When her term begins, July 8, 2022, Lisa Holder White will officially be the first Black woman to serve on the Illinois Supreme Court. The Illinois alumna (Class of 1993) will take the place of retiring Justice Rita Garman, who has served since 2001 and retires as the longest serving judge in Illinois.
Judge Holder White will come to the Illinois Supreme Court through a career as Assistant State's Attorney for Macon County and Assistant Public Defender for Macon County prior to being sworn in for her first judgeship, as Associate Judge in the Sixth Judicial Circuit. In that role, too, Holder White was a trailblazer, as the first Black judge in the circuit. She was appointed as Circuit Judge in 2008 and, in 2010, elected to the position. In 2013, Holder White continued her remarkable career and was sworn as the first Black Justice on the Illinois Appellate Court, Fourth District. In 2014, she was elected to the Illinois Appellate Court, Fourth District.
In a statement, Holder White called the chance to serve "the honor of a lifetime."
"My service to the judiciary for the past 21 years has helped prepare me for this historic moment. I look forward to the privilege of resolving matters my fellow citizens bring before the Court," Holder White added.
Read the full Illinois Supreme Court press release online.