Meet the candidates for Wisconsin Supreme Court

Susan Crawford and Brad Schimel vie for the open seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court created by Justice Ann Walsh Bradley's retirement. The election is April 1.

Crawford is a trial judge on the Dane County Circuit Court. She graduated from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1994.

Schimel is a trial judge on the Waukesha County Circuit Court. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1990.

WJI asked each of the candidates to answer a series of questions. The questions are patterned after some of those on the job application the governor uses when he is considering judicial appointments.

Crawford responded to WJI's questionnaire. Schimel did not.

Answers are printed as submitted, without editing or insertion of “(sic)” for errors.

Susan Crawford

Why do you want to become a justice on the Wisconsin Supreme Court?

As a prosecutor, private-practice attorney, and now as a judge, I have always worked to protect the basic rights and freedoms of Wisconsinites under our laws and Constitution, and to use my legal training and experience to have a positive impact on people and communities. I have broad legal experience, including arguing before the Wisconsin Supreme Court in both criminal and civil cases. I know how important it is to have Wisconsin Supreme Court justices who are fair and impartial and who will reject efforts to politicize the Court and undermine our constitutional rights.

Describe which U.S. Supreme Court or Wisconsin Supreme Court opinion in the past 25 years you believe had a significant positive or negative impact on the people of Wisconsin and explain why.

The Court’s decision in Clarke v. Wisconsin Elections Commission is particularly significant because it upheld the Wisconsin Constitution and our democratic principles. I agree with the majority's decision in this case, which found the state’s legislative maps unconstitutional. As a result of this decision, the legislature and the governor agreed to new maps that comply with the Wisconsin Constitution.

Describe your judicial philosophy.

My approach to judicial decision making is people-centered and grounded in common sense. I consider myself a pragmatist. I work hard to get the facts right and to apply the law fairly and impartially. In my view, our laws are tools to protect people. It’s important to consider the purposes of the law and how it will affect the parties when applying it. My goal is always to arrive at a fair and just result. 

Another core component to my judicial philosophy is how I treat people in my courtroom. I want everyone who enters my courtroom, whether or not they achieve the result they were seeking, to leave feeling they were heard, treated with respect, and got their day in court.

Describe two of the most significant cases in which you were involved as either an attorney or a judicial officer.

As a judge, the most significant cases I have presided over involve children and families. In cases involving children in need of protection and services, I had the opportunity and privilege to reunite children with their families after the parents received court-ordered services to help them to overcome problems like mental health crises and drug addiction that had prevented them from caring for their children.

As a lawyer, I litigated several high-profile public interest cases that broadly impacted the rights of Wisconsinites. One such case was Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin v. Brad Schimel. Our team of lawyers successfully challenged an anti-abortion law that threatened doctors with the loss of their medical licenses for providing abortions to women. The law was found unconstitutional by the federal district court for the Western District of Wisconsin and the decision was upheld by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

Describe your legal experience as an advocate in criminal litigation, civil litigation, and administrative proceedings.

As a former prosecutor, government attorney, private-practice attorney, and now as a Circuit Court Judge, I’ve dedicated my entire career to upholding the law and protecting Wisconsinites under our laws and constitution. I started my career at the Wisconsin Department of Justice, where I prosecuted felony cases in the Wisconsin Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, prosecuted health care fraud and abuse cases in circuit courts throughout the state, and and served as director of criminal appeals, the largest legal unit at the DOJ. As chief legal counsel in the office of Governor Jim Doyle, I oversaw the fair and equal enforcement and application of our laws throughout state government. Later in my career, as a civil litigator in private practice, I advocated for Wisconsinites from all walks of life, standing up for their rights in court.

Describe an instance when you were challenged and had to exhibit courage in the face of adversity or opposition and how you handled that situation.

When I was in high school, my dad, an engineer, was laid off from his job. It took some time for him to find another job in his highly technical field. As a result, my family went through some tough times financially. I did my part by financing my own college education.

Do you support requiring a justice or judge to recuse him/herself from cases involving donors and indirect supporters who contribute money or other resources to the judge's election? If not, why not? If so, why, and what contribution limits would you set?

I am open to considering proposals to strengthen the recusal rules for judges and justices. As a judge, I make decisions on recusal after evaluating the parties and legal issues raised in the case. If I believe I am unable to be fair and impartial for any reason, I do not remain on the case. Just as I have in my current courtroom, I will look at every case that comes before me on the Wisconsin Supreme Court and make a determination as to whether it’s appropriate for me to sit on that case.

What are the greatest obstacles judges face when trying to deliver true justice? What can or should be done about them? [Define “true justice” as you see fit.]

The most significant obstacle is the lack of affordable legal services to people facing significant legal issues without representation. Although as a judge I take care to explain courtroom procedures to pro se litigants, many civil cases, including evictions, family court matters, and mortgage foreclosures involve complex legal issues that place unrepresented parties at a disadvantage. As a judge, I’ve seen firsthand how the lack of representation affects parties and the legal system. Low or no-cost legal representation or legal clinics, simplified court procedures and forms, and better access to quality legal research materials could help reduce these disadvantages. If elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, I’ll advocate for increased resources to serve Wisconsinites fairly and effectively.

To me, justice means that everyone who comes into my courtroom is treated fairly and with respect, regardless of the outcome. It’s about thoroughly examining all the facts, weighing the evidence impartially, and ensuring each party has an equal opportunity to be heard. Above all, it’s about upholding the law with fairness, transparency, and accountability. I want everyone who enters my courtroom to leave feeling they were treated with respect and got their day in court.

Provide any other information you feel would be helpful to potential voters deciding for whom to vote.

My opponent, Brad Schimel, has spent his entire career as an extreme politician and has made it clear that he’s more interested in pushing a partisan, right-wing agenda than upholding the independence and impartiality of our courts. During his time as Wisconsin’s Republican Attorney General, he defended Scott Walker’s attacks on workers’ rights and our basic freedoms—putting politics ahead of the people he was supposed to serve.

As a former prosecutor, private-practice attorney, and now as a judge, I have spent my career focused on upholding our laws and Constitution, and fighting to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of all Wisconsinites. I am committed to fairness, impartiality, and ensuring that every person enters my courtroom, whether they win or lose, gets a fair shake.

​Brad Schimel has also shown a troubling willingness to prejudge cases before they even reach the bench. He’s openly condemned the recent ruling overturning portions of Act 10 and continues to defend Wisconsin’s outdated 1849 abortion ban as “valid.” That’s not how justice should work. If I have the honor of serving on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, I will approach every case with an open mind—listening carefully to both sides, weighing the facts, and applying the law based on the Constitution and established precedent. That’s what fairness demands, and that’s what Wisconsinites deserve.

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