Seven justices sit on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, elected statewide to ten-year terms in nonpartisan spring elections. As of 2025, the Wisconsin Supreme Court justices are Chief Justice Jill J. Karofsky, Justice Annette Kingsland Ziegler, Justice Rebecca Grassl Bradley, Justice Rebecca Frank Dallet, Justice Brian Hagedorn, Justice Janet C. Protasiewicz, and Justice Susan M. Crawford.1Wisconsin Court System. Supreme Court Justices
Justice Crawford won election in the spring of 2025, taking the seat of Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, who retired after 30 years on the court.2Wisconsin Court System. Third Branch eNews Chief Justice Karofsky’s term as chief officially began on July 2, 2025.
The current ideological balance stands at four to three. Karofsky, Dallet, Protasiewicz, and Crawford are generally identified with a liberal judicial philosophy; Ziegler, Rebecca Grassl Bradley, and Hagedorn typically align with conservative legal interpretations. That split shapes rulings on voting rights, redistricting, and executive power. Justice Ziegler has said she will not seek a third term in 2027, so the next open-seat race is already on the calendar.
How Justices Reach the Bench
Wisconsin fills Supreme Court seats through statewide nonpartisan elections. Candidates appear on the ballot without a party label, though their leanings are heavily discussed during campaigns. The general election falls in the spring cycle, usually the first Tuesday in April. When three or more candidates file for a seat, a nonpartisan primary narrows the field to two; with only one or two filers, the primary is cancelled.
Getting on the ballot requires between 2,000 and 4,000 valid voter signatures gathered from across the state. The Wisconsin Elections Commission handles ballot access and campaign finance compliance. Only one seat appears on the ballot per year, which concentrates attention and spending on a single race each spring.
Each winning justice serves a ten-year term that starts on August 1 after the election.3Justia. Wisconsin Constitution Article VII Section 4 – Supreme Court: Election, Chief Justice, Quorum The one-per-year limit staggers the terms and prevents a single election from reshuffling the whole court.
Eligibility is straightforward. A candidate must be an attorney licensed to practice in Wisconsin for at least five years immediately before taking office. Prior judicial experience is not required, so practicing lawyers, law professors, and government attorneys can all run. The constitution also sets a retirement cap: a justice may not serve past the July 31 following the retirement age set by the legislature, which the constitution requires be no lower than 70.4Justia. Wisconsin Constitution Article VII Section 24 – Justices and Judges: Eligibility for Office; Retirement
How the Chief Justice Is Chosen
The chief justice role in Wisconsin does not go by seniority. The seven justices elect one of their own to a two-year term as chief, and the choice requires a majority of the justices then serving.3Justia. Wisconsin Constitution Article VII Section 4 – Supreme Court: Election, Chief Justice, Quorum A justice elected chief can decline the role or resign from it later while remaining on the court. The chief acts as the administrative head of the state court system and can assign judges from other courts to help manage caseloads anywhere except on the Supreme Court itself.
What Justices Are Paid
Each Wisconsin Supreme Court justice earns $196,082 per year under the most recently published salary schedule.5Wisconsin Legislature. Salaries of Wisconsin State Elected Officials, 2025 The legislature sets judicial salaries, and all seven justices are paid the same amount. The chief justice receives no additional base pay for the administrative role.
What Happens When a Seat Opens Mid-Term
If a justice resigns, dies, or otherwise leaves office before the term ends, the governor appoints a replacement. The appointee serves until a successor is elected and sworn in.6Justia. Wisconsin Constitution Article VII Section 9 – Judicial Elections, Vacancies Judicial elections cannot run alongside the partisan general election for state or county offices, or within 30 days before or after it, so the replacement vote lands in a later spring cycle. The appointee must meet the same five-year law license requirement as any elected justice.
How a Justice Can Be Removed
Two separate removal paths exist. The first is impeachment. The Assembly can impeach a justice for corrupt conduct in office or for crimes and misdemeanors by a majority vote of elected members, and the Senate then holds the trial, with conviction requiring a two-thirds vote of senators present.7Wisconsin State Legislature. Impeachment in Wisconsin One detail stands out for judicial officers: an impeached justice is immediately barred from performing any judicial duties until acquitted. That suspension is automatic.
The second path runs through Article VII, Section 11 of the Wisconsin Constitution. The Supreme Court itself can reprimand, censure, suspend, or remove a justice for cause or disability, following procedures the legislature sets by law.8Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Constitution Article VII Section 11 – Disciplinary Proceedings A justice removed under this provision is permanently barred from reappointment or temporary judicial service. The legislative and judicial paths operate independently.
When Justices Must Step Aside
Wisconsin’s Code of Judicial Conduct, in Supreme Court Rule Chapter 60, governs recusal. The test asks whether a reasonable, well-informed person familiar with judicial ethics would question the justice’s impartiality given the known facts.9Wisconsin Court System. SCR Chapter 60 Code of Judicial Conduct Mandatory recusal triggers include personal bias toward a party or lawyer, prior involvement in the case as a judge or attorney, a financial interest in the outcome, and close family connections to anyone in the proceeding.
Wisconsin’s rules state explicitly that a justice is not required to recuse based solely on receiving a lawful campaign contribution from someone involved in a case.9Wisconsin Court System. SCR Chapter 60 Code of Judicial Conduct The same carve-out covers independent expenditures made on a justice’s behalf. That rule sets Wisconsin apart from states with stricter recusal triggers tied to campaign money, and it draws regular public debate in high-spending judicial races.