Shirley Abrahamson

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The Honorable

Shirley Abrahamson
25th Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
In office
August 1, 1996 – April 29, 2015
Preceded byRoland B. Day
Succeeded byPatience D. Roggensack
Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
In office
August 1976 – August 1, 2019
Appointed byPatrick Lucey
Preceded byHorace W. Wilkie
Succeeded byBrian Hagedorn
Personal details
Born
Shirley Schlanger

(1933-12-17)December 17, 1933
New York, New York, U.S.
DiedDecember 19, 2020(2020-12-19) (aged 87)
Berkeley, California, U.S.
Cause of deathPancreatic cancer
Spouse(s)Seymour Abrahamson (m. 1953; died 2016)
ChildrenDaniel
Alma materNew 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[change | change source]

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.[1]

Retirement[change | change source]

On May 30, 2018, Abrahamson announced she would not seek re-election to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2019.[2]

Death[change | change source]

In August 2018, Abrahamson announced she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.[3] She died on December 19, 2020 in Berkeley, California from the disease, aged 87.[4]

References[change | change source]

  1. Beck, Molly (November 10, 2015). "Shirley Abrahamson drops lawsuit to regain chief justice title". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  2. Shawn Johnson. "Longtime Wisconsin Justice Shirley Abrahamson Won't Seek Re-Election Archived 2018-11-14 at the Wayback Machine". Wisconsin Public Radio, May 30, 2018.
  3. Wisconsin Justice Shirley Abrahamson says she has cancer but plans to finish term in 2019
  4. Marley, Patrick (December 20, 2020). "Shirley Abrahamson, longest-serving member of Wisconsin Supreme Court, dies at 87". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved December 20, 2020.