Women in Law 2025

2025

MARCIA MEIS DIRECTOR Administrative Office of Illinois Courts

M arcia M. Meis is the Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC). With over 200 staff located in Springfield and Chicago, the AOIC is a constitutional office that assists the Chief Justice and Justices of the Illinois Supreme Court with their administrative duties and supervisory authority over all Illinois courts. Marcia received her law degree from the DePaul University College of Law. After working briefly in private practice, she served as a law clerk for the Illinois Appellate Court. In 1999, Marcia joined the AOIC as an Executive Office Attorney and subsequently served as AOIC Chief Legal Counsel and Deputy Director before becoming Director in 2017. Marcia and her hard working leadership team keep the trains running in our state court system and are responsible for a wide range of duties, including: the Illinois Judicial Branch budget and payroll/HR/benefits for all judges and non-judicial Supreme and Appellate Court staff; technology for reviewing court judges and staff, equipment for circuit court remote court hearings and digital recording of court hearings, and the statewide eFileIL program and data analytics; standards and training for probation and detention officers and reimbursement of probation/detention salaries statewide; implementing the work of the Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice; strategic planning for the Illinois Judicial Branch through the Illinois Judicial Conference; continuing education for judges and court stakeholders through the Illinois Judicial College; the Illinois Court Improvement Program (CIP) grant and other child welfare, juvenile justice, and domestic

violence programs; supporting the work of the Conference of Chief Circuit Judges, trial court administrators, and circuit court clerks; subject matter expertise on diversity, equity and inclusion and behavioral health matters in our courts; and Supreme Court/AOIC communications and public engagement. Notably, the AOIC served as an “incubator” for the Office of Statewide Pretrial Services (OSPS). OSPS was created by the Supreme Court in 2021 and became an independent agency on July 1, 2025. With the steadfast leadership of OSPS Director Cara LeFevour Smith, along with AOIC support, OSPS has grown to a staff of nearly 300 and successfully launched as a new judicial branch agency. Marcia served on the Board of Directors of the Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA) from 2022-2025 and currently serves as COSCA Vice-President (2025-2026). She also serves on the Board of Directors of the National Center for State Courts. Marcia is co-Chair of the CCJ/COSCA Committee on Public Engagement, Trust and Confidence in the Courts and is a member of the CCJ/COSCA Courts, Children and Families Committee and the COSCA Language Access Advisory Committee. Marcia co-Chaired the Education, Partnerships and Implementation Work Group of the CCJ/COSCA National Judicial Task Force to Examine State Courts’ Response to Mental Illness, as well as the Children and Families Work Group of the CCJ/COSCA National Judicial Opioid Task Force, and the CCJ/COSCA Blueprint for Racial Justice. Marcia was the 2020 recipient of the Richard J. Phelan Public Service Award from the Chicago Bar Association/Chicago Bar Foundation. She is married and has three children.

WOMEN IN LAW 2025