Ann Callis, Partner, Goldenberg Heller Antognoli & Rowland, P.C., Edwardsville

By MELISSA CROCKETT MESKE
    After spending 18 years as a Madison County judge and chief judge for seven of those, Ann Callis is excited to return to a career as a lawyer.
    The first female circuit judge in Madison County as well as its first female chief judge and having presided over or otherwise assigned to every court division in the county, Callis has been well prepared for returning to private practice and representing clients in a variety of cases.
    Callis is a partner at Goldenberg Heller Antognoli & Rowland, P.C. in Edwardsville, a multi-faceted law firm with a growing commercial division. She is involved primarily with their commercial litigation and mass tort work.
    “I love the diversity of the job and the fact that I have great opportunity to help people solve problems. I enjoy being able to draw upon my experience as a judge and apply it when representing my clients’ interests in court,” she noted.
    Completing her undergraduate studies at St. Louis University, Callis graduated magna cum laude in 1987. She completed her juris doctorate at Saint Louis University School of Law in 1990 and also completed a course for public managers at Harvard College.
    With fond memories of her father taking her to court as a young girl, Callis said it was his command of the courtroom that truly inspired her. Her advice to emerging professionals stems from those memories, “Never be intimidated and don’t let anyone make you feel less than you are. If you work hard, you will persevere.”
    Her honors and awards are numerous, including recognition from St. Clair County CASA for outstanding child advocacy services for abused and neglected children as well as being a recipient of the NAACP Achievement Award, the Coalition of Concerned Citizens Chairman’s Award for promoting justice for all, and designation as a Mental Health Hero from the former Community Counseling Center in Alton.
    A board member for the Boy Scouts of America Lewis and Clark Council, Callis is also a member of St. Francis Xavier College Church. An avid lover of old movies, she has a voracious appetite for literature as well, enjoying almost any genre. Born in East St. Louis and growing up in Granite City, Callis is married to St. Louis attorney and owner of McGurk’s, Jim Holloran.  She has two children: Caroline, a middle school teacher in Edwardsville, and Elliot, an Army Ranger stationed at Fort Carson, Colo.