Twila graduated from Vandalia Community High School in 1978, Western Illinois University in 1981 and St. Louis University School of Law in 1984. While in law school, she took part in Moot Court Competition and also worked under a temporary law license with the City of St. Louis Public Defender’s Office – Homicide Division. During her summers away from law school, she worked for the Fayette County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Upon graduating from law school, Twila accepted the position of Assistant State’s Attorney for Effingham County where she served for approximately one year under prosecutors K. Rick Keller and Richard Runde. About one year later, she transitioned to private practice with the then law firm of Schniederjon, Weber, Harvey & Stephens, handling bank loan reviews, criminal cases and family matters, while also serving as Special Prosecutor for Effingham County and teaching law related classes for both Kaskaskia and Lake Land Colleges. She became a partner with the firm in 1988 with Rockney Weber and Jim Jarrett.
After practicing 29 years with the firm, Twila chose to live out her lifelong dream and launch her own private practice. In January 2014, the Orr Law Firm was formed and commenced operation. Currently, she primarily practices in the area of family law and mediation. She has both basic and advanced mediation training and typically handles more than 150 family related mediations each year. Twila also lectures and sponsors Continuing Legal Education seminars for attorneys in both family law and mediation.
Twila is admitted to practice before the Southern and Central United States District Courts. She has argued cases before the Illinois Appellate Court and is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association as well as their family law section, and Effingham County Bar Association. She contributes pro bono legal services to Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance, and she contributes pro bono mediation services to low income individuals.
Outside of the practice of law, Twila is on the Board of Directors for the Effingham County Board of Health, Effingham County FISH, and Effingham Noon Rotary. She is past campaign chairwoman and past president of the Effingham County United Way where she was nationally honored during her tenure for a campaign that produced one of the highest annual increases in donations in the country. As president of the board of directors for the Effingham Child Development Center, she was recognized for her help in saving the center which provides affordable child care to low income families. Twila served on the Effingham County YMCA board for more than ten years, was past president of the Council of Catholic Women of St. Anthony of Padua Parish, and was a member of the Effingham Chamber of Commence Board of Directors.
Twila and her husband, David “Dave” Orr, have been married since 1986 and have made their home in Effingham County throughout that time. Dave retired as a lieutenant from the Vandalia Correctional Center in 2011. They have two children, Laura Orr Shraideh and David Orr, Jr., and a grandson born in 2023, Liam Shraideh. Laura graduated from St. Anthony High School in 2008, earned a business degree with economic emphasis from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville in 2013, and currently resides in Wildwood, Missouri with her husband, Ray Shraideh, and son, Liam. She is a multi-state regional director in real estate development for RedTail Residential. David Orr, Jr. graduated from St. Anthony High School in 2010, and earned a business degree with entrepreneurship emphasis from University of Arizona in 2013. He owns and operates various online businesses and real estate ventures.
