Rule 24.Research Department in Each District of the Appellate Court
Article I. General Rules · Last amended 1987 · Last verified July 20, 2026
In one sentenceRule 24 creates a staff research department in each Appellate Court district to support the judges, led by a director of research and staffed by licensed law school graduates.
Full Text of Ill. S. Ct. R. 24
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In each Appellate Court district there shall be a research department supervised by a director
of research and staffed by such number of staff attorneys as the Supreme Court may from time to time determine. The research departments in each district shall perform such duties as may be assigned to it by the presiding judge of the district or, in the First District, by the Executive Committee. The research department of the various districts shall coordinate their activities, exchange information, and publish and maintain a manual of procedures for the research staff. An assistant to the Supreme Court may be assigned by that court to coordinate the activities of the research departments hereby created. The director of research and all staff attorneys employed in any research department shall be graduates of law schools approved by the American Bar Association.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 24 sets up the research infrastructure behind the Appellate Court. Every district gets its own research department, run by a director of research and staffed with attorneys who have graduated from an ABA-approved law school. The presiding judge, or the Executive Committee in the First District, assigns the department's duties.
The rule also asks the districts to coordinate with each other, sharing information and maintaining a shared procedures manual, with a Supreme Court-appointed assistant available to help coordinate that work across districts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every Appellate Court district have its own research staff?
Yes. Rule 24 requires each district to maintain a research department led by a director of research.
Who qualifies to work as a staff attorney in an Appellate Court research department?
Graduates of law schools approved by the American Bar Association.
Who assigns the duties of a district's research department?
The presiding judge of that district, or the Executive Committee in the First District.
Do the Appellate Court research departments work together?
Yes. Rule 24 requires them to coordinate activities, exchange information, and maintain a shared procedures manual.
Why did Illinois set up district-level research departments instead of one statewide office?
The rule favors a decentralized structure, with coordination handled by an assistant to the Supreme Court rather than a single central department.
Committee Comments
Rule 24 is new. It recedes from the recommendation of the 1972 committee report for a statewide research department and incorporates the development of research departments in each district with a coordination of the activities of those departments by an assistant to the Supreme Court.
Amendment History
Adopted July 30, 1979, effective October 15, 1979; amended April 10, 1987, effective August 1, 1987.
Source & verification. Rule text, official Committee Comments, and
amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Illinois Supreme Court Rules,
promulgated by the Supreme Court of Illinois. Last verified July 20, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as:appellate court research departmentdirector of research illinois courtsstaff attorney appellate courtappellate court law clerksrule 24 research staff