[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 144 (Friday, October 2, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1417-E1418]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                IN TRIBUTE TO JUSTICE SHIRLEY ABRAHAMSON

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GWEN MOORE

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 2, 2015

  Ms. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Justice Shirley 
Abrahamson, former Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. After 
nearly four decades of service on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, Justice 
Abrahamson will be receiving the National Association of Women Judges' 
Joan Dempsey Klein Award next week. This prestigious award honors 
members of the association who have ``assisted women judges to become 
more proficient in their profession, helped to solve the legal, social 
and ethical problems associated with the judiciary, and worked to 
increase the number of women serving as judges.''
  A trailblazer for Wisconsin women, Justice Abrahamson was first 
appointed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court by Governor Patrick Lucey in 
1976. She served as the only woman on the Court until 1993, and in 1996 
she became the first female Chief Justice in Wisconsin history. In her 
time on the Court, Justice Abrahamson has been a true powerhouse, 
serving longer than any other justice in Wisconsin history and 
authoring over 450 majority opinions. Those who know her best describe 
her not only as tough as nails, but also as a deeply kind and 
compassionate person.
  In her long and distinguished career, Justice Abrahamson has received 
countless honors. She serves as an elected fellow of the American 
Academy of Arts and Sciences and was elected by her peers as both 
President of the Conference of Chief Justices and Chair of the Board of 
Directors of the National Center of State Courts, a testament to her 
judicial acumen. Justice Abrahamson is a past president of the National 
Conference of Chief Justices and past chair of the board of directors 
of the National Center for State Courts. She also has served as chair 
of the National Institute of Justice's National Commission on the 
Future of DNA Evidence. She is a member of the Council of the American 
Law Institute and the New York University School of Law Institute of 
Judicial Administration.
  The daughter of immigrants, Justice Abrahamson was born Shirley 
Schlanger in New York City. She grew up across the street from her 
family's grocery store, dreaming from the age of five of becoming a 
lawyer. After receiving her bachelor's degree from New York University, 
she achieved this dream when she earned her J.D. with high distinction 
from Indiana University Law School in 1956, one of just two women in 
her class. She then moved to Madison, Wisconsin where she practiced law 
for 14 years and taught law at both the University of Wisconsin Madison 
and my alma mater, Marquette University. Over the course of her career, 
she has received 15 honorary Doctor of Law degrees as well as the 
Distinguished Alumni Award from UW-Madison. Justice Abrahamson has been 
married to her husband Seymour for over fifty years, and they have one 
son, Daniel.

[[Page E1418]]

  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor Justice Shirley Abrahamson and 
congratulate her for being this year's recipient of the Joan Dempsey 
Klein Award. The citizens of the state of Wisconsin are privileged to 
have someone of her intellect and commitment to public service working 
on their behalf for so many years. Justice Abrahamson, I thank you for 
all that you have done.

                          ____________________