Julie Bess Aimen Seeks Retention on Cook County Bench

Cook County Circuit Court Judge Julie Bess Aimen faces a retention vote in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.

Aimen was sworn in as a judge on Dec. 6, 2020, after winning election from the 9th subcircuit. In a retention race, voters decide whether to keep a sitting judge on the bench rather than choosing between competing candidates. The race is nonpartisan, and Evanston voters will see the retention question on their Cook County ballot.

Before joining the bench, Aimen spent 36 years as a solo practitioner at the Law Offices of Julie B. Aimen. She worked in criminal defense, family law and civil rights, according to the Committee for Retention of Judges.

Candidate information

• Office sought: Illinois Circuit Court Judge, Cook County Circuit (retention)
• Election date: Nov. 3, 2026
• Education: Bachelor's degree in social work, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1979; juris doctor, Illinois Institute of Technology, 1984

Experience and public service

Aimen held several positions before her election to the bench. She served as a staff attorney at the Office of the State Appellate Defender's Chicago office and as a panel attorney at the Capital Resource Center, according to the Committee for Retention of Judges.

She was the first woman to serve as president of the Illinois Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, also known as Illinois Attorneys for Criminal Justice. She also served on the board of directors of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, known as the NACDL, where she sat on the Forensic Hot-line Committee, co-chaired the Juvenile Justice Committee and New Member Recruitment Committee, and served on the Long Range Planning Committee.

Aimen co-chaired the Chicago Bar Association Criminal Law Committee and served on the board of governors of the Chicago Council of Lawyers and its Judicial Evaluation Committee.

She is a member of the Illinois Judges Association, Illinois Judges Foundation, Illinois Association of Judges, Illinois State Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association, Women's Bar Association and Jewish Judges, according to the Committee for Retention of Judges.

Aimen received the Jon Jost Award from Horizons and certificates of appreciation from the NACDL. The awards recognized her work in criminal defense before she took the bench.

She participates in community service through the Illinois Judges Association Judges Go to School program and the League of Women Voters, according to the Committee for Retention of Judges.

Endorsements

All evaluating bar associations recommended Aimen for retention, according to the Committee for Retention of Judges. The bar association evaluations assess judges on legal knowledge, integrity, impartiality and judicial temperament.

• All evaluating bar associations (Recommended)

Candidate profile information is drawn from the Committee for Retention of Judges and BallotReady. No candidate questionnaire responses were available for this profile.