The Chicago Bar Foundation has honored former Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride by creating a new public service award in his name.

The award, called the Justice Thomas. L. Kilbride Public Service Award, “honors attorneys and judges who have dedicated a significant portion of their legal career to the public sector, achieved excellence in their work and demonstrated a firm commitment to increasing access to justice and making the court system fairer and more accessible.”

Kilbride said he was informed of the news in an email from Chicago Bar Foundation Executive Director Bob Glaves.

“I’m happy about it, that’s for sure,” Kilbride said. “I was surprised and to a certain degree, I was kind of stunned. In the context of the Nov. 3 election, it’s really meaningful to get news like that.”

Kilbride was not retained during the November 2020 general election. After an aggressive campaign by Republicans to oust him, he failed to earn more than the 60% majority needed to remain on the bench.