Vermilion County Circuit Judge Tom O’Shaughnessy has been selected as the Chief Judge of the Fifth Circuit, effective in January. He succeeds Mitchell Shick of Charleston, who has served as the chief judge for the past three years but did not seek another term.
O’Shaughnessy has served as a circuit judge in Danville since 2014. He previously served for two years as the Vermilion County Recorder and as an attorney in private practice. He was retained for a second six-year term as judge in the last election in November.
“I am honored to have the opportunity and privilege to serve as Chief Judge of the 5th Judicial Circuit, and humbled that my colleagues have such trust and confidence in me,” he says. “I am blessed to work with judges who are innovative, creative, and conscientious, along with a staff dedicated to carrying out the important work of the trial courts. I look forward to working with them in this new capacity as together we serve the people of our judicial circuit.”
O’Shaughnessy serves upon the Illinois Judges’ Association Board of Directors and its Judicial Selection & Retention and Government Affairs Committees. He is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, serving on the Child Law and the Bench & Bar Section Councils, and is a member and past president of the Vermilion County Bar Association. He is also a member and past president of the Rotary Club of Danville, and a member of the Catlin Lions Club and the Danville Chapter of AMBUCS.
