ADAM VAUGHT 
Partner

Adam Vaught is widely regarded as a lawyer to lawyers, judges, and senior leaders in government, trusted to handle the most complex and consequential legal issues at the intersection of law, policy, and public institutions. A seasoned trial and appellate advocate, Adam represents individuals, public officials, institutions, and private companies, including clients in the energy and pharmaceutical sectors, in high-stakes matters involving professional liability, legal and judicial ethics, constitutional and statutory interpretation, and politically sensitive disputes in state and federal courts.

Adam brings a rare combination of academic rigor, institutional knowledge, and practical judgment to his work. Drawing on his experience as a former senior judicial staffer, he navigates legislative and judicial processes with fluency and precision, while his pragmatic approach makes him an effective and accessible counselor to clients across the public and private sectors. His practice is defined by the ability to analyze foundational legal questions with scholarly depth and translate them into clear, actionable strategy.

Throughout his career, Adam has litigated and advised on some of the most fundamental issues affecting the structure and operation of the judicial, political, and electoral systems, including constitutional questions that shape the functioning of government itself. He has argued before the Illinois Supreme Court, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, all five Illinois Appellate Districts, and numerous state and federal trial courts, and has authored amicus briefs, including before the United States Supreme Court on behalf of the American Bar Association.

Adam is frequently selected by courts and public institutions not merely to appear before them, but to work alongside them. He has been appointed as Special Assistant Attorney General and Special Assistant State’s Attorney in high-profile legislative and administrative matters, and in 2018 was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to the Illinois Judicial Conference, the judiciary’s strategic planning body. He has also served on multiple task forces addressing civil and criminal fee reform and regularly advises members and staff of the Illinois General Assembly on judicial and legislative policy.

Before joining Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres, Adam co-founded Kilbride & Vaught and previously practiced for a decade at a leading Chicago law firm. Earlier in his career, he served as law clerk and Counselor to Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas L. Kilbride, where he worked on access-to-justice initiatives, courtroom policy reform, judicial funding, and legislative engagement—experience that continues to inform his role as a strategic advisor to legal, governmental, and business leaders.

Adam is also committed to legal education, lecturing at the University of Illinois College of Law and Northern Illinois University College of Law. Beyond the law, he serves as Chairman of Southern Illinois Bancorp, Inc. and Vice Chairman of the First National Bank of Carmi, Illinois.

He lives in LaGrange Park with his wife, Heather, and their two children.