Order in the court!
Western Illinois University will serve as host for the 2026 installment of the Illinois Supreme Court's 'Riding the Circuit' program as justices hear oral arguments in two cases beginning 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 11 in the University Union Grand Ballroom on the Macomb campus. Details of the two cases will be released at a later date.
'We are thrilled to welcome the Illinois Supreme Court to our campus for this incredible event,' said Interim Executive Director of Advancement and Alumni Relations Amy Crosby. 'The day will provide an unparalleled opportunity for local students and the WIU community to experience the judicial process in action.'
Arguments begin at 10 a.m. in the Grand Ballroom and will be livestreamed on the University's YouTube channel. Doors will open at 8:30 a.m., and attendees are encouraged to arrive by 9:30 a.m. A moderated question-and-answer session with Ninth Judicial Circuit Court Judges Heidi Benson and Nigel Graham, along with local attorney Emily Sutton, will follow the oral arguments.
'Holding the Supreme Court's oral arguments at Western Illinois University continues a tradition of openness and public education,' Chief Justice P. Scott Neville, Jr. added. 'Seeing the process firsthand helps demystify the courts and their role in daily life.'
Since 2008, the Supreme Court has held oral arguments in locations across Illinois to raise awareness of the role courts play in interpreting state law. The practice of holding Supreme Court arguments outside Springfield dates back to an old tradition called 'riding the circuit.' It began in medieval England, where judges traveled to local communities so people could see the law at work. The United States adopted the same idea at its founding, requiring Supreme Court justices to travel so the public would understand and trust the new courts. Illinois followed this practice after becoming a state in 1818, until the 1848 Constitution ended it. Today, traveling Supreme and Appellate Court arguments still serve the same purpose: bringing the judiciary closer to the people.
'I have so many fond memories of my time here at Western Illinois University. To return home nearly four decades later alongside my colleagues on the Supreme Court is a profound honor,' Illinois Supreme Court Justice and WIU Alumna Mary K. O'Brien '86 shared. 'We hope to show the WIU community that the Court is a transparent forum where every argument and action is tested against the framework of the Illinois Constitution and the rule of law, which ultimately serves as the bedrock of our free society.'
Area middle and high schools are invited to attend. Schools interested in attending can RSVP at go.wiu.edu/groups by Wednesday, March 4, or contact Crosby at [email protected]. A limited number of seats are available to the public. Those interested in attending should RSVP at go.wiu.edu/individual by Wednesday, March 4 or contact the Director of Donor Relations and Special Events, Drew Donahoo, at [email protected].
The program is sponsored by the Illinois Supreme Court, the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, the Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission and the WIU Foundation.
