Press Release |
Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced today the retirement of the Hon. Moshe Jacobius after more than 30 years on the bench, including 11 years as presiding judge of the Chancery Division.
“I wish Judge Jacobius well in his retirement,” said Judge Evans. “We will miss his keen intelligence, competence, kindness, steadiness, and always thoughtful approach to justice, and we applaud him for his many years of service to the citizens of Illinois.”
Judge Jacobius was first appointed a circuit judge in 1991 and assigned as a trial judge in the Domestic Relations Division. He became presiding judge of that division in June of 2000. He was appointed presiding judge of the Chancery Division in December of 2010.
Judge Jacobius has been a leader on access to justice issues, including overseeing and improving the court’s mortgage foreclosure mediation program administered by the Chancery Division. The Division is currently preparing to relaunch this program in collaboration with Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt, a county-wide initiative that helps residents resolve eviction, foreclosure, debt, and tax deed issues. Under Judge Jacobius, the division also started a pilot program in 2019 to conduct foreclosure proceedings remotely via video conference, which gave the division valuable experience in conducting court matters on Zoom before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Before coming to the bench, Judge Jacobius spent 16 years in the Office of the Illinois Attorney General, prosecuting cases and defending Illinois agencies and officials. He served in supervisory roles, becoming counsel to the attorney general in 1988 before his later appointment to the bench. Judge Jacobius also worked as a Chicago public school teacher from 1969 to 1974.
Judge Jacobius received a B.A. in history in 1967 and a M.A. in history in 1969 from the University of Illinois. He received his J.D. from the DePaul University College of Law in 1975.
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