For Immediate Release
	CONTACT: Jason Westphal State Bar of Wisconsin (800) 444-9404, ext. 6077 jwestphal@wisbar.org

Judge Gerald C. Nichol selected "Judge of the Year"

MADISON, February 25, 2003 - Dane County Circuit Court Judge Gerald C. Nichol is the State Bar of Wisconsin's 2002 Judge of the Year. The award will be presented at the State Bar Annual Convention, May 7-9, in Milwaukee at the Midwest Airlines Center.

The Bench/Bar Committee of the State Bar of Wisconsin annually recognizes outstanding judges with its 'Judge of the Year' and 'Lifetime Jurist Achievement' awards. Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Patrick L. Snyder is this year's Lifetime Achievement recipient.

"We are very pleased to present the Judge of the Year Award to Judge Nichol, whose high standards, personal character and reasoned approach to judging make him an ideal award recipient," says Raymond Taffora, Bench Bar Committee chair.

Nichol earned his law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School and has served as a circuit court judge since 1988. Prior to his judgeship, Nichol practiced law for 25 years with an emphasis on trial advocacy and labor relations. Active in the James E. Doyle American Inns of Court, he is a board member of both the Dane County Mediation program and Supreme Court Judicial Education Committee. Nichol also serves on Wisconsin's Judicial Council.

In 1992, he was honored with the State Bar of Wisconsin President's Award, and he was awarded the Dane County Bar Mediation Award in 2000.

Additionally, Judge Nichol has served as the chairperson for several committees focusing on civility in the courts and children. He is currently on the Board of Directors for the Rubin for Kids Foundation, an organization that presents awards and college scholarships to at-risk students. For the past four years, Nichol has served as a weekly volunteer for Luke House's community meals program.

"The Judge of the Year and Lifetime Achievement designations are coveted awards by the judges who are so named," says Judge Dennis Moroney, Jurist Award Subcommittee co-chair. "They indicate a recognition by both the bench and bar that the award recipients have gone beyond what was expected of them, and did something extra. It demonstrates the close working relationship of the bench and bar, and their combined effort to benefit society. The State Bar's Bench Bar Committee is proud to be part of the process, and this year's award winners epitomize the excellence of those that have been recognized as award recipients since the inception of these awards."

The Judge of the Year Award recognizes a jurist who has improved the judicial system during the past year by his or her leadership in advancing the quality of justice, judicial education or innovative programs. High ideals, personal character, judicial competence and community involvement are hallmarks of the recipient.

Past Judges of the Year include Hon. Dennis Barry, Racine County Circuit Court; Hon. Harold Froelich, Outagamie County Circuit Court; Hon. Michael Sullivan, Milwaukee County Circuit Court; Hon. Gary Carlson, Taylor County Circuit Court; and Hon. Maxine White, Milwaukee County Circuit Court.

For more information, contact Patricia Morgan at (800) 444-9404, ext. 6107

The State Bar of Wisconsin is the mandatory professional association, created by the Wisconsin Supreme Court, for attorneys who hold a law license in Wisconsin. With more than 20,000 members, the State Bar aids the courts in improving the administration of justice, provides continuing legal education for its members, and assists Wisconsin lawyers in carrying out initiatives to educate the public about the legal system.

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