Born in Ewingville, Ewing Township, Mercer County, New Jersey,[1] Lanning graduated from the Lawrenceville School in 1866.

[2] He was appointed judge of the city district court in 1887 and served until 1891, when legislated out of office.

[2] He was confirmed by the United States Senate on December 13, 1904, and received his commission the same day.

An elementary school built on Pennington Road (NJ 31) in Ewing in 1914 was named in Lanning's honor.

[citation needed] The school was closed and the building sold to a private institution in the mid-1990s, but as of 2014, is still standing and continues to bear Lanning's name.