On October 5, 2007, the Illinois Supreme Court appointed Rick Stock to serve as a Circuit Court Judge in the 18th Judicial Circuit Court located in DuPage County. Judge Rick Stock brings more than three decades of unparalleled legal experience to the bench.
As an Assistant State's Attorney for Cook County, Rick Stock prosecuted hundreds of criminal felony cases and over one thousand misdemeanor cases. Of the felony cases Stock prosecuted, a quarter of those cases were jury trials and the remaining three-fourths were bench trials. Stock was later promoted to serve as the Felony Trial Supervisor where he supervised a staff of 30 criminal attorneys and 25 felony trial attorneys.
Rick Stock served for seven years in leadership positions in the DuPage County State's Attorney Office. As the Chief Criminal Prosecutor, Stock supervised numerous Assistant States' Attorneys in criminal prosecutions. Stock was later promoted to the number two post serving as the First Assistant State's Attorney where he supervised a staff of 150 employees, including 80 attorneys. Stock oversaw countless criminal and civil cases.
In 1995, newly elected Attorney General Jim Ryan tapped Stock to serve as his Chief Deputy Attorney General and later as Chief of Staff for several years. Stock supervised all operation of the Attorney General’s office, including 650 employees and over 250 attorneys. Stock played a leading role in establishing the priorities of the office on important initiatives. He pursued an aggressive legislative agenda in Springfield where he testified before both House and Senate Committees. He also secured grant funding and has worked with a diverse group of public policy organizations to develop new programs and enhance the scope and role of the Attorney General’s Office. He supervised all the attorneys who appeared in state and federal courts and before the various boards and commissions.
In 2003, Stock became a partner in the law firm, Gardner Carton & Douglas, where he focused on litigation covering regulatory, civil and criminal cases. In January, 2007, Gardner Carton merged with Drinker Biddle & Reath.
Rick Stock is admitted to both state and federal courts, a member of the DuPage County Bar Association and serves on the Judicial Evaluation Hearings Committee of the Chicago Bar Association. Stock is an active member of the Chicago Inn of Court and serves on the Board of Directors for Lawyers for the Creative Arts. He is a former president of the Association of Government Lawyers in Capital Litigation and is a past Trial Award recipient. The Illinois Crime Commission presented Rick Stock with its General Excellence Award in June 2000. He has served as a Downers Grove Republican Committeeman for over twelve years.
