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 obtain a law degree or become a political figure.

Firsts in state history
Belle Case La Follette: First female to earn a law degree in Wisconsin
Vel Phillips: First African American female judge in Wisconsin (1971)
Shirley Abrahamson: First female Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court (1976)

Law Degree

Lawyers

Judges
  • Olga Bennett (1935):[4][5] First female judge in Wisconsin (1970)
  • Vel Phillips:[6][7][8] First African American female judge in Wisconsin (1971)
  • Shelley Gaylord:[9][10] First openly LGBT judge in Wisconsin (1993)
  • Kashoua Kristy Yang (2009):[11][12] First Hmong American female (and Hmong American in general) judge in Wisconsin (2017)

District Court
  • Kitty K. Brennan (1977):[13] First female to become Chief Judge of the First Judicial District in Wisconsin

Supreme Court

Tribal Court
  • Rhoda House:[15][16][17] First female tribal judge for the Menominee in Wisconsin (1943)

Attorney General

United States Attorney
  • Peg Lautenschlager (1980):[18] First female to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin (1993-2001)

District Attorney

Political Office
  • Tammy Baldwin (1989):[20] First openly LGBT female (a lawyer) to be elected to the U.S. Senate (2012)[21]

Bar Association
  • Pamela Barker:[22] First female to serve as the President of the State Bar of Wisconsin
  • Michelle Behnke:[23] First African American female (and African American in general) to serve as the President of the State Bar of Wisconsin (2004)

Firsts in local history

Alphabetized by county name

Bayfield County
  • Elizabeth Hawkes (1937):[24] First female Washburn High School graduate to become a lawyer [Bayfield County, Wisconsin]

Brown County
  • Vivi L. Dilweg:[25][26] First female judge in Brown County, Wisconsin

Calumet County
  • Rose Patricia Ryan (1928):[27] First female lawyer in Appleton, Wisconsin [Calumet, Outagamie, and Winnebago Counties, Wisconsin]

Dane County
  • Moria Krueger:[28] First female judge in Dane County, Wisconsin

Eau Claire County
  • Lisa K. Stark:[29] First female judge in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin (2000)

Jackson County
  • Anna Becker (1993):[30] First female judge in Jackson County, Wisconsin (1982)

La Crosse County
  • Razy Geraldine Kletecka Chojnacki (1943):[27] First female lawyer in La Crosse County, Wisconsin

Milwaukee County
  • Kate Kane Rossi (1877):[27] 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:[6][7][8] First female judge (and African American female) in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
  • Kitty K. Brennan (1977):[13] First female to become Chief Judge of the First Judicial District in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
  • Kashoua "Kristy" Yang (2009):[11][12] First Hmong American female judge in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin (2017)
  • Maxine White:[31] First African American female to serve as the Chief Judge for Milwaukee County, Wisconsin (2019)

Outagamie County
  • Rose Patricia Ryan (1928):[27] First female lawyer in Appleton, Wisconsin [Calumet, Outagamie, and Winnebago Counties, Wisconsin]
  • Nancy Krueger (1979):[32] First female judge in Outagamie County, Wisconsin (2007)

Ozaukee County
  • Sandy A. Williams:[33][34] First female judge in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin (2009). She also served as the first female District Attorneyf or Ozaukee County.

Portage County

Racine County

Rock County
  • Barbara McCrory:[38] First female judge in Rock County, Wisconsin (2012)

Sauk County

Sheboygan County
  • Edith Arelisle Zufelt (1901):[27] First female to register with the Sheboygan County Bar Association [Sheboygan County, Wisconsin]

Vernon County
  • Olga Bennett (c. 1956):[40] First female lawyer in Vernon County, Wisconsin

Washington County
  • Annette Ziegler:[41] First female judge in Washington County, Wisconsin (1997)

Winnebago County
  • Rose Patricia Ryan (1928):[27] First female lawyer in Appleton, Wisconsin [Calumet, Outagamie, and Winnebago Counties, Wisconsin]
  • Peg Lautenschlager (1980):[18] First female to serve as District Attorney for Winnebago County, Wisconsin (1985-1988)

