Hon. Moshe Jacobius (Ret.) joins JAMS in Chicago following a distinguished 31-year career as a Cook County Circuit Court judge, including service as presiding judge in both the Chancery and Domestic Relations divisions. 

Judge Jacobius has extensive experience in family law matters and spent 20 years in the Domestic Relations Division, including 10 years as presiding judge. During that time, he heard hundreds of motions and arguments, and presided over scores of trials involving custody, large estates and substantial business holdings. As the head of one of the nation’s busiest family court dockets, Judge Jacobius brought increased civility and efficiency to the handling of domestic relations matters in Cook County. 

Judge Jacobius led the Chancery Division from 2010 to his retirement, managing 30 judges hearing equity matters such as injunctions and declaratory judgments as well as foreclosures and mechanic’s liens. Judge Jacobius has been described as a leader on issues involving access to justice. One such effort was a program he launched during the Great Recession of 2008, when there were as many as 8,000 foreclosure cases per judge in the division. In response to the housing crisis, Judge Jacobius led improvements to the court's mortgage foreclosure mediation program, which aimed to provide homeowners with free counseling and legal assistance early on in the foreclosure process. Many Illinoisans were able to remain in their homes as a result. 

Judge Jacobius immigrated to the United States at the age of 10. He is professionally proficient in Hebrew and spent time as a teacher in Chicago public schools prior to pursuing a legal career. A respected jurist known for his keen wit and wide smile, Judge Jacobius brings a wealth of life experience to his ADR practice.

Representative Matters

• Administrative Law
• Khan v. Department of Healthcare and Family Services, IL App 191212 (1st Dist. 2020) (Dispute involving a doctor’s suspension as a Medicaid provider)
• Jankovich v. Illinois State Police, IL App 160706 (1st Dist. 2017) (Concealed carry license dispute)
• Mannie v. State Department of Insurance, IL App 172940-L (1st Dist. 2018) (Dispute involving an insurance license)
• Orrico v. Village of Oak Lawn Firefighters’ Pension Fund, IL App 162126 (1st Dist. 2017) (Disability dispute involving an employee)
• Business & Commercial
• Tufo v. Tufo, IL App 192521 (1st Dist. 2021) (Family business dispute involving fiduciary duty)
• Medical Insurance Consulting Group, Inc. v. Welldyne, 16 CH 4258 (Patent dispute regarding a pharmaceutical company)
• Global Mail. Inc. v. White, IL App (1st) 181778 (1st Dist. 2019) (Franchise tax dispute)
• Horwitz v. Sonnenschein, IL App (1st) 161909 (1st Dist. 2018) (Dispute involving a law firm partner’s defrauding claims)
• Civil Rights
• Stroger v. Regional Transportation Authority, 201 Ill.2d 508 (Dispute involving Regional Transportation Authority Act)
• Susan v. Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America, IL App 120697 (1st Dist. 2012) (Dispute involving the First and Fourteenth amendments’ authority)
• Class Action & Mass Tort
• Barber v. American Airlines; Gelb v. Air Con Refrigerating, 00 CH 1511, 326 Ill.App.3d 809 (1st Dist. 2001) (Ruling made on class certification motion)
• Presided over and issued rulings in several Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) cases and approved several settlements
• Employment Law
• Village of Posen v. Illinois FOP Labor Council, IL App 1333329 (1st Dist. 2014) (Termination dispute involving public employees.)
• Village of Chicago Ridge v. Chicago Ridge Firefighters Pension Board of Trustees, IL App 152089 (1st Dist. 2016) (Dispute regarding retirement benefits)
• Family Law
• Silverstein v. Silverstein, 352 Ill.App.3d 12269 (1st Dist. 2004) (Marital dispute involving business valuation)
• Mills v. Mills, IL App 102728-U (1st Dist. 2011) (Marital dispute involving length of time together)
• In re Heroy, IL 120205 (1st Dist. 2017) (Dispute involving attorneys’ fees)
• Insurance
• Crane v. Allianz Underwriters Ins. Co., IL App 180223 (1st Dist. 2020) (Complex litigation dispute regarding insurance coverage)
• Illinois Tool Works, Inc. v. Ace Specialty Insurance Co., IL App 181945 (1st Dist. 2019) (Coverage dispute involving environmental contamination)
• Pekin Ins. Co. v. AAA-1 Masonry and Tuckpointng, Inc., IL App 160200 (1st Dist. 2017) (Dispute between subcontractor and insurance company)
• Markel Ins. Co. v. Energym Gymnastics, Inc., IL App 190092-U (1st Dist. 2019) (Insurance coverage case involving sexual misconduct)
• Real Estate & Real Property
• People’s Bank of Arlington Heights v. Atlas, IL App 133775 (1st Dist. 2015) (Mortgage foreclosure dispute involving a commercial loan)
• P. Morgan Chase Bank v. Talaganov, IL App 180578 (1st Dist. 2018) (Dispute over foreclosure petition)
• Six Corners Same Day Surgery, et al. v. Maccionne, et al., 11 CH 18215 (Dispute involving a medical practice and building LLC)
• Handelman v. Anderson Ill. Appellate Court, 1-01-2716 (2004) (Construction dispute involving violation of multiple restrictions)

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

Memberships and Affiliations

• President, Jewish Judges Association
• Board Member, Decalogue Society of Lawyers
• Past Member, Special Custody Committee, Illinois Supreme Court
• Past Member, Security Committee, Illinois Supreme Court
• Member, Associate Judge Selection Committee, Circuit Court of Cook County
• Member, Executive Committee, Circuit Court of Cook County

Selected Awards and Honors

• Gary Wild Memorial Award, North Suburban Bar Association, 2021
• Advocate for Diversity, Diversity Scholarship Foundation, 2017
• Seymour Simon Justice Award, Jewish Judges Association, 2011
• Lifetime Achievement Award, Decalogue Society of Lawyers, 2008

Background and Education

• Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, 1991–2022
  • Presiding Judge, Chancery Division, 2010–2022
  • Presiding Judge, Domestic Relations Division, 2000–2010
• Judge, 1991–2000
• Office of the Illinois Attorney General, 1975–1991
• Counsel to the Attorney General, 1988–1991
• Chief, General Law Division, 1983–1988
• Chief, Industrial Commission, 1982–1983
• Assistant Illinois Attorney General, 1975–1982
• Teacher, Chicago Board of Education, 1969–1974
• J.D., cum laude, DePaul University College of Law, 1975
• M.A. History, University of Illinois at Chicago Circle,1969
• B.A., History (minor in Psychology), University of Illinois at Chicago Circle, 1967