Dean's Public Engagement Lecture: Illinois Supreme Court Justice Robert Carter
“The Impact of State Courts’ Interpretations of their Constitutions on the Development of their State’s Jurisprudence”
Justice Carter will discuss how the reliance of state courts on state and federal constitutions when addressing constitutional questions has changed over time. He will also assess the role the state courts’ independent review of their state constitutional provisions can play in enhancing constitutional protections and providing other benefits to the public.
Remote attendees are welcome via Livestream: https://livestream.com/accounts/23585776/events/10625487.
Free and open to the public.
A limited number of lunches are available for lecture attendees.
About Justice Carter
Justice Robert L. Carter is the Illinois Supreme Court Justice for the Third Judicial District.
Justice Carter served in the United States Army in Vietnam and was awarded the Army Commendation Medal. He received A.B and J.D. degrees from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and a M.A. in Administration from Sangamon State University. He was law clerk to Illinois Supreme Court Justice Howard C. Ryan before engaging in general private practice from 1975 to 1979.
In 1979, Justice Carter became associate circuit judge in the 13th Judicial Circuit Court and was elected circuit judge in 1988. He became chief judge in 1993, holding that post until he was assigned to the Appellate Court, Third District, in 2006. In December 2020, Justice Carter was appointed to the Illinois Supreme Court, where he will serve until December 5, 2022.
Judge Carter was Chair of the Conference of Chief Judges and president and board member of the Illinois Judges Association. He was a member of the Judicial Mentor Training Committee and chairman of the Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee on Family Violence. He has frequently lectured at judicial education programs, conferences, and seminars. He has served as an elected member of the American Law Institute since 2012.
A lifelong resident of Illinois, Justice Carter resides in Ottawa with his wife Nancy, a retired attorney. They have two children, Mary and Matthew, and two grandchildren.
The Dean’s Public Engagement Lecture Series aims to increase interaction between the legal academy, the legal and business professions, and the public. Hosted by Dean Vikram David Amar, the Series brings distinguished judges, lawyers, and businesspersons to the College of Law to talk on cutting-edge issues affecting law, justice, business, and government.