Blanche M. Manning

Blanche Marie Manning (née Porter; December 12, 1934 – September 20, 2020) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Early life and education

Manning was born on December 12, 1934, in Chicago. She received a Bachelor of Education from Chicago Teachers College in 1961, a Juris Doctor from John Marshall Law School in 1967, a Master of Arts from Roosevelt University in 1972, and a Master of Laws from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1992.

Legal career

From 1968 to 1973, Manning served as an assistant attorney in the Cook County, Illinois State Attorney's Office. From 1973 to 1977, Manning worked as a supervisory trial attorney for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Chicago.

Notable ruling

Manning is known for sentencing Mark Whitacre, a whistleblower in the Archer Daniels Midland lysine pricefixing case. Mark Whitacre's sentence was harsher than that of his superiors at the ADM company and has been often spotlighted for deterring future whistleblowers.