Shirley Abrahamson

Shirley Schlanger Abrahamson (December 17, 1933December 19, 2020) was the 25th chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. An American lawyer and jurist, she was appointed to the court in 1976 by Governor Patrick Lucey, becoming the first female justice to serve on Wisconsin's highest court. She became the court's first female chief justice on August 1, 1996, and served in that capacity until April 29, 2015. In all, she served on the court for 43 years (1976–2019), making her the longest-serving justice in the history of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Early life and career Abrahamson was born Shirley Schlanger in New York City, the daughter of Polish Jewish immigrants, Leo and Ceil (Sauerteig) Schlanger. She graduated from New York's Hunter College High School and in 1953 received her bachelor's degree from New York University. She continued her education at Indiana University Law School, earning her J.D. in 1956 with high distinction and graduating first in her class. At Indiana, she met her husband, Seymour Abrahamson, and moved with him to Madison, Wisconsin, for his post-doctoral work in zoology. In Madison, Abrahamson joined the University of Wisconsin faculty as a lecturer in constitutional law and political science, and worked as a research assistant at the law school. She continued her education at the University of Wisconsin Law School and earned a S.J.D. in American legal history in 1962, writing her doctoral thesis on the legal history of Wisconsin's dairy industry. Also in 1962, at age 28, Abrahamson became the first female lawyer hired by the Madison law firm La Follette, Sinykin, Doyle & Anderson. Within a year, she was named a partner in the law firm. She practiced law at the firm (later known as La Follette, Sinykin, Anderson & Abrahamson) for the next 14 years and continued teaching at the University of Wisconsin Law School.