Mario White was honored as a Distinguished Alumnus at the 2018 CAS Hall of Fame Ceremony, where he posed with Pistol Pete. White spent 10 years with the Dane County Public Defender’s Office in Madison. “I wanted to do a job that I had passion for. A lot of people are not able to do the job that they love,” he said. “I was fortunate. I loved being a public defender. I loved working with others whom I admired who were able to find that inner fire to continue doing that kind of work. That is something that really pushed me in that direction. “The biggest motivator for me is just wanting to continue doing public service and this may sound clichéd but I want to make the world a better place as much as I can in the sphere of influence that I have.” In 2018, the circuit court judges hired White as a court commissioner. In June, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers appointed him as a Dane County Circuit Court judge. “I am thrilled to have appointed Judge White, as I believe he will bring a much-needed source of understanding and perspective to the bench,” Evers said. “His experiences as a court commissioner and an accomplished public defender, as well as a teacher and adjunct professor, will enrich the judicial process. I am confident he will ensure swift, fair and compassionate justice for all he serves.” Dane County Circuit Judges Rhonda L. Lanford and Ellen K. Berz released a statement that added, “Mario White is a superb addition to the Dane County judiciary. White understands the role of a judge and understands the need for all who come before the court to be heard. He brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and integrity to the bench. We are confident that he will ensure justice for all.” White, who also teaches trial advocacy at UW and is a mock trial coach, enjoys being a judge because he recognizes the greater ability to make changes on a larger scale. “As a defense attorney, you have an opportunity to help the client you represent,” White said. “It’s sort of one client at a time. Judges see a wide range of cases, a wide range of people. They have the ability to influence policy when it comes to areas dealing with access to justice both in civil and criminal justice reform. One of the things that I want to try to do is to use that platform to try to improve access to justice.” White has relied on advice given to him while he was at OSU by his math advisor and professor Lisa Mantini. He’s still in touch with her. “I was in her office,” White said. “I remember her saying to me, ‘Mario, your mind is like a pizza dough. You have to constantly stretch it. Otherwise it just kind of pushes back on itself.’ What I take from that is the idea that it’s important to always do something that can challenge you, to not stay in a place where you’re just complacent because you start to just kind of get used to that. You don’t grow. You don’t expand. That experience, that statement is something that has stuck with me for a long time.” PHOTO JACOB LONGAN 22 CONNECT 2020
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAxMjk=