Justice Lisa Holder White joins Illinois Supreme Court
Justice Mary Jane Theis, left, administers the oath of office to Lisa Holder White, making her the first Black woman to serve on the Illinois Supreme Court. Holder White's husband James White holds a Bible while their son Brett White looks on. Capitol News Illinois photo by Peter Hancock
During the first week of July 2022, Illinois saw the retirement of its longest-serving judge, retired Supreme Court Justice Rita Garman. We spoke to her successor, Justice Lisa Holder White about her journey to the Court.
A native of Decatur, Holder White earned a bachelor’s degree from Lewis University in Romeoville in 1990 and a law degree from the University of Illinois College of Law in Urbana-Champaign in 1993. She was named an associate judge in the 6th Judicial Circuit in 2001, making her the first Black judge in that circuit. She was appointed to the 4th District Court of Appeals in 2013 to succeed the late Justice John T. McCullough, who died the previous October, making her the first Black judge in the appellate district. She was elected to that seat in 2014.
Guest:
Justice Lisa Holder White
Illinois Supreme Court, District Four
Prepared for web by Zainab Qureshi
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