List of first women lawyers and judges in Wisconsin
This is a list of the first women lawyer(s) and judge(s) in Wisconsin. It includes the year in which the women were admitted to practice law (in parentheses). Also included are women who achieved other distinctions such becoming the first in their state to graduate from law school or become a political figure.
Firsts in Wisconsin's history
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Law School
- First female law graduate: Belle Case La Follette (1885)[1]
Lawyers
- First females: Lavinia Goodell and Elsie B. Botensek (1875)[2]
- First African American female: Mabel Watson Raimey (1927)[3]
State judges
- First female (tribal judge for the Menominee): Rhoda House in 1943[4][5][6]
- First female: Olga Bennett (1935) in 1970[7][8]
- First African American female: Vel Phillips in 1971[9][10][11]
- First female (Chief Judge; First Judicial District): Kitty K. Brennan (1977)[12]
- First female (Wisconsin Supreme Court): Shirley Abrahamson (1962) in 1976[13]
- First openly lesbian female: Shelley Gaylord in 1993[14][15]
- First female (Chief Justice; Wisconsin Supreme Court): Shirley Abrahamson (1962) in 1996[13]
- First Hmong American (female): Kashoua Kristy Yang (2009) in 2017[16][17]
- First African American female (judge elected without being appointed by a governor): Danielle L. Shelton in 2019[18]
- First African American female (Chief Judge; Wisconsin Court of Appeals): Maxine Aldridge White in 2023[19]
Attorney General of Wisconsin
- First female: Peg Lautenschlager (1980) from 2003-2007[20]
United States Attorney
- First female (U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin): Peg Lautenschlager (1980) from 1993-2001[20]
District Attorney
- First female: Dorothy Walker (c. 1922)[21]
Political Office
- First openly lesbian female (U.S. Senate): Tammy Baldwin (1989) in 2012[22][23]
State Bar of Wisconsin
- First female (president): Pamela Barker[24]
- First African American (female): Michelle Behnke in 2004[25]
Firsts in local history
- Rose Patricia Ryan (1928):[26] First female lawyer in Appleton, Wisconsin [Calumet, Outagamie, and Winnebago Counties, Wisconsin]
- Katherine Williams:[27] First female to earn a law degree from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (1909)
- Elizabeth Hawkes (1937):[28] First female Washburn High School graduate to become a lawyer [Bayfield County, Wisconsin]
- Vivi L. Dilweg:[29][30] First female judge in Brown County, Wisconsin
- Moria Krueger:[31] First female judge in Dane County, Wisconsin
- Nia Trammell:[1] First African American female to serve as a Judge in Dane County Circuit Court (2020).
- Lisa K. Stark:[32] First female judge in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin (2000)
- Lisa Riniker:[33] First female judge in Grant County, Wisconsin (2023)
- Anna Becker (1993):[34] First female judge in Jackson County, Wisconsin (1982)
- Razy Geraldine Kletecka Chojnacki (1943):[26] First female lawyer in La Crosse County, Wisconsin
- Kate Kane Rossi (1877):[26] First female lawyer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin [Milwaukee County, Wisconsin]
- Mabel Watson Raimey (1927):[3] First African American female lawyer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin [Milwaukee County, Wisconsin]
- Vel Phillips:[9][10][11] First female judge (and African American female) in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
- Kitty K. Brennan (1977):[12] First female to become Chief Judge of the First Judicial District in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
- Kashoua "Kristy" Yang (2009):[16][17] First Hmong American female judge in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin (2017)
- Maxine White:[35] First African American female to serve as the Chief Judge for Milwaukee County, Wisconsin (2019)
- Ana Berrios-Schroeder:[36] First Latino American female to serve as a Judge in Branch 13 of the Milwaukee County Circuit Court (2023)
- Mary Roth Burns:[37] First female judge in Oneida County, Wisconsin (2022)
- Nancy Krueger (1979):[38] First female judge in Outagamie County, Wisconsin (2007)
- Sandy A. Williams:[39][40] First female judge in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin (2009). She also served as the first female District Attorney for Ozaukee County.
