SPRINGFIELD, IL. – Members of the Illinois National Guard’s Staff Judge Advocate Corps gathered on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at the Illinois National Guard’s headquarters on Camp Lincoln in Springfield, where Maj. Gen. Rodney Boyd, the adjutant general of Illinois and commander of the Illinois National Guard, presented Col. Sarah Smith with the Legion of Merit.
Smith is a circuit judge in the Third Judicial Circuit of Illinois, presiding in Madison County, and a colonel in the Illinois Army National Guard. She serves as the G7 (Plans & Exercises) for the Illinois National Guard and was formerly the state judge advocate for the Illinois Army National Guard.
Smith is a lifelong resident of Madison County. She was appointed as an associate judge in 2015 and elected as a circuit judge in 2018, according to information provided with the release. She currently hears a civil docket that includes complex tort litigation, medical negligence, personal injury, commercial disputes, and high-volume civil calendars.
In addition to her civil assignment, Smith is the presiding judge of the Madison County Veterans Treatment Court, described as a specialty court providing evidence-based intervention, treatment, and accountability for veterans involved in the justice system. She also presides over post-conviction matters and other collateral challenges arising from criminal convictions.
Smith is a 2020 graduate of the U.S. Army War College, where she obtained a master’s in strategic studies. The provided information describes her as a two-time combat veteran and Bronze Star recipient.
Before joining the bench, Smith practiced civil litigation and served as a felony prosecutor. She frequently lectures on topics involving artificial intelligence in the courts, electronic discovery, trial strategy and litigation, and judicial ethics, according to the release.
Outside the courtroom, she is a certified high school and collegiate football official and supports youth athletics in Madison County.
