Lawrence w as appointed to the 11th Judicial Circuit in November of
2010 at the retirement of sitting Judge Michael Prall. Appearing
on the north side of the Logan County Courthouse, Lawrence was
welcomed by several county leaders as well as Judge Thomas Harris
Jr., Assistant State's Attorney Jonathan Wright and attorney Blinn
Bates of Woods & Bates Attorneys at Law.
The 11th Judicial Circuit encompasses five central Illinois
counties: Ford, Livingston, Logan, McLean and Woodford. According to
Bates, Lawrence has expressed that he wants to personally visit each
county and make his announcement of candidacy.
Monday afternoon Lawrence said he has a fondness for Logan
County, recalling a year that he spent serving in the Logan County
courts and expressing a hope that he will be able to return to the
bench in Lincoln at some time in the future.
Currently Logan County has a resident member of the 11th Judicial
in Harris. Lawrence said that if the occasion should arise that
Harris has a conflict in hearing a case, he is hopeful that he will
be the one appointed to fill the bench.
Lawrence is a native of the Bloomington area and resides there
now with his wife, Helen Ogar, also an attorney.
He began his legal career as a second-generation lawyer working
with his father, William B. Lawrence. Monday afternoon as he spoke
to the small gathering outside the courthouse, he also noted that a
third generation of Lawrence attorneys is on the horizon, as his
daughter Rachel is enrolled in her parents' alma mater, the
University of Missouri, studying law.
He also noted as he spoke about his children that his twin
daughters, Mary and Molly, are involved in high school sports in
Bloomington, and in the near future their team will be playing
against Lincoln in volleyball. He joked, saying, "Oct. 20, they are
coming here to Lincoln. So as much as I love Lincoln, I'll be
rooting for the Raiders that night."
In addition to Rachel, who is the oldest, and Mary and Molly, who
are the youngest, Lawrence's son John is attending the University of
Illinois, studying biology, and son Tom is a senior at Bloomington
High School.
In a news release forwarded to LDN Monday night, Lawrence wrote:
"I have been honored to serve the citizens of the Eleventh Judicial
Circuit and I will continue to utilize my experience and integrity
in rendering just decisions to all those who appear before me."
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Lawrence is a graduate of Bloomington High School and a member of
the school's hall of fame. He attended the University of Illinois
and received a bachelor's degree in accounting. He passed the CPA
exam before graduating from the University of Missouri School of
Law.
He practiced law 17 years along with his wife and father before
seeking an appointment as an associate judge for the 11th Judicial
Circuit in 2002.
After a review process by a citizens' screening committee, he was
appointed as a circuit judge at the recommendation of Supreme Court
Judge Rita Garman on Nov. 3, 2010.
Lawrence noted tremendous support he has received from the
communities he serves as well as the Illinois Bar Association. He
received a 98 percent approval rating in his latest bar poll.
Additional information included in his news release included his
service to the community.
Lawrence serves as the chair of the 11th Judicial Circuit Family
Violence Coordinating Council and is a member of the Illinois
Judicial Conference Committee on Criminal Law.
He speaks to children experiencing divorce for the Kid's Turn
Divorce Education program at the Children's Foundation.
He has served as president of the Bloomington Kiwanis Club, YMCA
Adventure Guides and the Young Men's Club and has served on the
boards of Beyond the Books Educational Foundation, Project Oz, Home
Sweet Home Foundation, Children's Foundation Development Council,
Student Advocacy Coalition and American Junior Baseball.
Lawrence's campaign committee is co-chaired by former Circuit
Judge William Caisley and Mary Caisley. His Logan County campaign
committee is chaired by Blinn Bates.
[By NILA SMITH, with additional
text from file received]
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