From Oswego High Valedictorian to Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court

Rita Garman today becomes the Illinois Supreme Court's second female chief justice. 

Garman graduated from Oswego High School in 1961 as the valedictorian of her class. She was born in Aurora, and today lives in Vermilion County. She was appointed to the state supreme court in 2001.

In prepared remarks, Garman said more must be done to speed the progress of cases through the justice system.

"There is a need to keep all the cases moving," she told reporters, adding that she believes technology should be part of the solution. "There are (real) people behind the cases."

Garman, one of three women on the seven-justice panel, becomes the 119th chief justice on the court.

"This is probably one of the most gratifying and uplifting moments of my life," she said at the installation ceremony Monday, which took place in a Danville courthouse, where she began her legal career.

Her appointment as chief justice is especially significant because it means she likely will be chief when the state's high court decides the fate of any pension reform bill passed by the General Assembly. 

That's a decision that effectively will determine the state's financial future. Important stuff. Yet most people know next to nothing about the membership and workings of the court. 

Find out what you need to know about the justices and the court from our friends at Reboot Illinois in a graphic on the Illinois Supreme Court.