- Patricia Baker:[41] First female judge in Portage County, Wisconsin (2020)
- Nettie Elizabeth Karcher (1915):[42][26] First female lawyer in Racine County, Wisconsin
- Sheila Mildred Parrish-Spence:[43] First African-American female to serve as an Assistant District Attorney in Racine County, Wisconsin (1980)
- Toni Young:[44] First African American (female) judge in Racine County, Wisconsin (2023)
- Barbara McCrory:[45] First female judge in Rock County, Wisconsin (2012)
- Virginia A. Wolfe:[46] First female judge in Sauk County, Wisconsin (1988)
- Monica Isham:[47] First Native American (female) judge elected in Sawyer County, Wisconsin (2023)
- Edith Arelisle Zufelt (1901):[26] First female to register with the Sheboygan County Bar Association [Sheboygan County, Wisconsin]
- Natasha Torry:[48] First African American female elected as a municipal court judge in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin (2015)
- Olga Bennett (c. 1956):[49] First female lawyer in Vernon County, Wisconsin
- Annette Ziegler:[50] First female judge in Washington County, Wisconsin (1997)
- Peg Lautenschlager (1980):[20] First female to serve as District Attorney for Winnebago County, Wisconsin (1985-1988)
- LaKeisha Haase:[51] First African American (female) judge in Winnebago County, Wisconsin (2020)
See also
- List of first women lawyers and judges in the United States
- Timeline of women lawyers in the United States
- Women in law
Other topics of interest
- List of first minority male lawyers and judges in the United States
- List of first minority male lawyers and judges in Wisconsin
References
- ^ "Belle Case La Follette - Wisconsin Women Making History". Wisconsin Women Making History. 2015-03-04. Retrieved 2017-09-27.
- ISBN 9781608710072.
- ^ a b Badger History Bulletin. State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Office of School Services. 1995-01-01.
- ISBN 9781851095759.
- ^ The Michigan Historical Review. Clarke Historical Library at Central Michigan University. 1994.
- ISBN 9781573370240.
- ^ "STATE'S FIRST WOMAN JUDGE". Newspapers.com. April 7, 1969. Retrieved 2018-01-10.
- ^ "Portraits will honor 15 women jurists" (PDF). The Third Branch. 12: 1. 2004.
- ^ a b Madison, Arthur (July 31, 1974). "Is Lucey unfair to the women?". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
- ^ ISBN 9780812278545.
- ^ a b "Phillips, first African-American judge in Wisconsin, dies (UPDATE)". Wisconsin Law Journal - WI Legal News & Resources. Associated Press. 2018-04-18. Retrieved 2018-12-07.
- ^ a b "The Path to a Diverse Bench: Wisconsin Lags Behind, Judges Weigh In". WisBar. Retrieved 2018-12-27.
- ^ a b "Wisconsin Court System - Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson". www.wicourts.gov. Retrieved 2018-02-08.
- ^ "Love Is in the Air as Wisconsin's Gay Marriage Ban is Overturned". PR Watch. 2014-06-07. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
- ISBN 9780429976483.
- ^ a b staff, Madison365. "Kristy Yang, First Hmong American Woman Judge, Will Highlight Madison College/Women LEAD Event". Madison365. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b "Judge Elected In Milwaukee County Is First Female Hmong-American On The Bench". Wisconsin Public Radio. 2017-04-05. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
- ^ "Judge Danielle L. Shelton". Trellis. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
- ^ Gutierrez, Diana (2023-06-09). "First Black woman to serve as Chief Judge for Wisconsin Court of Appeals". WISN. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
- ^ a b c "Former attorney general Lautenschlager appointed to Wisconsin ethics panel - Wisconsin Radio Network". Wisconsin Radio Network. 2016-03-11. Retrieved 2018-11-19.
