Rachel Anne Graham (born June 7, 1976) is an American lawyer, currently serving as judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals in the Madison-based District IV court. She was appointed in 2019 by Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers.
The Honorable Rachel A. Graham | |
|---|---|
| Judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals District IV | |
| Assumed office July 4, 2019 | |
| Appointed by | Tony Evers |
| Preceded by | Gary Sherman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 7, 1976 Stevens Point, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Education | |
Early life and education
editBorn in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, Graham graduated from Stevens Point Area Senior High School in 1994.[1] After earning her bachelor's degree from Northwestern University in 1998, she went to work for several years as a special education teacher in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and worked as a curriculum specialist at various education non-profits.[2]
She returned to school to obtain her Juris Doctor from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 2008.[2] During law school, she worked as a student attorney with the Wisconsin Innocence Project and was senior managing editor of the Wisconsin International Law Journal.[3][4]
Legal career
editIn 2011, she served as a law clerk to Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley. She was clerking for Justice Bradley during the infamous altercation between Bradley and fellow-Justice David Prosser Jr., in which Prosser grabbed Bradley by the neck.[5] Graham was one of several court staffers interviewed in the investigation and pointed to pressure from the state legislature as having damaged relations between the justices.[6][7]
Following her clerkship, Graham was hired by the national law firm Quarles & Brady in their Madison office, working in commercial litigation. While working at Quarles & Brady, she was also volunteering as a commissioner on Wisconsin's National and Community Service Board, having been appointed in 2010.[3] She remained at Quarles & Brady until her appointment to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals in 2019.[2]
Judicial career
editOn June 13, 2019, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers announced the appointment of Graham to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, to the seat vacated by the retirement of Judge Gary Sherman.[1] Judge Graham was the first judicial appointment of Tony Evers' governorship.[7] She won re-election without opposition in the 2020 election.[8]
Electoral history
editWisconsin Appeals Court (2020)
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, April 7, 2020 | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Rachel A. Graham (incumbent) | 341,286 | 99.42% | ||
| Scattering | 1,996 | 0.58% | |||
| Total votes | 343,282 | 100.0% | |||
References
edit- ^ a b "Gov. Evers Appoints Rachel A. Graham to the Court of Appeals". Office of the Governor of Wisconsin (Press release). June 13, 2019. Retrieved September 13, 2020 – via GovDelivery.
- ^ a b c "Judge Rachel A. Graham". Wisconsin Court System. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
- ^ a b "Rachel A. Graham, Associate". Quarles & Brady. Archived from the original on July 27, 2017. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
- ^ "Quarles & Brady Welcomes Three Attorneys to its Madison Office". Quarles & Brady (Press release). August 29, 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
- ^ Davey, Monica (June 25, 2011). "Wisconsin Judge Said to Have Attacked Colleague". The New York Times. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
- ^ Kittner, Gena; Barbour, Clay (August 27, 2011). "Pressure from GOP". Wisconsin State Journal. Madison, Wisconsin. p. 7. Retrieved September 14, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Vielmetti, Bruce. "Gov. Tony Evers makes first judicial appointment, will need 71 more to match Walker". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
- ^ a b Canvass Results for 2020 Spring Election and Presidential Preference Vote - 4/7/2020 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. May 4, 2020. p. 3. Retrieved September 14, 2020.