Lannerd’s appointment to Appellate Court allows Eighth Judicial Circuit to finally fill circuit judge position

QUINCY — Justice Lisa Holder White and the Supreme Court of Illinois announced Wednesday that Justice Amy Lannerd has been appointed as an Appellate Court justice in the Fourth District.

That announcement now allows for the Eighth Judicial Circuit to fill the circuit judge position Lannerd held while also being assigned to the Appellate Court. 

Lannerd began her assignment to the Appellate Court on Dec. 5, 2022. She filled the vacancy created by Justice John W. Turner’s decision not to seek retention. Lannerd’s assignment was scheduled through Dec. 2, 2024, and she is running unopposed for the seat in the November 2024 election.

The appointment as an Appellate Court justice moves up Lannerd’s start date.

Adams County has been short one circuit court judge since Lannerd was assigned to her new role. Adams County has three circuit court judges — Scott Larson, Christopher Pratt and Tad Brenner — and three associate court judges — Josh Jones, Holly Henze and John Wooleyhan. 

Lannerd was first appointed to the bench as a circuit judge in the Eighth Circuit in 2016, and she won election in 2018. She previously worked in private practice as a partner at Lewis, Longlett & Lannerd, LLC.

She serves as a member of the Illinois Supreme Court Judicial College Committee on Judicial Education, on the Board of Trustees of the Judges’ Retirement System of Illinois, and handles a variety of roles in 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 previously served as a member of the Illinois Supreme Court Pretrial Implementation Task Force Communications Subcommittee. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona and earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Denver Law School.

The Fourth District Appellate Court is composed of 41 counties: 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.