| William J. Fulton | |
| Office: | Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court |
| Term Start: | 1944 |
| Term End: | 1945 |
| Office2: | Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court |
| Term Start2: | 1942 |
| Term End2: | 1953 |
| Predecessor2: | Elwyn Riley Shaw |
| Successor2: | Ray Klingbiel |
| Office3: | Judge of the Illinois Court of Appeals |
| Term Start3: | 1943 |
| Term End3: | 1930 |
| Office4: | Circuit Court Judge for DeKalb County, Illinois |
| Term Start4: | 1923 |
| Term End4: | 1930 |
| Birth Date: | 14 January 1875 |
| Birth Place: | Lynedoch, Ontario, Canada |
| Death Place: | Sycamore, Illinois |
| Education: | University of Illinois (B.S.) University of Illinois (JD) |
William John Fulton[1] (January 14, 1875 – March 24, 1961) was a Canadian-born American jurist. He became an Illinois lawyer and judge, serving as city attorney for Sycamore, Illinois, a circuit court judge for DeKalb County, Illinois, appeallate judge on the Illinois Court of Appeals, justice of the Illinois Supreme Court and Chief Judge of that court.
Born in Lynedoch, Ontario, Canada, Fulton emigrated with his parents to the United States in 1880 and settled in Illinois. Fulton went to school in Waterman, Illinois and Hartford City, Indiana. He then received his bachelor's degree and law degree from the University of Illinois.
Admitted to the Illinois bar in 1901, Fulton practiced law in Sycamore, Illinois. He served as city attorney for Sycamore, Illinois and as master in chancery for DeKalb County, Illinois. In 1923, Fulton was elected a circuit court judge for the 16th circuit (DeKalb County). In 1930, he was elected an appellate judge from the 4th District of the Illinois Court of Appeals (later from the 3rd District). From 1942 until 1954, Fulton served on the Illinois Supreme Court, and was briefly chief justice of the court (1944-1945). Although re-elected in 1951, Justice Fulton retired in 1953. He died in a hospital in Sycamore, Illinois in 1961.[2] [3]