List of first minority male lawyers and judges in Wisconsin

This is a list of the first minority male lawyer(s) and judge(s) in Wisconsin. It includes the year in which the men were admitted to practice law (in parentheses). Also included are men who achieved other distinctions such becoming the first in their state to obtain a law degree or become a political figure.

Firsts in state history

Lawyers

• Everett E. Simpson (1888):[1] First African American male lawyer in Wisconsin
• William T. Green (1892):[2][3][4][5] First African American male lawyer to argue a case before the Wisconsin Supreme Court

Judges

• Andrew R. Reneau:[6] First African American male to run for a judicial seat in Wisconsin (1955)
• Richard S. Brown:[7] First male judge (who is deaf) to use a computerized transcription system in a Wisconsin court (1983)
• Carl Ashley:[8] First African American male elected as a judge without initially being appointed by a governor in Wisconsin (1999)
• Glenn H. Yamahiro (1991):[9][10] First Asian American male (Japanese American) male judge in Wisconsin (2003)
• Juan Colas:[11][12] First Hispanic American male judge in Wisconsin (2008)

Appellate Court

• Paul B. Higginbotham (1985):[13][14] First African American male appointed as a Judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals (2003)

Supreme Court

• Louis B. Butler (1977):[15] First African American male appointed as a Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court (2004)

Bankruptcy Court

• Charles N. Clevert Jr. (1972):[16] First African American male appointed as a Judge of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wisconsin (1977)

District Court

• Charles N. Clevert Jr. (1972):[16] First African American male appointed as a Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin (1995)

Assistant United States Attorney

• Grady L. Pettigrew, Jr.:[17] First African American male to serve as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Wisconsin (1975)

District Attorney

• Ismael Ozanne:[18] First African American male to serve as a District Attorney in Wisconsin (2010)

Assistant District Attorney

• Andrew R. Reneau:[6] First African American male to serve as an Assistant District Attorney in Wisconsin

Firsts in local history

Alphabetized by county name

Dane County

• Paul B. Higginbotham:[13][14] First African American judge in Dane County, Wisconsin (1994). He was also the first African American municipal court judge in Madison, Wisconsin (1992).
• Juan Colas:[11][12] First Hispanic American male judge in Dane County, Wisconsin (2008)
• Ismael Ozanne:[18] First African American male to serve as the District Attorney of Dane County, Wisconsin (2010)

Milwaukee County

• Casimir Gonski (1893):[19] First Polish lawyer in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
• William T. Green (1892):[2][3][4][5] First African American male lawyer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin [Milwaukee County, Wisconsin]
• Harold B. Jackson, Jr.:[20] First African American male to serve as the Assistant District Attorney of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
• Clarence Parrish:[21] First African American male to win a judicial seat in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin (1981)

Waukesha County

• Ralph Ramirez:[22] First Hispanic American male elected as a circuit court judge in Waukesha County, Wisconsin

See also

• List of first minority male lawyers and judges in the United States

Other topics of interest

• List of first women lawyers and judges in the United States
• List of first women lawyers and judges in Wisconsin

References

1. Quaife, Milo Milton; Schafer, Joseph; Alexander, Edward Porter (2007). Wisconsin Magazine of History. State Historical Society of Wisconsin.
2. "African-Americans at the University of Wisconsin (1875-1969)". UW Archives and Records Management. June 8, 2015. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
3. "How a Milwaukee Opera House Kick Started the Fight for Civil Rights". MKE Memoirs. February 11, 2013. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
4. Wisconsin Lawyer: Official Publication of the State Bar of Wisconsin. State Bar of Wisconsin. 1995.
5. "Green, William T. 1860 - 1911 | Wisconsin Historical Society". Wisconsin Historical Society. August 8, 2017. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
6. "The History of Wisconsin's Black Lawyers 2019" (PDF). Wisconsin Association of African American Lawyers. 2019.
7. Smith, Dorothy (Spring 1989). "Communication in the Courtroom" (PDF).
8. "State Bar recognizes Judge Carl Ashley for exceptional contributions to the justice system". WisBar. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
9. "Judge Glenn Yamahiro '91 to Give Keynote Speech at LEO Banquet | University of Wisconsin Law School". law.wisc.edu. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
10. "Glenn Yamahiro '91 named judge | University of Wisconsin Law School". law.wisc.edu. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
11. staff, Madison365. "Sí Se Puede 2016: Wisconsin's 48 Most Powerful Latinos". Madison365. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
12. Schultz, Zac. "First Hispanic Judge in Dane County". www.nbc15.com. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
13. "Wisconsin Court System - Court of Appeals Judges - Judge Higginbotham". www.wicourts.gov. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
14. Johnson, Michael. "A History of Black Madison". Madison365. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
15. "Wisconsin Court System - Louis B. Butler Jr". www.wicourts.gov. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
16. "Clevert a trailblazer in federal court". Retrieved January 19, 2018.
17. "Judge Hackett attended Wayne State University and received an A.B. degree in 1949 and his LL.B degree in PDF Free Download". docplayer.net. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
18. Martinez, Michael. "Ismael Ozanne: Wisconsin's prosecutor in Robinson case". CNN. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
19. "Pinkowski Files". www.poles.org. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
20. The Wisconsin Bar Bulletin. Wisconsin Bar Association. 1984.
21. Green, Shannon. "Telling the Story of Wisconsin's Pioneering Black Lawyers". WisBar. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
22. "Ramirezes form a portrait of U.S. Latinos". Retrieved January 13, 2018.