Lisa Chesebro, First Judicial District Administrator, Runs for Judge

Lisa Chesebro, who spent 18 years practicing law across north Idaho before becoming the First Judicial District's trial court administrator, announced her candidacy for district judge in the First Judicial District last week.

Chesebro received her law degree from the University of Idaho in 2007 and has since worked as a public defender, prosecutor, defense attorney, and private practitioner handling probate and wills, evictions, and property disputes. She operated a small law office in Wallace and has practiced in four of the five counties that make up the First Judicial District, which spans Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Kootenai, and Shoshone counties. She currently serves as Trial Court Administrator, a role she began on Jan. 24, 2025, working with judges, court staff, and community partners to manage operations across the district.

"Courts must remain accessible, fair, and grounded in the communities they serve," Chesebro said. "I'm running to ensure every person who comes before the court is heard and treated with dignity and confident in a fair and thoughtful process."

A resident of the Silver Valley in Shoshone County, Chesebro grew up on a small farm supported by timber wages. She earned her law degree while raising her young son, who later graduated from Kellogg High School and is now attending college. She also serves on the board of the First District Bar Association.

When she was appointed Trial Court Administrator last year, Administrative District Judge Barry McHugh said Chesebro was not merely familiar with the district's courts but "invested in serving court users in the best ways we can." State Administrative Director of Courts Sara Omundson added that "Lisa's work ethic and public focus will serve her district well."

Chesebro has described her judicial philosophy as rooted in the breadth of her courtroom experience. "Practicing in places as different as Coeur d'Alene and Wallace, I see the needs and strengths across our courts," she said when she was named trial court administrator.

Her campaign materials frame her career on both sides of the courtroom as foundational to her approach: "Her experience on both sides of the courtroom has shaped her practical, solutions-oriented approach and reinforced her belief in the importance of impartial courts that treat every person with dignity and respect.