14, 2020, as the recipient of the Richard J. Phelan Public Service Award by The Chicago Bar Association (CBA) and The Chicago Bar Foundation (CBF). The award was presented at the CBA & CBF virtual Pro Bono and Public Service Awards Celebration.

"It is such an honor to receive the Richard J. Phelan Public Service Award, named for someone who exemplified the importance of public service in our profession," Meis said. "The previous recipients to receive this award are awe-inspiring, and I'm humbled to be among them."

Ms. Meis has served as Director of the AOIC since her appointment on August 1, 2017. She is a graduate of the University of Missouri and DePaul University College of Law. Ms. Meis served as an Illinois Appellate Court law clerk for several years before joining the AOIC as an Executive Office Attorney in 1999. She served as Chief Legal Counsel before becoming AOIC Deputy Director in 2014.

The Richard J. Phelan Public Service Award was established in 2004 and honors attorneys who have dedicated a significant portion of their legal career to the public sector, achieved excellence in their work and demonstrated a firm commitment to increasing access to justice for all Chicagoans. Phelan is a past President of The Chicago Bar Association and is a retired partner at the law firm of Foley & Lardner.

Have you recently received an award? Please let us know at communications@illinoiscourts.gov