Beyond the Bench – October 2026

Beyond the Bench is a feature to get to know more about judges and justices in Illinois, beyond their legal duties.

Name: Jennifer L. Johnson

Title: Circuit Court Judge

Circuit or Judicial District: Twenty-Second Judicial Circuit

Do you have a go-to lunch spot at work? What is your usual order?

Cesaroni's Café and Deli is a great place for a quick sandwich in Woodstock. My favorite is the #3 Woodstock RB-short for Roast Beef and I order mine on whole wheat bread. They also have awesome crusty baguettes. Yum!

What is your favorite Halloween candy?

So many great choices…I'm partial to Reese's peanut butter cups (even when they are not in the shape of a pumpkin).

What is your favorite Halloween costume that you've worn?

When I was around 10 years old, my mother made me an Oscar the Grouch costume-complete with a real metal garbage can! She cut out the bottom of the garbage can and used duct tape to create suspenders so that I could walk inside the can! To be clear, it was not my favorite costume at the time (hard to walk and heavy to carry). But looking back on that memory makes me smile wide-my mom is a creative genius!

What is one thing you learned in law school, outside of the classroom, that you apply to your work today?

I had to think in different ways in law school and there was a learning curve. To survive, I prepared a ton…lots of reading, lots of studying, lots of flashcards. The thing I learned outside of the classroom was the importance of having friends to balance that work. I spent many nights sharing a meal or playing Euchre with a close group of friends to let my mind "just breathe." Those moments made the stress much more bearable. The need for downtime with people who support me survives to this day-and I think spending time with friends probably makes me better all around!