Kane County Circuit Judge Kevin Busch will retire Jan. 29, 2026 and the Illinois Supreme Court is seeking applicants to fill the vacancy, according to a news release.

Illinois Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Rochford announced an application process to fill the anticipated vacancy, which will require full court approval.

To be eligible, the applicant must be a lawyer licensed to practice law in Illinois and a resident of the 16th Circuit.​​​

Unlike circuit court vacancies which are filled by Supreme Court appointment, associate judges are appointed by the circuit judges in a selection process conducted by the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.

The deadline is Dec. 19.

The application form and instructions may be obtained by visiting the Illinois Supreme Court’s website at www.illinoiscourts.gov and following the instruction in the latest news scroller announcing the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit vacancy.

Applications and supporting documents should be submitted to Stacie Ryan at sryan@illinoiscourts.gov.

The person selected to fill the vacancy will serve until the first Monday in December following the November 2028 general election, according to the release.

Busch was an assistant state’s attorney from 1985 to 1992, and served as criminal division chief from 1989 to 1992, then was in private practice until his appointment as an associate judge in 2008, records show.

Busch then was elected as a circuit judge in 2010 and retained in the general election in 2016, records show.