The fifteen judges of the Indiana Court of Appeals have elected Elizabeth Tavitas to a three-year term as Chief Judge of the appellate court. She succeeds Robert Altice Jr.
Judge Tavitas received her B.A. degree, cum laude, from the University of Notre Dame in 1985 and earned her J.D. degree from Notre Dame Law School in 1990.
She began her legal career as a deputy prosecutor in the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office; and later served as a juvenile public defender in the Lake County Superior Court, Juvenile Division while maintaining a private practice. In 1998, she was appointed to the position of referee in the Lake County Superior Court, Juvenile Division where she served until 2006
Before her appointment to the Court of Appeals, she served for more than 12 years as a Lake County Superior Court judge. She was appointed to the Court of Appeals by Governor Eric Holcomb in 2018.
Judge Tavitas has received numerous honors. In 2015 she was named Most Influential Woman of Northwest Indiana in the Law. She was also a recipient of a 2019 Fellows Award from the Indiana Bar Foundation and received the Indiana Lawyer’s 2021 Distinguished Barrister award. In 2023, she was recognized as a “Courageous Judge” honoree by the National Judicial College for demonstrating courage in upholding the rule of law and providing justice for all.