Supreme Court Building Information | State of Illinois Office of the Illinois Courts

In Springfield, the Supreme Court held its first sessions in the Episcopal church at the southeast corner of Third and Adams Street. It later sat in what is now known as the Old State Capitol Building and, after that, until 1908 in the present State Capitol Building. The former Courtroom of the Supreme Court in the State Capitol Building is now used as a committee hearing room by the General Assembly. The current Supreme Court Building was erected at a cost of $450,500. At dedication ceremonies, Chief Justice John P. Hand accepted the keys to the building on February 4, 1908.

Although in some states the Justices of the State Supreme Court move their residences to the State Capital, in Illinois they do not. The building houses the Ceremonial Courtroom, the State Law Library, the Supreme Court Marshal, the Clerk of the Supreme Court, the Supreme Court Research Department, and the Supreme Court Security Coordinator.

The Law Library and Reading Room of the Supreme Court contain a large and extensive collection of books and on-line sources of the laws of Illinois, of the other States of the Union and of the Federal Government. The collection also includes encyclopedic treatments of the law along with numerous texts and legal reference works. Although its primary purpose is to serve the work of the Supreme Court, it is also available for use by members of the bar and the general public.

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