State’s Attorney Foxx Appoints Veteran Prosecutor as New First Assistant

CHICAGO – Today, State’s Attorney Kim Foxx announced Risa Lanier’s appointment to First Assistant State’s Attorney of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. 

A veteran prosecutor with more than 20 years of experience, Lanier has successfully prosecuted several high-profile cases, including the murder of Chicago Police Department Commander Paul Bauer. She was also the first Black woman to oversee the office’s Criminal Prosecutions Bureau. In her new role as First Assistant, Lanier will serve as Foxx’s top advisor on day-to-day legal operations of the State’s Attorney’s Office and represent the office as the chief delegate for law enforcement and other local and state criminal justice stakeholders. She will also manage the top leadership of the office.  

“Risa’s unwavering commitment to a fair and equitable criminal justice system is demonstrated not only by her continued progression in our office but also through her mentorship and leadership to colleagues both in and out of the office,” said Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx. “I’m thrilled to have Risa as my First Assistant where her decades of expertise will provide a strong perspective for the critical work we do as the second-largest prosecutor’s office in the country.” 

Lanier has served as Interim First Assistant since May 2021. Her appointment to First Assistant is effective immediately.  

Lanier is a daughter of Chicago and a product of Chicago Public Schools.  She is the proud mother of two children and continues to reside in Chicago.