Cook County Circuit Court Judge Julie Bess Aimen will appear on the Nov. 3 general election ballot for a retention vote. North Shore residents in Cook County will decide whether to keep her on the bench.

The race is nonpartisan. In a retention election, voters answer a single question: should the judge remain in office? Cook County Circuit Court judges hear criminal, civil, family and other cases across the county's trial courts. Voters will see Aimen's name on the ballot with a yes-or-no choice.

Aimen was sworn in Dec. 6, 2020, after winning election from the 9th subcircuit. Before joining the bench, she spent 36 years as a solo practitioner at the Law Offices of Julie B. Aimen, according to the Committee for Retention of Judges. Her practice focused on criminal defense, family law and civil rights.

Candidate information

  • Office sought: Illinois Circuit Court Judge, Cook County Circuit (retention)
  • Election date: Nov. 3, 2026
  • Party: Nonpartisan
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in social work, University of Wisconsin-Madison (1979); juris doctor, Illinois Institute of Technology (1984)

Experience and public service

Aimen held several legal positions before her election to the bench. She served as a staff attorney at the Office of the State Appellate Defender's Chicago office and as a panel attorney at the Capital Resource Center, according to the Committee for Retention of Judges.

She was the first woman to serve as president of the Illinois Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, also known as Illinois Attorneys for Criminal Justice, according to the Committee for Retention of Judges. She also served on the board of directors of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. There, she sat on the Forensic Hot-line Committee, co-chaired the Juvenile Justice Committee and New Member Recruitment Committee, and was a member of the Long Range Planning Committee.

Aimen co-chaired the Chicago Bar Association Criminal Law Committee and served on the board of governors of the Chicago Council of Lawyers and its Judicial Evaluation Committee.

She is a member of the Illinois Judges Association, Illinois Judges Foundation, Illinois Association of Judges, Illinois State Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association, Women's Bar Association and Jewish Judges.

Aimen received the Jon Jost Award from Horizons and certificates of appreciation from the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. She participates in community service through the Illinois Judges Association Judges Go to School program and the League of Women Voters.

Endorsements

All evaluating bar associations found Aimen recommended for retention, according to the Committee for Retention of Judges.

  • All evaluating bar associations (recommended)

Candidate profile information is drawn from the Committee for Retention of Judges and BallotReady. No candidate questionnaire responses were available for this profile.