Janine P. Geske (born May 12, 1949) is an American jurist and law professor who served as a justice of the

Wisconsin Supreme Court The Wisconsin Supreme Court is the highest appellate court in Wisconsin. The Supreme Court has jurisdiction over original actions, appeals from lower courts, and regulation or administration of the practice of law in Wisconsin. Location The Wi ...

from 1993 to 1998 and as interim

Milwaukee County Executive The Milwaukee County Executive serves as the chief executive officer of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. Vested with veto power and appointing authority over department heads, the county executive oversees the administrative functions of county gover ...

in 2002.Wisconsin Historical Society profile of Janine P. Geske
, wisconsinhistory.org; accessed December 13, 2014.

Life and career

Born in

Port Washington, Wisconsin Port Washington is the county seat of Ozaukee County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on Lake Michigan's western shore east of Interstate 43, the community is a suburb in the Milwaukee metropolitan area 27 miles north of the City of Mil ...

, Geske was raised in the nearby community of Cedarburg. She graduated from

Cedarburg High School Cedarburg High School (CHS) is a Public Education High School in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. Curriculum Classes offered at Cedarburg High School are grouped into 13 departments: art, business and information technology, engineering/technology education ...

in 1967 and received her bachelor's and master's degrees from

Beloit College Beloit College is a private liberal arts college in Beloit, Wisconsin. Founded in 1846, when Wisconsin was still a territory, it is the state's oldest continuously operated college. It is a member of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest and h ...

in 1971 and 1972, respectively. Geske earned her J.D. degree from the

Marquette University Law School Marquette University Law School is the professional graduate law school of Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is one of two law schools in Wisconsin and the only private law school in the state. Founded in 1892 as the Milwaukee Law ...

in 1975. Geske worked as chief staff attorney for the

Legal Aid Society The Legal Aid Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit legal aid provider based in New York City. Founded in 1876, it is the oldest and largest provider of legal aid in the United States. Its attorneys provide representation on criminal and civil mat ...

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee ...

until 1979. She was an assistant professor at

from 1978 to 1981 and was founding director of the Marquette University Law School's Clinic for the Elderly. From 1981 to 1993, Geske served as a Milwaukee County circuit court judge. In 1993, she was appointed to the

by Governor

Tommy Thompson Tommy George Thompson (born November 19, 1941) is an American Republican politician who most recently served as interim president of the University of Wisconsin System from 2020 to 2022. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served a ...

, a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

. Geske was elected to a full term on the court in 1994 but resigned from the bench in 1998. Following her departure from the court, Geske worked as a professor at

Marquette University Marquette University () is a private Jesuit research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Established by the Society of Jesus as Marquette College on August 28, 1881, it was founded by John Martin Henni, the first Bishop of the diocese of M ...

, holding the Association of Marquette University Women's Chair in Humanistic Studies in 2000 and 2001. From February to May 2002, she served as the interim

, following the resignation of F. Thomas Ament amid a massive pension scandal. Later in 2002, Geske was appointed interim dean of the Marquette University Law School, serving until 2003.Marquette University Law School Faculty and Staff-Janine Geske
, marquette.edu; accessed December 13, 2014. Geske has remained on the law school faculty and is on the faculty of the National Judicial College in

Reno, Nevada Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...

. In both 1994 and 2002, the Milwaukee Bar honored her with its Lawyer of the Year award. In 2017, Geske was one of 54 former Wisconsin judges who signed a letter advocating for rules requiring judges to recuse themselves in cases involving campaign donors.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Geske, Janine 1949 births Living people Beloit College alumni Marquette University alumni Marquette University faculty Marquette University Law School alumni Milwaukee County Executives People from Cedarburg, Wisconsin Politicians from Milwaukee Wisconsin state court judges Justices of the Wisconsin Supreme Court American women judges American women academics American legal scholars Lawyers from Milwaukee People from Port Washington, Wisconsin Women legal scholars 21st-century American women 20th-century women judges