Madison, WI – State Bar of Wisconsin President Ralph Cagle has issued the following statement regarding the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s announcement that Justice N. Patrick Crooks will not seek re-election to the supreme court.
“On behalf of the State Bar of Wisconsin, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the 38-year commitment Justice N. Patrick Crooks has made to the legal system and the legal profession. His departure from the state’s highest court will certainly be felt.
“Over his nearly 20 years on the supreme court, Justice Crooks has given back to the profession in many ways, most importantly by preparing the next generation of lawyers for bright careers in law through his ability to encourage and inspire the best in his judicial assistants, law clerks and judicial interns.
“Justice Crooks has always gone beyond the call of duty, dedicating his time to a number of organizations, including the Wisconsin Law Foundation, which work to further justice and make the legal system accessible to all individuals.
“As colleagues, mentors, mentees and fellow lovers of the law, we wish Justice Crooks much success in his remaining months on the bench.”
Crooks' term ends on July 31, 2016. According to a press release issued by the supreme court, by the end of his term Crooks will have served nearly 39 years as a Wisconsin judge, including 20 years as a supreme court justice.
For more information contact Katie Stenz, public relations coordinator, State Bar of Wisconsin. She can be reached at org kstenz wisbar wisbar kstenz org, or by phone at (608) 250-6025.
Crooks’ time on the bench began in 1978, when he was elected to the Brown County Circuit Court. He was re-elected twice more, once in 1985 and again in 1991. In 1996, Crooks began his first of two supreme court terms.
A Green Bay native and St. Norbert College graduate, Crooks received his J.D. from the University of Notre Dame. After graduation, he worked in a Green Bay law firm before going on active duty in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. After finishing training at Ft. Benning, Ga., to become an infantry officer, he attended the Army’s legal school at the University of Virginia. He then served for two-and-a-half years at the Pentagon in the Army’s Office of the Judge Advocate General.
