Kane Judge Boles seeks election to Illinois Appellate Court

KANE COUNTY – Kane County Judge Susan Clancy Boles announced today her candidacy for the Illinois Second District Appellate Court, a newly redrawn district encompasses DeKalb, Kendall, Kane, Lake and McHenry counties, according to a news release.

Boles has served as a judge in Kane County since 2007. She was appointed an associate judge in 2007 and appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to circuit court judge in 2008, then was elected in 2010 as a circuit court judge.

She currently sits as the Presiding Judge of the Civil Division for the 16th Judicial Circuit.

“My record of service, hard work and integrity coupled with my continuous role as a leader in the judicial system have fully prepared me to serve as a conscientious and committed appellate jurist,” Boles stated in the release. “I hope to serve in this capacity for all citizens in the Second District.”

The primary election in Illinois, which includes candidates for Illinois Appellate and Supreme Court, is scheduled for June 28, 2022.

Boles is a fourth-generation attorney whose family has practiced law in Kane County for over seven decades, helping to provide legal services to friends, neighbors, and the community at large, the release stated.

Prior to becoming an attorney and judge, Boles was born and raised in the Tri-Cities and graduated from St. Charles High School. After high school, Boles earned a bachelor of arts degree in communication from Vanderbilt University in Tennessee.

She obtained her law degree, with high distinction, from Valparaiso University School of Law in Indiana.

“Boles’ experiences and education are steeped in Midwestern American values; hard work, integrity, and impartiality – values consistent with her local upbringing in Kane County,” the news release stated.

“Those strong values led Judge Boles back to the Tri-Cities after completing her education, where she and her husband raised their three children, each of whom graduated from St. Charles East High School.”

In 2015, the Kane County Chronicle honored Judge Boles with one of its “Everyday Heroes” awards for her contributions to her community.

She was also honored with a “Key to the City” for her charitable and volunteer work in her hometown. St. Charles High School named Judge Boles a distinguished alumnus in 2016.

In Boles’ 14 years on the bench, she has presided over almost every type of case within the judicial system and held leadership positions – by appointment and election – throughout her judicial career.

Kane County circuit judges elected her chief judge in 2015. She served in that role for two terms through 2019.

Boles was elected by the Illinois chief judges to serve as Vice Chair of the Circuit Court of Chief Judges Conference from 2017- 2019, the release stated.

Boles was one 15 judges across the state who served as an original member of the Illinois Judicial Conference, which was reconstituted in September 2018 “to consider the work of the courts, to suggest improvements in the administration of justice, and to make recommendations for the improvement of the courts,” according to its website, www.illinoiscourts.gov.

Since 2017, Boles served by appointment of the Illinois Supreme Court as a member of the Illinois Judicial College standing committee on Judicial Education. Since 2010, she served as a presenter and instructor for the continuing education conference for judges.

Boles served on the Board of Directors of the Illinois Judges Association from 2010 to 2016. She is currently IJA Chair of the Worries of the World Wide Web In-School Programs Committee, a state-wide program she co-created which addresses the increasing problems of cyber bullying, electronic harassment, and sexting/pornography amongst middle school aged students, the release stated.

Boles speaks to both middle and high school age students on a variety of topics youth are faced with today.

Boles serves by appointment of the Illinois Supreme Court on the Executive Board of the Lawyers Assistance Program and the Judicial Mentor Committee. She is also a trained facilitator for the Illinois Judicial Performance Evaluation Program.