Sanjay Tailor (JD ’91) takes his seat on the highest court in Illinois
May 19, 2026
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When Illinois Supreme Court Justice Sanjay Tailor (JD ‘91) was sworn in as the court’s newest member on Jan. 30, 2026, it marked a historic occasion: Tailor is the first Asian American justice to be appointed to the court. But Tailor doesn’t get too swept up in that particular fact.
“I’m mindful and cognizant of how significant and important it is to the community, but personally, for me, it’s just not something I talk about,” Tailor said during a recent interview inside his art-filled chambers in downtown Chicago. One prominently featured painting is the work of the artist Gurdeep Singh. He said he brought it home from a recent trip to India, flying coach in order to justify the cost of transporting the large colorful piece. Another piece, located just outside his office, is a series of photographs of Thomas Cole’s The Course of Empire paintings, which depict the growth and eventual demise of an imaginary civilization—a reminder, he said, of what’s at stake. “I think we all want to be judged by what’s up here,” he said, motioning toward his head, “and here,” pointing toward his heart.
For Tailor, his appointment to the court, filling the vacancy created by Mary Jane Theis (BA ’71), who served as Chief Justice from 2022 to 2025 and retired in January, represents the latest step in a lengthy professional journey that began some 40 years earlier.
As an undergrad, the Maryland native studied biological sciences at the University of Delaware. After earning his bachelor’s degree, he began working for one of his professors in a genetics research lab while mulling his next steps after graduation, but something wasn’t clicking: “I wasn’t sure I wanted to work in a lab,” he admitted.
During the summer of 1987, Tailor found himself, along with much of the nation, engrossed by the televised Iran–Contra hearings.
The proceedings revealed Reagan administration officials’ illegal efforts to sell firearms to Iran to fund the Nicaraguan Contras, a right-wing rebel group, and resulted in the conviction of several White House officials at the time. He almost immediately saw parallels between his education in science and the practice of law, and he knew what he had to do next.
“I remember watching the lawyers representing their clients before Congress,” Tailor said. “The power of advocacy and the power of the lawyer to push back is something that stuck with me, and I think that what I learned in science—the attention to detail, looking at data—all of it translates perfectly.”
Tailor graduated cum laude from Loyola’s School of Law. After five years in the private sector—working first at the law firm Chapman and Cutler and later as in-house counsel at First National Bank of Chicago, Tailor eventually transitioned to public service, serving as an assistant states’ attorney for Cook County through 2003.
The state Supreme Court justice credited his time at Loyola with forging his path through these varying roles. His hunger for litigating cases is what led him down a track that at the time was less lucrative, but more fulfilling.
“I wanted to try cases, and the best place to do it is in government,” he explained. “For me, what was more valuable [than financial compensation] was getting the trial experience, so that’s what I did.”
The power of advocacy and the power of the lawyer to push back is something that stuck with me, and I think that what I learned in science—the attention to detail, looking at data—all of it translates perfectly.
— Sanjay Tailor, Illinois Supreme Court justice
Below, Tailor shares more about his career and his memories at Loyola in a conversation that’s been edited and condensed for clarity.
What first attracted you to Loyola?
It was the Loyola community. My father went to University of Dayton, a Catholic school, and something about the Jesuits and the commitment to service appealed to me.
That’s, in fact, what I discovered when I got there: The Loyola faculty and administration really cared about their students. They were invested in them, and [the University] was small enough that they could do that, and large enough that it offered a fairly comprehensive program, particularly for those interested in litigation and trying cases. The deans were very down to earth and wanted you to succeed. To this day, I’m friends with some of the deans who have since retired.
Tell me more about your experience teaching here.
I saw the same sort of students that I think were here when I came to Loyola. They’re really passionate about the law. I think that really speaks to Loyola and its reputation for producing some of our outstanding lawyers and judges and even those who have gone on to do wonderful things outside of law.
Do you keep in touch with anyone from your law school days?
There’s a circle of folks from Loyola and we get together in a different city every couple years. We’ve been to New Orleans, Austin, Nashville, and who knows where the next trip will take us. They are lifelong friends.
If you weren’t a judge, what can you see yourself doing?
A carpenter. Building something tangible. I’m a Mr. Fix-It guy and I like to tinker with gadgets. There’s a how-to video on YouTube for almost everything, so if I’m not toiling in the caseload, I’m trying to fix something.
Were there principles you picked up at Loyola that you still apply today?
Loyola really speaks to the mastery of the law and the concepts that inform our system of justice. The faculty worked hard to see to it that you were as proficient and masterful in the subject matter as any other law school in the country.
And we had professors representing all kinds of styles. George Anastaplo was a famous Loyola professor of constitutional law whom everyone loved. I remember Dean [Tom] Haney, who taught contracts and got to know all the students, and Dick Michael, who taught civil procedure. These are all people who made me who I am today. It all goes back to them.
