Lisa Holder White '93 was sworn in Thursday, July 7, as the first Black woman to serve on the Illinois Supreme Court. 

Holder White, who previously served on the 4th District Court of Appeals, was chosen to succeed one of her mentors in the legal profession, retiring Justice Rita B. Garman.

The installation ceremony took place at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, a place that Holder White said holds special meaning for her.

“Just last week, while in the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, I had the opportunity to see one of the approximately 12 existing copies of the Emancipation Proclamation signed by President Lincoln,” she said. “Being sworn in as a justice on the Supreme Court of Illinois in the museum dedicated to our 16th President, the man who freed the slaves, my ancestors, is of special significance to me. My heritage is a heritage that once involved minds and bodies that were shackled, and doors that were so, so long closed.”

Read more about Justice Holder White's historic swearing-in ceremony at illinoisnewsroom.org.