Judge Skwierawski earns "Lifetime Jurist Achievement" Award

MADISON, March 28, 2007 – The Bench and Bar Committee of the State Bar of Wisconsin announces The Hon. Michael J. Skwierawski, Milwaukee County Circuit Court as the recipient of the State Bar of Wisconsin’s 2006 Lifetime Jurist Achievement Award. The annual award recognizes a jurist who “made a difference” during long tenure on the bench and will be presented at the State Bar’s Annual Convention, May 9-11 at the Midwest Airlines Center, Milwaukee.

"During his 25 years on the circuit court, Judge Skwierawski implemented many innovations that make the Milwaukee court system the highly effective system it is today," says Beth Hanan, committee chair. "He was instrumental in introducing jury trial schedule rules that reduce delays in trial dates, speeding up the processing of criminal matters, and creating a court interpreter program for non-English speaking litigants as well as a pro se center."

Skwierawski was appointed circuit court judge in 1978 after which he was elected to four terms, which includes five years as chief judge, before retiring in August 2003. During his distinguished career he chaired the Supreme Court Committee of Chief Judges, was a member of the Supreme Court Planning and Policy Advisory Committee, and the Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Sentencing Guidelines.

Before becoming a judge, Skwierawski was in private practice for eight years and served as a Milwaukee County assistant district attorney for three years. Since his retirement he is a sole practitioner in the areas of mediation with emphasis on commercial litigation and is a special master in complex civil cases. He is also the president of the Milwaukee Bar Association for 2006-07.

In his nomination letter to the Bench and Bar Committee, Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Michael Guolee stated, “Service and hard work have always been part of his code of conduct and that continues to this date. He continues to be a teacher of the law at various seminars and serves on various committees in our legal and general community. Because of his excellent reputation in the legal community, he was recently elected President of the Milwaukee Bar Association.”

The Lifetime Jurist Achievement Award recognizes a jurist with at least 12 years’ experience as a trial judge who has demonstrated outstanding, long-term judicial service during his or her years as a sitting judge. Past recipients include Hon. Edward R. Brunner, Hon. Lee E. Wells, Hon. Peter G. Pappas, Hon. Patrick T. Sheedy, Hon. Mark J. Farnum, Hon. P. Charles Jones, Hon. Edwin C. Dahlberg and Hon. Myron L. Gordon.

For more information about the Lifetime Jurist Achievement Award, contact State Bar Outreach Coordinator Kris Wenzel at (800) 444-9404, ext. 6185 or visit www.wisbar.org.