John Nichols: Shirley Abrahamson was our truest Wisconsinite madison.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from madison.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
“Shirley Abrahamson broke barriers and for her serving on the Supreme Court meant serving the people of Wisconsin as an independent, fair and impartial justice because after all, the court and our court system belongs to the people, not powerful special interests. That is why she spent a lot of her time traveling the state, meeting with people – whether it was meeting with local judges, riding along with local law enforcement, or meeting with advocates for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence – she always understood that you can’t serve the people if you don’t walk in their shoes. That is why the people of Wisconsin elected her to the Supreme Court four times and she served 43 years on the court – serving the people. All of us know the stories of that lonely office light on at the State Capital, as the Chief did her job working late into the night reading briefs and writing opinions. She was a true public servant who lived up to Wisconsin’s work ethic with al
She was first woman and longest serving justice on Wisconsin Supreme Court. //end headline wrapper ?>Get a daily rundown of the top stories on Urban Milwaukee
Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson, shown here at a March 13, 2013, oral argument, took in the vast majority of donations from attorneys whose cases came before the Wisconsin Supreme Court over the past 11 years. Jake Harper/Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism
Shirley Abrahamson, Wisconsin’s longest-serving Supreme Court justice, died Saturday at the age of 87.
Abrahamson announced in 2018 that she had cancer and would not be seeking another term as a Supreme Court justice. She retired from the court last year after serving for 43 years longer than any other Supreme Court justice in the state’s history. She was the sole woman serving on the court until 1993.
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Justice Shirley Abrahamson, the longest serving justice in Wisconsin’s judiciary, at a June 18, 2019 event in her honor at the Wisconsin State Capitol. (Photo: Andy Manis).
Dec. 21, 2020 – Shirley Abrahamson, who served on the Wisconsin Supreme Court for 43 years before her retirement last year, passed away this past weekend after battling pancreatic cancer. She was 87.
“We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Shirley Abrahamson,” said State Bar of Wisconsin Executive Director Larry J. Martin. She was a monumental figure in Wisconsin’s judiciary during her record 43 year career, including 19 years as chief justice.
MADISON Gov.
Jim Doyle today released the following statement on the passing of former Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice
“Jessica and I and our whole family have lost a dear lifetime friend. My father hired her at a time when law firms weren’t hiring women; she became the firm’s first woman attorney. Nationally regarded as one of the country’s greatest judges, she was widely recognized for her great intelligence, sharp writing, and keen sense of justice. She was a champion of civil rights and civil liberties, and worked to advance principles of equality, transparency, and openness. She demystified the court and brought it directly to the people of Wisconsin, holding hearings around the state and inviting students into the courtroom to learn. She was a mentor for generations of lawyers including me but in particular, for women. You wouldn’t find a woman in Wisconsin who became a lawyer from 1970 on who wouldn’t say Shirley Abrahamson wasn’t part of thei