Lakewood Ranch attorney appointed to Manatee County Court

Lakewood Ranch’s Hillary Ellis, 40, always wanted to be an attorney. 

“If you go back to my eighth-grade yearbook, it asks what you want to be when you grow up and it says 'attorney,'” Ellis said. "I always liked the arguments of the law and watching Court TV, seeing trials happen live. It was always very interesting to me."

As Ellis moved through her career as a lawyer for the Department of Children and Families, as an assistant state attorney, and then as a private practice attorney, she began to set her sights on becoming a judge. 

On April 24, Gov. Ron DeSantis made 12 judicial appointments, including Ellis, who was appointed to the Manatee County Court.

The Manatee County Court handles cases such as traffic violations and misdemeanor crimes. 

Half of the appointments, including Ellis’ appointment, were made because of Senate Bill 2508. The bill, which went into effect July 1, 2025, increased the number of county, circuit and Sixth District Court of Appeal judges by 39.

Manatee County was one of 12 counties to be assigned one more judge. Miami-Dade County had the most new judges with four.

The bill was enacted to account for population growth and increased filings.

As a former assistant state attorney who was assigned to Manatee County, Ellis understands a heavy caseload. She spent about six years in that role. 

“The prosecutors and public defenders work so incredibly hard, just the unbelievable volume they’re dealing with,” she said. “That has a lot to do with preparing someone to be a judge because, as a judge, you’re dealing with thousands of cases.”

Something less obvious that prepared Ellis for her new role was playing softball. Although she earned her degree from Florida State University, Ellis started out at Florida Gulf Coast University on an athletics scholarship. 

She noted that it takes an “astronomical amount of work” to play any kind of sport on a collegiate level. 

On the field, Ellis was competitive. In life, having to balance practices, games, classes and homework developed her work ethic. The injuries taught her determination and perseverance. 

Although Ellis grew up in Fort Myers, her career brought her to Sarasota right out of law school at Faulkner University. She moved to Lakewood Ranch in 2018. 

"I've built two houses (in Lakewood Ranch) now," she said. "I absolutely love the Lakewood Ranch area."