Administrative Law Section

If you are a party to a complaint that has been filed before the Human Rights Commission, your case is assigned to our Administrative Law Section (or “ALS”).  The ALS is a fully developed court system that exists within the government of the State of Illinois.  Nevertheless, while the ALS belongs to the state’s executive branch, appearing before an Administrative Law Judge of the ALS is analogous to appearing before a judge in state or federal court.  ALS cases are lawsuits, and the decisions made by our Administrative Law Judges have the same force and effect as decisions rendered by the state and federal courts of Illinois.  For this reason, it is imperative that litigants who appear before the ALS understand that they are participants in a lawsuit, and that this status requires them to follow the rules and procedures governing practice before our administrative court.

In advance of appearing before an Administrative Law Judge of the ALS for the first time, parties should review both the Illinois Human Rights Act and the Procedural Rules of the Human Rights Commission. In addition, parties are encouraged to review the "Standing Orders" page of this website, which provides access to both:  (1) the Standing Order for All Cases Filed Before the Administrative Law Section and (2) the Standing Order for Judicial Settlement Conferences.  The ALS further encourages attorneys and self-represented litigants to watch our Instructional Videos, which provide information on the most common challenges faced by parties who appear before our Administrative Law Judges. 

Parties that are required to appear virtually before one of our Administrative Law Judges can find biographical and Webex access information for each judge on the "Administrative Law Judges" page of this website.