[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 17 (Thursday, January 28, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S193-S194]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     REMEMBERING SHIRLEY ABRAHAMSON

  Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, today I rise to recognize the 
distinguished life of Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley 
Abrahamson, who died

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on December 19, 2020, at the age of 87. Justice Abrahamson was a 
consummate public servant who was passionately driven by the principle 
of fairness when applying the law and serving the people of Wisconsin. 
Her unparalleled commitment to judicial independence and justice had an 
immeasurable impact on Wisconsin's judicial system and the countless 
women and men who have been inspired to work in public service by her 
leadership. She was the first woman to serve on the Wisconsin Supreme 
Court and the first woman to serve as chief justice, but her legacy is 
even richer than those exceptional accomplishments.
  Justice Abrahamson's life had modest beginnings in New York City in 
1933, as the child of Polish immigrants. Her passion for the law 
started at the tender age of 6, when she decided she wanted to become a 
lawyer. Those who knew her at all stages of life--from childhood to 
retirement--consistently commented on her thirst for learning. She was 
a voracious reader even at a very young age and a dedicated student, 
earning honors in high school and college.
  Justice Abrahamson graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree 
from New York University in 1953. She earned a law degree with high 
distinction from Indiana University in 1956 and a doctor of law in 
American Legal History from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 
1962. Justice Abrahamson began her career as a practicing attorney and 
distinguished professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School.
  Justice Abrahamson's career is an inspiration to all women who are 
fighting forces that tell them they don't belong because of their 
gender. She faced significant discrimination when she entered the legal 
profession in the 1950s. From being denied employment at a law firm 
after graduating first in her class at Indiana University, to the 
denial of jobs, clients, and even social club memberships because of 
her gender, Justice Abrahamson remained undaunted by prejudice. She 
refused to back down from those who stood in the way of a woman's path 
to success in the legal profession. She carried that steadfast 
commitment to fairness and equality in her work on the court.
  In 1976, Justice Abrahamson broke the glass ceiling in Wisconsin's 
judicial system by becoming the first female justice on the Wisconsin 
Supreme Court. She again changed the judicial landscape in 1996 when 
she became the first woman to serve as chief justice. For the chief, 
serving on the supreme court meant serving the people of Wisconsin as 
an independent, fair, and impartial justice because, after all, the 
court and our court system belong to the people, not powerful special 
interests. That is why she spent a lot of her time traveling the State, 
meeting with people. Whether it was meeting with local judges, riding 
along with local law enforcement, or meeting with advocates for victims 
of sexual assault and domestic violence, she always understood that you 
can't serve the people if you don't walk in their shoes. That is why 
the people of Wisconsin elected her to the supreme court four times and 
she served 43 years on the court--serving the people.
  The late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said Justice Abrahamson was 
``most courageous and sage, and ever mindful of the people--all the 
people--that the law exists or should exist to serve.''
  Justice Abrahamson was cherished and respected as a mentor, teacher, 
advocate, wife, mother, grandmother and friend. She was known for her 
strong work ethic, often the last person working at night at the State 
capitol preparing for a case. Even as she faced pancreatic cancer at 
the end of her last term on the State supreme court, Justice Abrahamson 
fearlessly continued working, noting, ``On any day in this state, more 
than a quarter-million people are facing a cancer diagnosis.'' She 
tried to make the law more accessible and understandable to clients and 
the general public and brought a caring perspective to her professional 
and personal interactions. Her passion was also seen outside of the 
courtroom in her travels and treasured relationships with family and 
friends.
  Justice Abrahamson was a true American hero. From her incomparable 
tenure on the Wisconsin Supreme Court to her efforts as a pioneer for 
gender equality, Justice Abrahamson lived a life devoted to service and 
justice for all. Her greatest legacy is the trail she blazed for 
countless young women, who can see themselves in a courtroom or on a 
judicial bench because of the barriers she fearlessly broke through. 
She will shine in Wisconsin's history as one of the most influential 
women who shaped not only our judicial institutions but the State as a 
whole.

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