Shirley Abrahamson

The Honorable Shirley Abrahamson
25th Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
In office August 1, 1996 – April 29, 2015
Preceded by	Roland B. Day
Succeeded by	Patience D. Roggensack
Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
In office August 1976 – August 1, 2019
Appointed by	Patrick Lucey
Preceded by	Horace W. Wilkie
Succeeded by	Brian Hagedorn
Personal details
Born	Shirley Schlanger (1933-12-17)December 17, 1933 New York, New York, U.S.
Died	December 19, 2020(2020-12-19) (aged 87) Berkeley, California, U.S.
Cause of death	Pancreatic cancer
Spouse(s)	Seymour Abrahamson (m. 1953; died 2016)
Children	Daniel
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 American politician and lawyer. She was a member and former Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. She was appointed to the court in 1976 by Governor Patrick Lucey. She became first woman on Wisconsin's high court.

Career

She was the only woman on the court from 1976 until 1993. Abrahamson was re-elected to the Supreme Court in 1979, 1989, 1999, and 2009. She became Chief Justice on August 1, 1996 and served until April 29, 2015.

Retirement

On May 30, 2018, Abrahamson announced she would not seek re-election to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2019.

Death

In August 2018, Abrahamson announced she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She died on December 19, 2020 in Berkeley, California from the disease, aged 87.