Hon. Emily A. Fancher joined the Illinois Human Rights Commission as an Administrative Law Judge in August of 2024. Judge Fancher is a member of the bars of Illinois and California. She is a Cum Laude graduate of Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, California, and a recipient of the CALI Excellence for the Future Award in Constitutional Law I, Constitutional Law II, and Criminal Law. Judge Fancher began her post-bar legal career with the City of Springfield as an Assistant Corporation Counsel in the Code Enforcement Division, where she prosecuted housing, zoning and building code violations in the City’s Administrative Court. Judge Fancher also worked as the Police Legal Advisor for the City of Springfield, handling a wide variety of legal matters including litigation, arbitration, officer discipline, policy revisions, ordinance drafting, Freedom of Information Act requests, and legal instruction for sworn officers. Immediately prior to starting at the Commission, Judge Fancher served as legal counsel for the Illinois State Police, where she handled a diverse litigation portfolio and provided regular legal instruction to cadets and recruits at the Illinois State Police Academy. While at the Illinois State Police, Judge Fancher was assigned to a wide variety of civil cases involving employee discipline, sex offender registration, firearm rights, personal injury, and Freedom of Information Act disputes.

Judge Fancher is a member of the Sangamon County Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Government Bar Association, and the Illinois State Bar Association. In her free time, Judge Fancher enjoys cooking, fishing, and, when she isn’t landlocked, scuba diving.