Justice Palmer has served as a judge for almost 19 years. He currently sits on the Illinois Appellate Court by appointment of the Illinois Supreme Court. Prior to being installed as an Appellate Court Justice, Justice Palmer sat in the Chancery Division for six years and prior to that in the Criminal Division for nearly 12 years. As a result, he has the experience of presiding over many of our county's most complex civil and criminal cases.
Justice Palmer has been evaluated throughout his career by the various bar associations on five separate occasions. He has never received a negative evaluation and has been found qualified for retention in all evaluations. His latest ratings are as follows:
Chicago Council of Lawyers - Well QualifiedChicago Bar Association – QualifiedAsian American Bar Association – QualifiedCook County Bar Association – Recommended Decalogue Society of Lawyers – Highly RecommendedPuerto Rican Bar Association – Highly RecommendedIllinois State Bar Association – QualifiedLesbian and Gay Bar Association of Chicago – Highly RecommendedWoman’s Bar Association – RecommendedBlack Women Lawyers' Association – RecommendedHispanic Lawyers Association – Highly QualifiedHellenic Bar Association – suggested
In its latest evaluation the Chicago Bar Association noted; "Justice Palmer is highly regarded for his knowledge of civil and criminal law, judicial experience, work ethic, and excellent judicial demeanor".
Prior to becoming a judge he had over 15 years of legal experience in both civil and criminal practice. Justice Palmer received his law degree from Northwestern University School of Law and his undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois where he graduated with honors.