Jeffrey H. Kaplan obtained his bachelor’s degree with distinction at the University of Michigan and his law degree with high honors at George Washington University. After practicing law at Legal Services of Southcentral Michigan, he joined the Second District Appellate Court. He served the court as a research staff attorney, a judicial clerk, and the director of research. In 2020, he was appointed as clerk of the court.

Matthew G. Butler was appointed Clerk of the Court in June 2020. Prior to his appointment, he served the Court as the Director of Research and as judicial clerk to the Honorable Mary W. McDade. He began his legal career at Legal Aid Chicago as an AmeriCorps attorney representing survivors of domestic violence. He obtained his law degree from the UIC John Marshall Law School.

Carla Bender earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Legal Studies and Master of Arts in Communication from the University of Illinois. Prior to being elected Clerk of the Circuit Court in Logan County in 1992, she was a Probation officer and later a Field Coordinator in the Probation Division of the Administrative Office of Illinois Courts. She served four terms as Circuit Court Clerk until she was appointed Clerk of the Fourth District Appellate Court during the first year of her fifth term in 2009.

After graduating from law school in 1978, John Flood was in private practice for six years before joining the Fifth District Appellate Court in 1984, where he served as a staff attorney for 25 years. In July 2009, he was appointed Clerk of the Court.