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Shirley Abrahamson, first woman to serve on Wisconsin Supreme Court, dies at 87
December 20, 2020 1:40 PM Stephen Cohn
Updated:
MADISON, Wis. Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson has died.
Gov. Tony Evers released a statement Sunday afternoon on Abrahamson’s passing, saying he was “devastated” to learn of her death.
Abrahamson was the first woman to serve on the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the first woman to serve as Chief Justice.
“Yet, her legacy is defined not just by being a first, but her life’s work of ensuring she would not be the last, paving and lighting the way for the many women and others who would come after her,” Evers said.
Longest-serving Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice has died
Abrahamson wrote more than 450 majority opinions and participated in more than 3,500 written decisions during her more than four decades on Wisconsin s highest court
December 20, 2020 3:23 PM Associated Press
Updated:
Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson
MADISON, Wis. (AP) Shirley Abrahamson, the longest-serving Wisconsin Supreme Court justice in state history and the first woman to serve on the high court, has died.
She was 87.
Abrahamson’s son Dan told The Associated Press that his mom died Saturday after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Long recognized as a top legal scholar nationally and a leader among state judges, Abrahamson wrote more than 450 majority opinions and participated in more than 3,500 written decisions during her more than four decades on Wisconsin’s highest court.
Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Shirley Abrahamson dies
By Scott Bauer
Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Shirley Abrahamson dies
The longest-serving Wisconsin Supreme Court justice in state history and the first woman to serve on the high court has died.
MADISON, Wis. - Shirley Abrahamson, the longest-serving Wisconsin Supreme Court justice in state history and the first woman to serve on the high court, has died. She was 87.
Abrahamson, who also served as chief justice for a record 19 years, died Saturday after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, her son Dan Abrahamson told the Journal Sentinel newspaper in Milwaukee.
Court spokesman Tom Sheehan did not immediately return messages left by The Associated Press, and an automatic email reply said he would be until Dec. 28. A number for Dan Abrahamson could not be found.
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Kathy and I were devastated this morning to learn of Chief Justice Abrahamson’s passing. Chief Justice Abrahamson was a first the first woman to serve on the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the first woman to serve as chief justice. Yet, her legacy is defined not just by being a first, but her life’s work of ensuring she would not be the last, paving and lighting the way for the many women and others who would come after her.
Serving more than 40 years on the Wisconsin Supreme Court and writing more than 1,300 opinions, few others have given so much of themselves to the cause of public service in Wisconsin. Chief Justice Abrahamson was a meticulous jurist and a profound writer who believed in an independent judiciary. But she was also a champion for a more fair, more equitable state and country, and to that end, worked to hold our laws to account.