Shirley Abrahamson

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
September 7, 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 City, U.S.
DiedDecember 19, 2020(2020-12-19) (aged 87)
Berkeley, California, U.S.
Spouse
Seymour Abrahamson
(m. 1953⁠–⁠2016)
Children1
EducationNew York University (BA)
Indiana University, Bloomington (JD)
University of Wisconsin, Madison (LLM, SJD)

Shirley Schlanger Abrahamson (December 17, 1933 – December 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.