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The 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 fellow Judge Robert Altice Jr., who served as chief judge from January 2023 through December 2025.
The 15-member court elects a chief judge every three years. As part of her role, Tavitas will represent the court at public and private events, attend ceremonies, serve as the court’s liaison to the legislative and executive branches, and will lead the administrative functions of the appellate court.
“The trust and support of my colleagues electing me as Chief is humbling and inspiring,” Tavitas said in a written statement for The Indiana Lawyer. “I look forward to maintaining and building upon the leadership of prior Chiefs. I will dedicate the court’s efforts to deepening the public’s trust in the judiciary through civics education, outreach, and leadership in the profession. We will continue to deliver our opinions with excellence and efficiency.”
Tavitas was appointed to the court of appeals by former Gov. Eric Holcomb in August 2018.
Tavitas was born and raised in St. Joseph County, earning her undergraduate and J.D. degrees from the University of Notre Dame.
Before her appointment to the court of appeals, she served for more than 12 years as a Lake Superior Court judge. She also served as a deputy prosecutor in the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office and as a juvenile public defender in the Lake Superior Court, Juvenile Division, while maintaining a private practice.
Tavitas has served on numerous boards and committees during her career, including acting as a board member of Indiana Legal Services Inc., and as a judicial appointee member of the Indiana Pro Bono Commission.
She is also a strong advocate for civics education, serving as a moot court judge for competitions at Notre Dame Law School, Wabash College and the Indiana Bar Foundation’s “We the People” competition. She’s also served as an adjunct law professor at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law.
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