ADAM VAUGHT 
Partner

Adam Vaught handles complex, client-critical, and high-stakes cases, representing clients in tort law, the law governing politics, the law governing the legal profession, and appeals on all types of legal issues. He has argued cases in the Illinois Supreme Court, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, all five Illinois Appellate Districts, numerous state and federal trial courts, the ARDC, and Illinois administrative bodies. He has authored amicus briefs, including in the United States Supreme Court on behalf of the American Bar Association.

Adam has been appointed to serve as a Special Assistant Attorney General on several occasions, most recently to represent the President of the Illinois Senate and the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives in multiple lawsuits over the state’s legislative and judicial redistricting. He has also been appointed Special Assistant State’s Attorney to represent the Cook County Clerk and the Cook County Sheriff. Additionally, he has represented numerous state, county, and local elected officials in legal matters.

The cases he has handled for clients have arisen from myriad issues, including personal injury, legal malpractice, medical malpractice, legal ethics, judicial ethics, insurance coverage, worker’s compensation, the Illinois Election Code, the Illinois Citizen Participation Act, the Illinois Biometric Privacy Act, the absolute litigation privilege, municipal law, criminal law, the First Amendment rights of political candidates and governmental employees, and the Voting Rights Act.

In 2018, the Illinois Supreme Court appointed Adam to serve as one of three practicing attorneys on the Illinois Judicial Conference, the 29-member strategic planning body for the Illinois Judiciary. He has also been appointed by the Supreme Court to serve on two task forces related to civil and criminal fees and criminal fines. He has frequently advised members and staff of the Illinois General Assembly on legislation related the judiciary.

Prior to founding Kilbride & Vaught in 2021, Adam was a partner at a prominent Chicago law firm for a decade. Before that he served as a law clerk and Counselor to Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas L. Kilbride. He worked with judges throughout the state on issues involving access to justice, cameras in the courtroom, e-business, judicial funding, and judicial administration. He also worked with the legislature on the judicial budget and other legislation supported by the Supreme Court.

In addition to his legal work, Adam has lectured at the University of Illinois College of Law and the Northern Illinois University College of Law. He also serves as Chairman of Southern Illinois Bancorp, Inc. and Vice Chairman of the First National Bank of Carmi, IL. Adam lives in LaGrange Park with his wife Heather. They have two young children.