Lifetime Jurist Achievement Award

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The Hon. Ramona A. Gonzalez of La Crosse County Circuit Court is this year’s award winner.

When Judge Gonzalez was elected to the bench in 1995, she broke through not one but two “glass ceilings,” becoming the first woman and first person of color to serve as a La Crosse County Circuit Court Judge. She is the recipient of many awards, honors, and recognitions throughout her career, including the State Bar of Wisconsin President’s Award, the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys’ Distinguished Jurist Award, and the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee & Department of Public Instruction Award of Excellence.

Throughout her 28 years on the bench, Judge Gonzalez has demonstrated an exemplary commitment to advancing judicial leadership and public service through many entities such as the Commission on Judicial Elections and Ethics, the State Bar of Wisconsin Access to Justice Commission, the Wisconsin Judicial Committee on Child Welfare, the Wisconsin Judicial College, the U.S. Judicial Advisory Council on International Family Abduction, and the Wisconsin Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force.

Through her work with the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, Judge Gonzalez has dedicated her time to improving national policy and practices affecting children, families, and survivors of violence. She has provided training to increase awareness about the impact of domestic abuse around the world, everywhere from the Dominican Republic to Liberia, Mexico, and the United States.

Judge Gonzalez credits the La Crosse community as a place that embraces change, which helps judges foster innovation and improve the lives of children and families. She is also committed to improving access to justice for low-income individuals, sometimes putting attorneys in her courtroom on the spot to ask if they will take on clients needing assistance. Judge Gonzalez treats all participants in the justice system impartially and fairly, never shying away from discussions on race, inclusion, equity, and access.

Judge Gonzalez’s own family immigrated to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic when she was 5 years old. Her father, a sister, a brother-in-law, two nephews, a niece, and two cousins are physicians. But Judge Gonzalez chose a career in law, attending law school at Marquette, where she met and married John P. Stuber, who went on to open Stuber Law Office in La Crosse. Together, Judge Gonzalez and Attorney Stuber have three children.

State Representative Steve Doyle writes: “From her days as a practicing attorney in the area of family law, to her service in many community organizations to her leadership at the state and national level, Judge Gonzalez has been tireless. Thankfully, she has also used her skills and passion to train others to follow in her footsteps. With her knowledge, her passion, and her inspiration, she is leaving our world a better place.”