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Dec. 8, 2025 –​ The Bench and Bar Committee is now seeking nominations for the Judge of the Year and Lifetime Jurist Awards. These awards honor outstanding members of the judiciary and will be given at the State Bar of Wisconsin's 2026 Annual Meeting and Conference in LaCrosse.

The Judge of the Year Award​ honors an outstanding circuit court judge who exhibits judicial independence and excellence. The right candidate will have exceeded the call of judicial office, has made significant recent contributions to improving the judicial system, and has been a leader in advancing the quality of justice, judicial education, or innovative programs.

The Lifetime Jurist Achievement Award​ honors a judge who currently serves or has served as a circuit court judge and has exhibited long-term excellence as a judge. The judge must have demonstrated high ideals, exemplary personal character, judicial competence, and must have affected the judicial system in a distinctive manner.

The eligibility requirements as well as a nomination form may be found at http://www.wisbar.org/juristawards. Nominations must be supported by letters of recommendation and can be submitted along with any accompanying materials electronically or by regular mail. The nominations should be submitted to lroys@wisbar.org or to: 

Bench and Bar Committee
c/o Lisa Roys
State Bar of Wisconsin
PO Box 7158
Madison, WI 53707

The deadline for nomination is January 31, 2026, but we encourage you to submit nominations early. Members of the Bench and Bar Committee review all nomination materials and make the final judicial award selections.