Former Illinois State Supreme Court Justice John J. Stamos will be made an honorary member of DePaul University College of Law’s chapter of the Order of the Coif at 5 p.m. on June 13 at the University Club, DePaul Center, 1 E. Jackson Blvd., during an induction ceremony for 1997 law graduates.

The Order of the Coif is an honorary scholastic society dedicated to excellence in legal education, which recognizes those who as law students attain a high grade of scholarship, and honors those who as lawyers, judges and teachers attain high distinction for their scholarly or professional accomplishments.

Students inducted to the society are ranked in the upper 10 percent of their graduating class. Each year, a member school may elect one of its alumni to the order as an honorary member.

"The faculty voted unanimously to induct Justice Stamos into the order," said DePaul’s Acting Dean Mark Weber. "His achievements as state’s attorney, jurist and scholar exemplify the highest ideal of public service in the law."

Stamos, who graduated from DePaul’s College of Law, was appointed an Illinois State Supreme Court Justice in 1988 to the position vacated by the resignation of Seymour Simon in 1988. Stamos had opposed Simon unsuccessfully for the state Supreme Court in 1979. -OVER-

Stamos’ state high court nomination received the highest ratings from the Chicago Council of Lawyers, the Chicago Bar Association and the Illinois State Bar Association. All three cited him for integrity, professionalism and scholarship. Stamos did not seek re-election to the court in 1990, but instead chose to join his son’s law firm of Stamos & Trucco, where he remains of counsel.

Stamos was elected to the Illinois Appellate Court in 1968, where he remained until he was appointed to the high court.

He began college at DePaul in 1941, interrupting his studies to serve in the U.S. Army during World War II.

Stamos became assistant corporation counsel for Chicago in 1951, and then Cook County assistant state’s attorney in 1954. Stamos then served as the Chief of the Criminal Division for the Cook County States Attorney’s Office from 1961 until 1964; Cook County first assistant state’s attorney from 1964 until 1966; and finally, Cook County state’s attorney from 1966 until 1968 when he was elected to the state appellate court.

Among his many accomplishments and honors are the Outstanding Prosecutor Award from the National District Attorneys Association, the Liberty Bell Award from the Chicago Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and the Professional Achievement Award from the Illinois States Attorneys Association.

In previous years, DePaul’s honorary Coif inductees have included Judge William Bauer of the U.S Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and Justices Daniel Ward and William Clark of the Illinois Supreme Court.