 White was assigned by the Supreme Court to fill the vacancy created
by the death of
John McCullough of Lincoln. The assignment is effective Jan. 14
and will terminate Dec. 1, 2014, when the position is filled by the
2014 general election.
The 4th District is composed of 30 central Illinois counties
spanning from Iowa to Indiana. Those counties are Adams, Brown,
Calhoun, Cass, Champaign, Clark, Coles, Cumberland, DeWitt, Douglas,
Edgar, Ford, Greene, Jersey, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin,
Mason, McLean, Menard, Morgan, Moultrie, Piatt, Pike, Sangamon,
Schuyler, Scott, Vermilion and Woodford.
"Just over four years ago, I had the privilege of swearing in
Lisa Holder White as a circuit judge in the 6th Judicial Circuit,"
Garman said. "Since that time, she has earned the respect and
admiration of her colleagues on the bench and of the attorneys who
appear before her. More importantly, she has earned the respect of
the community she serves.
"I am pleased that she will be joining the 4th District Appellate
Court, where I am sure that she will continue to serve as an
outstanding jurist and a dedicated public servant."
In becoming the first African-American to sit on the appellate
court in the 4th District, Lisa Holder White's long-held dream to
become an attorney has developed into much more than she had
originally envisioned as a 12-year-old.
"Becoming an attorney was a lifelong dream of mine that I was
able to accomplish," White said. "Serving as an associate and
circuit judge in the 6th Circuit was more than a dream realized and
has been an amazing experience.
"I will miss the people I see on a daily basis over here at the
courthouse. At the appellate court level it is more about reading
the record.
"I have always enjoyed research and writing, and as an appellate
court justice I will have more of an opportunity to engage in this
kind of work. I thank Justice Garman and the Illinois Supreme Court
for this opportunity."
White graduated magna cum laude from Lewis University in 1990
with a bachelor’s degree in political science. She received her
juris doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law
in 1993.
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Upon graduation from law school, White served as an assistant
state's attorney for Macon County. While there, she handled various
matters ranging from traffic to criminal felony cases. Subsequently,
she served as an assistant public defender, litigating on behalf of
those charged with criminal offenses and representing abused and
neglected juveniles.
Before her appointment to the bench, White was in private
practice at the Decatur law firm formerly known as Brinkoetter &
White. While there, she was engaged in the practice of family and
criminal law.
In 2001, she was sworn in as an associate judge in the 6th
Judicial Circuit. She was appointed by the Supreme Court as a
circuit judge in 2008 and was elected to the position in November
2010.
White has presided over various matters ranging from small claims
disputes to felonies. She currently serves as the supervising judge
of the Criminal Law Division.
White is a member of the Illinois Judicial Conference and serves
as chair of the Illinois Judicial Conference Committee on Education.
She is also an instructor for "New Judge School" for all new judges
in Illinois. In addition, she teaches at the biennial Education
Conference, a continuing education conference for state court
judges.
White is a member of the Decatur Bar Association and the Illinois
Judges Association. She previously served on the boards of the
Decatur Public Schools Foundation and the Mid-Illinois Chapter of
the American Red Cross. She currently serves on the boards of the
Community Foundation of Macon County and Millikin University.
[Text from file received from the
Illinois Supreme Court]
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