Justice Mary K. O’Brien and the Illinois Supreme Court have announced the appointment of Terra Costa Howard as a Resident Circuit Judge in the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit (DuPage County), Fifth Subcircuit.
Ms. Costa Howard is being appointed to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Paul Fullerton. The appointment is effective October 17, 2025, and will conclude on December 7, 2026.
“I am happy the Court has selected to appoint Ms. Costa Howard to the bench in DuPage County,” Justice O’Brien said. “As a well-respected and skilled practicing attorney, with over a 25-year commitment to DuPage County, I am confident she will uphold the rule of law and serve its citizens with distinction.”
Ms. Costa Howard has worked as a sole practitioner in DuPage County since 2003. Her previous experience includes several years at the DuPage County Public Defender’s Office as a Senior Assistant and working as a staff attorney for the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit from 1996 to 1998. Additionally, Ms. Costa Howard has served in the Illinois House of Representatives since January 2019, first in the 48th
District and most recently the 42nd District, winning election four times. The judicial screening committee for this vacancy rated her well-qualified and highly recommended.
“From my first days of working in the Chief Judge’s office and the DuPage County Public Defender’s office, to my current role as State Representative, I have worked to serve the people of DuPage County,” Ms. Costa Howard said. “I believe that every step of my career has led me toward this new challenge, and I look forward to the prospect of bringing my experience – in law and in life – to the bench.”
Ms. Costa Howard earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Illinois Urbana- Champaign and earned her Juris Doctor from the DePaul University College of Law.
Her professional affiliations include the Illinois State Bar Association and the DuPage County Bar Association.