Illinois Supreme Court assigns Lannerd as appellate justice in Fourth District

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Justice Lisa Holder White and the Supreme Court of Illinois announced Thursday that Eighth Circuit Court Judge Amy Lannerd has been assigned as an appellate court justice in the Fourth District.

Lannerd is being assigned to fill the vacancy created by the decision of Justice John W. Turner of Lincoln to not seek retention. The assignment is effective Dec. 5, 2022, through Dec. 2, 2024.

“Judge Lannerd is a bright, hardworking community-minded person who is highly respected by her colleagues and the legal community,” Justice Holder White said in a press release. “She has extensive experience in the law and has handled a multitude of different types of cases since taking the bench in 2016. Undoubtedly, she will be an excellent addition to the Appellate Court.”

Lannerd’s assignment leaves Adams County with six judges — Scott Larson, Tad Brenner, Robert Adrian, Holly Henze, John Wooleyhan and Debra Wellborn.

Lannerd is believed to be the first judge from Adams County appointed as an appellate judge to the Fourth District since Bob Cook.

Lannerd was appointed to the bench as a Circuit Judge in the Eighth Circuit in 2016, and she won election in 2018. She would have been up for retention in 2024, and her position is not expected to be filled in Adams County until then.

She previously worked in private practice as a partner at Lewis, Longlett & Lannerd, LLC.

“I am humbled to receive this assignment,” Judge Lannerd said. “I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Justice Holder White and the Illinois Supreme Court for granting me this opportunity. I am honored to be able to serve the citizens of the Fourth District Appellate Court.”

The Fourth District Appellate Court is composed of 41 counties in central and western Illinois: Adams, Boone, Brown, Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Ford, Fulton, Greene, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Jersey, Jo Daviess, Knox, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macoupin, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, McLean, Menard, Mercer, Morgan, Ogle, Peoria, Pike, Putnam, Rock Island, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Warren, Whiteside, Winnebago and Woodford.

Other members of the Fourth District Appellate Court are:

• George Bridges of Waukegan;
• Peter Cavanagh of Springfield;
• Craig DeArmond of Vermillion County;
• Eugene Doherty of Rockford;
• Thomas Harris of Lincoln;
• James Knecht of Normal;
• Robert Steigmann of Urbana;
• Kathryn Zenoff of Chicago.

Lannerd is a member of the Illinois Supreme Court Pretrial Implementation Task Force Communications Subcommittee and has served a variety of roles in the 2020 and 2022 Educational Conferences, including as a presenter on the topics of bankruptcy for civil and family law judges, virtual court proceedings and strategies for improving court performance.

Lannerd earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona and her Juris Doctor from the University of Denver Law School.