Springfield, Ill (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – The next Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court will be only the second Black Chief Justice in the state’s history.

Neville, according to a news release, is described as a “lifelong champion for equal justice” — starting as the first Black law clerk for a Cook County Appellate Justice, becoming one himself in 2004.  He became an Illinois Supreme Court Justice in 2018, appointed to fill a vacancy left by Justice Charles Freeman, who was the first Black Chief Justice.

Freeman says in the news release public trust in the courts “requires justice that is accessible, procedures that are understandable, and support services that meet the needs of litigants.”