The Hon. Louis Butler, U.W. 1977, was sworn in as a Wisconsin Supreme Court justice on Aug. 25, at a ceremony in the state Assembly chambers in front of more than 200 spectators.
Vol. 77, No. 10, October
2004
Butler Appointed to Supreme Court
 |
| State Bar President Michelle Behnke, Justice Louis Butler, and Gov.
Jim Doyle at the swearing in. |
The Hon. Louis Butler, U.W. 1977, was sworn in as a Wisconsin Supreme
Court justice on Aug. 25, at a ceremony in the state Assembly chambers
in front of more than 200 spectators. Butler is the first
African-American person to serve on Wisconsin's highest court. He was
appointed by Gov. Jim Doyle to fill the vacancy left by the Hon. Diane
Sykes, who is now a federal appellate court judge.
Doyle said Butler brings a strong legal background and sense of
fairness to the bench. In addition, he said, the court will welcome a
different set of life experiences that comes with ethnic diversity.
"Our justice system only works when it works for all of us, and to do
that it must reflect the diversity and the boundless optimism of our
people," Doyle said.
Butler was a state public defender and then a Milwaukee municipal
court judge before being elected to the Milwaukee County Circuit Court
in 2002. His appointment to the supreme court lasts until 2008, when he
will need to run for election to the court.
Wisconsin Lawyer
