Judge Smith faces Cook County retention vote Nov. 3

North Shore voters in New Trier Township will see Cook County Circuit Judge Levander Smith Jr. on the Nov. 3 ballot. The nonpartisan retention question asks whether to keep Smith on the Circuit Court bench.

Smith has served as a circuit judge since March 1, 2019, when the Illinois Supreme Court appointed him. He presides over child protection cases in the Child Protection Division at the Cook County Juvenile Court, according to the Circuit Court of Cook County. His courtroom is at the Cook County Juvenile Center, 2245 W. Ogden Ave. in Chicago.

In a retention race, no challenger appears on the ballot. Voters answer "yes" to keep the judge or "no" to remove the judge at the end of the current term.

Candidate information

Name: Levander Smith Jr.
Office sought: Circuit Court Judge, Cook County Circuit (retention)
Election: Illinois General Election, Nov. 3, 2026
Party: Nonpartisan
Ballot status: Certified for the ballot
Education: Bachelor's degree from Washington University (1985); juris doctor from University of Kansas
Bar admission: Admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1993

Experience and public service

Before his 2019 appointment, Smith spent 26 years as a licensed, practicing attorney. Most of that career was dedicated to public service in child protection law through state and county government, with some practice in juvenile justice, domestic relations and workers' compensation, according to LAGBAC, Chicago's LGBTQ+ bar association.

His career path, according to public records compiled by the Leyhane legal blog, included:

Regional counsel and field regional counsel, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Cook County (1993–1999)
Regional counsel, Illinois DCFS, St. Clair County (1999–2000)
Intermediate attorney, St. Louis Family Court (2000–2003)
Assistant state's attorney, Cook County State's Attorney's Office (2003–2004)
Associate attorney, Cordell & Cordell, P.C. (2005)
Assistant attorney general, Labor Division, Office of the Attorney General of Missouri (2006–2011)
Supervisory regional counsel, Illinois DCFS, St. Clair County (2011–2015)
Litigation attorney, Illinois DCFS (2015–2018)
Assistant deputy general counsel, Illinois DCFS (2018–2019)

Smith belongs to the Cook County Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association and LAGBAC. He is also a member of the National Bar Association, including its Judicial and LGBTQ+ committees. His other memberships include the Illinois Judicial Council, the Association of Illinois Judges and the Illinois Judicial Association.