- ^ "Dorothy Walker - Wisconsin Women Making History". Wisconsin Women Making History. 2015-04-06. Retrieved 2017-09-27.
- ^ Grinberg, Emanuella. "Wisconsin's Tammy Baldwin is first openly gay person elected to Senate". CNN. Retrieved 2018-06-08.
- ^ Upon becoming a Senator in Wisconsin
- ^ "Pamela Barker Led the State Bar". 150th Anniversary. 1956. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
- ^ "The State Bar's First 125 Years". www.wisbar.org. Retrieved 2019-01-04.
- ^ a b c d e "Pioneers in the Law: The First 100 Women" (PDF). State Bar of Wisconsin. 1998.
- ^ "June 2010 – Marquette University Law School Faculty Blog". Retrieved 2022-03-09.
- ^ "A Modern Woman in a Man's World: Elizabeth Hawkes, Pioneering Washburn Lawyer". WisBar. Retrieved 2018-12-27.
- ^ "The Honorable Vivi L. Dilweg JD Online Obituary, June 27, 1943 - May 5, 2016". Retrieved 2018-01-06.
- ^ Bureau, Wisconsin Legislature Legislative Reference (2005). State of Wisconsin Blue Book, 2011-2012. Legislative Reference Bureau.
- ^ TRELEVEN, ED (October 5, 2006). "JUDICIAL PIONEER WILL LEAVE COUNTY BENCH MORIA KRUEGER, DANE COUNTY'S FIRST FEMALE JUDGE, WILL RETIRE IN FEBRUARY". madison.com. Retrieved 2018-01-06.
- ^ Paulseth, Haley Wright, photos by Andrea (18 April 2018). "Eau Claire Co. Has Never Had Two Female Judges at Once, but That's About to Change". volumeone.org. Retrieved 2018-12-07.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Bittersweet moment for new judge". www.swnews4u.com. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
- ^ "First female judge in Jackson County takes her seat on the bench". October 2, 2014.
- ^ Dutes, Sheldon (2019-02-21), Maxine White is Milwaukee County's first African-American chief judge, retrieved 2019-03-05
- ^ "Judge Berrios-Schroeder is first Latina to serve in Branch 13". Yahoo Entertainment. 4 May 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
- ^ "Roth Burns to make history as first female judge on Oneida County Circuit Court". Star Journal. 2022-08-12. Retrieved 2022-10-21.
- ^ "UW-Green Bay, Inside magazine, May 2008". www.uwgb.edu. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
- ^ dmc-admin (2009-06-08). "New Ozaukee judge has history of making history". Wisconsin Law Journal - WI Legal News & Resources. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
- ^ "Williams elected first female judge in Ozaukee County". www.jsonline.com. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
- ^ Paukner, Michaela (2020-12-09). "Patricia Baker named as Portage County's first woman judge". Wisconsin Law Journal - WI Legal News & Resources. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
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- ^ "North Carolina Central University is a Family Tradition". issuu. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
- ^ Williams, S. (2024, Mar 21). Racine county lawyers signal support for young in april circuit court election. TCA Regional News Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/wire-feeds/racine-county-lawyers-signal-support-young-april/docview/2972425047/se-2
- ^ MARIE, AMES, ANN (2 August 2012). "Crowd turns out for swearing in of first female Rock County judge". GazetteXtra. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Former Sauk County judge honored". Wiscnews.com. 14 April 2004. Retrieved 2019-07-10.
- ^ Hanson, Kathy (March 2023). "Monica Isham talks about future of Sawyer County Circuit Court Judge, Branch 2 position". APG of Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
- ^ "Here are Sheboygan County's 2023 People of the Year". The Sheboygan Press. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
- ^ Cina, Angela. "Olga Bennett remembered at women's history event". La Crosse Tribune. Retrieved 2017-09-26.
- ^ "Wisconsin Court System - Justice Annette Kingsland Ziegler". www.wicourts.gov. Retrieved 2018-12-27.
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