See also

Other topics of interest

References
  1. "Belle Case La Follette - Wisconsin Women Making History". Wisconsin Women Making History. 2015-03-04. Retrieved 2017-09-27.
  2. Weatherford, Doris (2012-01-20). Women in American Politics: History and Milestones. SAGE. ISBN 9781608710072.
  3. Badger History Bulletin. State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Office of School Services. 1995-01-01.
  4. "STATE'S FIRST WOMAN JUDGE". Newspapers.com. April 7, 1969. Retrieved 2018-01-10.
  5. "Portraits will honor 15 women jurists" (PDF). The Third Branch. 12: 1. 2004.
  6. Madison, Arthur (July 31, 1974). "Is Lucey unfair to the women?". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  7. Segal, Geraldine R. (1983). Blacks in the Law: Philadelphia and the Nation. University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 9780812278545.
  8. "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.
  9. "Love Is in the Air as Wisconsin's Gay Marriage Ban is Overturned". PR Watch. 2014-06-07. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  10. Martin, Mart (2018-04-24). The Almanac Of Women And Minorities In American Politics 2002. Routledge. ISBN 9780429976483.
  11. staff, Madison365. "Kristy Yang, First Hmong American Woman Judge, Will Highlight Madison College/Women LEAD Event". Madison365. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
  12. "Judge Elected In Milwaukee County Is First Female Hmong-American On The Bench". Wisconsin Public Radio. 2017-04-05. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
  13. "The Path to a Diverse Bench: Wisconsin Lags Behind, Judges Weigh In". WisBar. Retrieved 2018-12-27.
  14. "Wisconsin Court System - Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson". www.wicourts.gov. Retrieved 2018-02-08.
  15. Dowling, Timothy C. (2005). Personal Perspectives: World War II. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9781851095759.
  16. The Michigan Historical Review. Clarke Historical Library at Central Michigan University. 1994.
  17. Bulletin ... 1996. ISBN 9781573370240.
  18. "Former attorney general Lautenschlager appointed to Wisconsin ethics panel - Wisconsin Radio Network". Wisconsin Radio Network. 2016-03-11. Retrieved 2018-11-19.
  19. "Dorothy Walker - Wisconsin Women Making History". Wisconsin Women Making History. 2015-04-06. Retrieved 2017-09-27.
  20. Grinberg, Emanuella. "Wisconsin's Tammy Baldwin is first openly gay person elected to Senate". CNN. Retrieved 2018-06-08.
  21. Upon becoming a Senator in Wisconsin
  22. "Pamela Barker Led the State Bar". 150th Anniversary. 1956. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
  23. "The State Bar's First 125 Years". www.wisbar.org. Retrieved 2019-01-04.
  24. "A Modern Woman in a Man's World: Elizabeth Hawkes, Pioneering Washburn Lawyer". WisBar. Retrieved 2018-12-27.
  25. "The Honorable Vivi L. Dilweg JD Online Obituary, June 27, 1943 - May 5, 2016". Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  26. Bureau, Wisconsin Legislature Legislative Reference (2005). State of Wisconsin Blue Book, 2011-2012. Legislative Reference Bureau.
  27. "Pioneers in the Law: The First 100 Women" (PDF). State Bar of Wisconsin. 1998.
  28. 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.
  29. Paulseth, Haley Wright, photos by Andrea. "Eau Claire Co. Has Never Had Two Female Judges at Once, but That's About to Change". volumeone.org. Retrieved 2018-12-07.
  30. "First female judge in Jackson County takes her seat on the bench". October 2, 2014.
  31. Dutes, Sheldon (2019-02-21), Maxine White is Milwaukee County's first African-American chief judge, retrieved 2019-03-05
  32. "UW-Green Bay, Inside magazine, May 2008". www.uwgb.edu. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
  33. dmc-admin (2009-06-08). "New Ozaukee judge has history of making history". Wisconsin Law Journal - WI Legal News & Resources. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
  34. "Williams elected first female judge in Ozaukee County". www.jsonline.com. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
  35. 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.
  36. Society, Burlington Historical (2005-07-20). Burlington. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9781439615430.
  37. "North Carolina Central University is a Family Tradition". issuu. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
  38. MARIE, AMES, ANN. "Crowd turns out for swearing in of first female Rock County judge". GazetteXtra. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
  39. "Former Sauk County judge honored". Wiscnews.com. Retrieved 2019-07-10.
  40. Cina, Angela. "Olga Bennett remembered at women's history event". La Crosse Tribune. Retrieved 2017-09-26.
  41. "Wisconsin Court System - Justice Annette Kingsland Ziegler". www.wicourts.gov. Retrieved 2018-12-27.
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