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Judge Helivi Holland’s investiture ceremony on Nov. 15 marked her transition from general district to circuit court judge. In 2021, Holland was the first Black female to serve as a General District judge in the 5th judicial district. Now, she has marked another historical milestone, as she is the first female judge ever to serve on the 5th Judicial Circuit Court bench — to which Holland said she’s “humbled and honored to have that opportunity.”

The City Council Chambers was filled with Holland’s friends, family, and supporters. Her Delta Sigma Theta Sorority sisters created a sea of red as they showed their support for Holland in their sorority color.

Holland was sworn in by Virginia Supreme Court Justice Cleo Powell with her mother by her side.

Former Mayor Linda Johnson introduced Holland at her ceremony. Johnson’s career mirrors Holland’s, as she’s been the only female mayor of Suffolk. Johnson was also mayor when Holland was appointed as the first female and the first Black city attorney.  

“Judge Holland is a trailblazer,” Johnson said. “Judge Holland opens doors for other people and she is the person that all these little girls are going to be looking up to saying, ‘I can do that too.’ … She is the proverbial person to break that glass ceiling.”

Holland got her Juris Doctor degree from William and Mary and started her career there after graduating as an adjunct law professor. She was a senior prosecutor in the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office for Suffolk and Portsmouth, where she dealt with child support, domestic violence, and gun and drugs cases. She was then the deputy city attorney for Suffolk in 2012 and was appointed as director of the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice. In 2021, she was elected by the general assembly to serve as a general district court judge, and now, a circuit court judge.

With this change in title also comes some new responsibilities. Holland said the circuit court cases are more “robust,” she now has the opportunity to do jury trials, and she has to make decisions about people being in custody for longer than 12 months. 

“I’ve always liked to pursue what I felt is just, for not just myself, but for others,” Holland said. “So, always taking a stance of what I felt was right, and I’m willing to do what persuasively I can with my words to try my best to make certain that people are treated fairly, understanding everyone comes from a different background.”  

Since sitting on the circuit court bench, she’s a grader for the Virginia Board of Bar Examiners, she’s on the Board of Directors for the Judge and Lawyers Program, was the president of the Old Dominion Bar Association, and currently serves as chair on their council among other things.

“It’s evident by now to all of us that she’s creating a legacy,” Johnson said in her remarks during the ceremony. “Her name will go down in history and it will always be remembered.” 

Newport News Circuit Court Judge Tyneka Flythe was assigned as Holland’s mentor judge, but before she was Holland’s mentor, Flythe said Holland was her mentor.

“It’s inspiring to have somebody, that when you are in a position where you’re mentoring them, they’re mentoring you back,” she said.

Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, Don Scott, highlighted Holland’s previous role as city attorney, describing it as a “thankless job.” He acknowledged how difficult it is for a Black woman to do everything Holland has.

“Let’s get this straight,” he said. “She earned this.” 

All the speakers at Holland’s investiture ceremony touched on the same themes: Holland is making history, her constant eagerness to learn, and her unwavering passion for justice for the community.  

“What I tell people all the time is I’ve always lived by the philosophy that someone has to be first, and it might as well be me,” Holland said. “I don’t allow the fact that there are other people who do not look like me, act like me, or any of that be the determining fact of whether I want to accomplish a goal. And I just suggest, highly recommend, that if you want to do something, go forward, regardless of whoever has accomplished it before you.”