List of first minority male lawyers and judges in Wisconsin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of the first minority male lawyer(s) and judge(s) in Wisconsin. It includes the year in which the men were admitted to practice law (in parentheses). Also included are men who achieved other distinctions such becoming the first in their state to graduate from law school or become a political figure.

Firsts in Wisconsin's history[edit]

Lawyers[edit]

State judges[edit]

  • First African American male to run for judicial seat: Andrew R. Reneau in 1955[9]
  • First African American male: Harold Jackson Jr. in 1972[10]
  • First Hispanic American male: Ness Flores in 1978[11][12][13]
  • First male judge (who is deaf) to use a computerized transcription system in a Wisconsin court: Richard S. Brown[14] in 1983
  • First African American male elected without being appointed by a governor: Carl Ashley in 1999[15]
  • First Latino American male elected to the circuit court without being appointed by a governor: Ralph Ramirez around 1999[13]
  • First African American male (Wisconsin Court of Appeals): Paul B. Higginbotham (1985) in 2003[16][17]
  • First Asian American male (Japanese ancestry): Glenn H. Yamahiro (1991) in 2003[18][19]
  • First African American male (Wisconsin Supreme Court): Louis B. Butler (1977) in 2004[20]
  • First Latino American male (Wisconsin Court of Appeals): Pedro Colón in 2023[21]

Federal judges[edit]

Assistant United States Attorney[edit]

  • First African American male: Grady L. Pettigrew, Jr. in 1975[23]

District Attorney[edit]

  • First African American male: Ismael Ozanne in 2010[24]

Assistant District Attorney[edit]

  • First African American male: Andrew R. Reneau[9]

Firsts in local history[edit]

See also[edit]

Other topics of interest[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Quaife, Milo Milton; Schafer, Joseph; Alexander, Edward Porter (2007). Wisconsin Magazine of History. State Historical Society of Wisconsin.
  2. ^ a b "African-Americans at the University of Wisconsin (1875-1969)". UW Archives and Records Management. June 8, 2015. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
  3. ^ a b "How a Milwaukee Opera House Kick Started the Fight for Civil Rights". MKE Memoirs. February 11, 2013. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
  4. ^ a b Wisconsin Lawyer: Official Publication of the State Bar of Wisconsin. State Bar of Wisconsin. 1995.
  5. ^ a b "Green, William T. 1860 - 1911 | Wisconsin Historical Society". Wisconsin Historical Society. August 8, 2017. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
  6. ^ Krupat, Arnold (November 2021). Boarding School Voices: Carlisle Indian School Students Speak. U of Nebraska Press. ISBN 978-1-4962-2890-1.
  7. ^ "Learn of Death of Thomas St. Germaine". Ironwood Daily Globe. October 9, 1947. p. 12. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
  8. ^ Indian's Friend. National Indian Association. 1904.
  9. ^ a b "The History of Wisconsin's Black Lawyers 2019" (PDF). Wisconsin Association of African American Lawyers. 2019.
  10. ^ "8 notable Black lives laid to rest in Milwaukee's Forest Home Cemetery". WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR. February 28, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  11. ^ a b "Sí Se Puede 2016: Wisconsin's 48 Most Powerful Latinos". Madison365. October 9, 2017. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  12. ^ a b Schultz, Zac. "First Hispanic Judge in Dane County". www.nbc15.com. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  13. ^ a b "Judge Ralph Ramirez: On the Art and Science of Being a Judge". State Bar of Wisconsin. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  14. ^ Smith, Dorothy (Spring 1989). "Communication in the Courtroom" (PDF).
  15. ^ "State Bar recognizes Judge Carl Ashley for exceptional contributions to the justice system". WisBar. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  16. ^ a b "Wisconsin Court System - Court of Appeals Judges - Judge Higginbotham". www.wicourts.gov. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  17. ^ a b Johnson, Michael (January 27, 2018). "A History of Black Madison". Madison365. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  18. ^ "Judge Glenn Yamahiro '91 to Give Keynote Speech at LEO Banquet | University of Wisconsin Law School". law.wisc.edu. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
  19. ^ "Glenn Yamahiro '91 named judge | University of Wisconsin Law School". law.wisc.edu. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
  20. ^ "Wisconsin Court System - Louis B. Butler Jr". www.wicourts.gov. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  21. ^ Roche, Mariana La (June 20, 2023). "Wisconsin governor appoints first Latino Judge to Court of Appeals". WISN. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  22. ^ a b "Clevert a trailblazer in federal court". Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  23. ^ "Judge Hackett attended Wayne State University and received an A.B. degree in 1949 and his LL.B degree in PDF Free Download". docplayer.net. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  24. ^ a b Martinez, Michael (May 12, 2015). "Ismael Ozanne: Wisconsin's prosecutor in Robinson case". CNN. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  25. ^ USBE/HE Professional. Career Communications Group. 1990.
  26. ^ Kirkpatrick, Doris (1975). The City and the River. Fitchburg Historical Society.
  27. ^ "Pinkowski Files". www.poles.org. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
  28. ^ The Wisconsin Bar Bulletin. Wisconsin Bar Association. 1984.
  29. ^ Green, Shannon. "Telling the Story of Wisconsin's Pioneering Black Lawyers". WisBar. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
  30. ^ Vielmetti, Bruce. "Milwaukee County Children's Court Judge Brett Blomme charged with 7 counts of child pornography". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  31. ^ "Ramirezes form a portrait of U.S. Latinos". Retrieved January 13, 2018.