Shirley Abrahamson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Honorable
Shirley Abrahamson
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| 25th Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court | |
| In office August 1, 1996 – April 29, 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Roland B. Day |
| Succeeded by | Patience D. Roggensack |
| Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court | |
| In office September 7, 1976 – August 1, 2019 |
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| Appointed by | Patrick Lucey |
| Preceded by | Horace W. Wilkie |
| Succeeded by | Brian Hagedorn |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Shirley Schlanger
December 17, 1933 New York, New York, U.S. |
| Died | December 19, 2020 (aged 87) Berkeley, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Pancreatic cancer |
| Spouse |
Seymour Abrahamson
(m. 1953–2016) |
| Children | 1 |
| Alma mater | New York University (A.B.) Indiana University (J.D.) University of Wisconsin-Madison (LL.M., S.J.D.) |
Shirley Schlanger Abrahamson (December 17, 1933 – December 19, 2020) was an important American lawyer and judge. She became the 25th chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. In 1976, she was chosen to join the court by Governor Patrick Lucey. This made her the very first woman to serve as a justice on Wisconsin's highest court.
Later, on August 1, 1996, she became the court's first female chief justice. She held this top position until April 29, 2015. Overall, Shirley Abrahamson served on the court for an amazing 43 years (from 1976 to 2019). This made her the longest-serving justice in the entire history of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Shirley Schlanger was born in New York City. Her parents, Leo and Ceil Schlanger, were Jewish immigrants from Poland. She went to Hunter College High School in New York. In 1953, she earned her first college degree from New York University.
She then went to Indiana University Law School. In 1956, she earned her law degree (called a J.D.). She graduated at the very top of her class, showing how smart and dedicated she was. While at Indiana, she met Seymour Abrahamson, who she later married. They moved to Madison, Wisconsin, so he could continue his studies in zoology.
In Madison, Shirley Abrahamson became a teacher at the University of Wisconsin. She taught about constitutional law and political science. She also continued her own studies at the University of Wisconsin Law School. In 1962, she earned an advanced law degree (a S.J.D.). For this degree, she wrote a big research paper about the legal history of Wisconsin's dairy industry.
Starting Her Law Career
In 1962, when she was 28 years old, Shirley Abrahamson made history again. She became the first female lawyer hired by a Madison law firm called La Follette, Sinykin, Doyle & Anderson. Within just one year, she became a partner at the firm. This meant she was one of the main leaders of the law firm.
She worked as a lawyer at this firm for 14 years. During this time, she also kept teaching at the University of Wisconsin Law School.
Becoming a Judge
On August 6, 1976, Governor Patrick Lucey chose Shirley Abrahamson to join the Wisconsin Supreme Court. She filled a spot that became open when Justice Horace W. Wilkie passed away. On September 7, she officially became a justice. This was a huge moment because she was the first woman ever to serve on Wisconsin's highest court.
Governor Lucey hoped her appointment would encourage more women to get involved in law and government. He pointed out that it was surprising there were no women judges in the state at any level.
In 1979, Abrahamson ran for a full term on the court and won with 65% of the votes. She was reelected three more times: in 1989, 1999, and 2009. She was one of the few judges in Wisconsin who had to run against an opponent in every election.
Becoming Chief Justice
For many years, the chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court was the person who had served on the court the longest. This rule was in place from 1889 until 2015.
In 1994, the chief justice at the time, Nathan Heffernan, announced he would retire. The next person in line by seniority was Justice Roland B. Day. He was also planning to retire soon. Shirley Abrahamson was the next most senior member of the court. Justice Day told her, "I'm going to be chief for a year. You're going to be chief for a long time."
His prediction came true! On August 1, 1996, Shirley Abrahamson became the Wisconsin Supreme Court's first female chief justice. She ended up being the second longest-serving chief justice in Wisconsin's history.
Her Work on the Court
During her time on the court, Justice Abrahamson wrote more than 450 main opinions. These are the official decisions of the court. She also took part in over 3,500 written decisions. She helped decide more than 10,000 requests for the court to review cases. She also worked on cases involving rules for lawyers and judges.
Shirley Abrahamson was a member of many important legal groups. She was president of the Conference of Chief Justices, which is a group of top judges from across the U.S. She also led the Board of Directors for the National Center for State Courts. She was recognized for her excellent work and received many awards. In 1997, she was chosen as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She also received 15 honorary degrees from universities and colleges.
Retirement and Later Life
On May 30, 2018, Justice Abrahamson announced she would not run for reelection in 2019. She left her position on July 31, 2019. She had served for 43 years, which is the longest term in the history of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. From 1976 until 1993, she was the only woman on the high court. In her last three years, the court actually had more women than men, with a 5–2 female majority.
Personal Life
Shirley Schlanger married Seymour Abrahamson in August 1953, and she took his last name. Seymour was a professor of zoology and a famous geneticist. They had one son, Daniel, who also became a lawyer like his mother. The Abrahamsons were married for almost 63 years before Seymour passed away from cancer in July 2016.
In August 2018, Justice Abrahamson shared that she had been diagnosed with cancer. After she retired, she moved to Berkeley, California, to be closer to her son and his family. She received special care in 2020. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, she mostly saw her family through a window or on video calls. However, she was able to see her son in person shortly before she passed away. Shirley Abrahamson died from pancreatic cancer on December 19, 2020.
Images for kids
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Shirley Abrahamson, a trailblazing judge.
