John C. Shabaz (June 25, 1931August 31, 2012) was an American lawyer, politician, and judge. He served 30 years as a
United States district judge
The United States district courts are the trial courts of the U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each federal judicial district, which each cover one U.S. state or, in some cases, a portion of a state. Each district cou ...
for the
Western District of Wisconsin
The United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin (in case citations, W.D. Wis.) is a federal court in the Seventh Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are a ...
, and was Chief Judge between 1996 and 2001. Earlier in his career, he represented
Waukesha County
Waukesha County () is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 406,978, making it the third-most populous county in Wisconsin. Its county seat and largest city is Waukesha.
Waukesha Co ...
in the
Wisconsin State Assembly
The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin.
Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...
for 16 years as 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 ...
, serving as minority leader from 1973 to 1981.
Education and early career
Shabaz was born in
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 ...
,
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
. He attended the
University of Wisconsin–Madison
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United Stat ...
as an undergraduate. He received a
Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Ch ...
from
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 1957. He served in the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
from 1954 to 1956. He was in private practice in
West Allis
West Allis is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. A suburb of Milwaukee, it is part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area. The population was 60,325 at the 2020 census.
History
The name West Allis derives from Edward P. Allis, ...
,
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
from 1957 to 1981.
Legislative career
From 1964 to 1981, Shabaz served as 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 ...
state representative in the
Wisconsin State Assembly
The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin.
Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...
, from the 83rd Assembly District, representing the
Waukesha and
New Berlin areas. He was the minority leader from 1973 to 1979 and served as Assistant Majority Leader in 1969.
Federal judicial service
On November 4, 1981, Shabaz was nominated by President
Ronald Reagan to a seat on the
vacated by Judge
James Edward Doyle
James Edward Doyle (July 6, 1915 – April 1, 1987) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin and a leader of the Wisconsin Democratic Party.
Education and career
Born in O ...
. He was confirmed by the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
on December 9, 1981, and received his commission on December 10, 1981. He served as Chief Judge from 1996 to 2001. He took
senior status
Senior status is a form of semi- retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of service as a federal judge must be at leas ...
on January 20, 2009, serving in that status until his death on August 31, 2012.
As of 2020, Shabaz is the last judge appointed by a Republican president to the Western District of Wisconsin.
References
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Shabaz, John C.
1931 births
2012 deaths
Judges of the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
Marquette University Law School alumni
Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly
Politicians from Milwaukee
Military personnel from Wisconsin
United States Army officers
United States district court judges appointed by Ronald Reagan
20th-century American judges
University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni