William Wheeler Brash III (born July 15, 1951) is an American lawyer and jurist from Wisconsin. He served as the chief judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals from 2021 through 2023, and was a member of the Milwaukee-based District I court from 2015 through 2023. He previously served 15 years as a Wisconsin circuit court judge in

Milwaukee County Milwaukee County is located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. At the 2020 census, the population was 939,489, down from 947,735 in 2010. It is both the most populous and most densely populated county in Wisconsin, and the 45th most populous coun ...

Biography

Born in Panama and raised in

Fox Point, Wisconsin Fox Point is a village in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 6,934 at the 2020 census. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, Fox Point is one of the North Shore suburbs of the Milwaukee metropolitan area. The ...

, Brash received his B.A. degree from

St. Norbert College St. Norbert College (SNC) is a private Norbertine liberal arts college in De Pere, Wisconsin. Founded in October 1898 by Abbot Bernard Pennings, a Norbertine priest and educator, the school was named after Saint Norbert of Xanten. In 1952, the co ...

in 1973 and his J.D. degree from Marquette University Law School in 1978. He practiced law and was a business owner. He served as a municipal judge in Fox Point from 1984 to 1997, and then as a reserve municipal judge for Milwaukee from 1997 until 2001. In November 2001 he was appointed to the Wisconsin Circuit Court in Milwaukee County by Governor Scott McCallum. He was re-elected to the Circuit Court in 2002, 2008, and 2014. In 2015, Governor Scott Walker appointed Brash to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals to fill the vacancy created by his appointment of Judge Rebecca Bradley to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Brash won a full term on the court without opposition in the spring election of 2017. He is currently the Presiding Judge for District I. On June 28, 2021, the Wisconsin Supreme Court issued an order naming him the next chief judge, effective August 1, 2021. On April 4, 2023, Brash lost his reelection bid to labor lawyer Sara Geenen.

Personal life

Judge Brash and his wife, Ruth, have one son and reside in Fox Point, Wisconsin.

Electoral history

Wisconsin Circuit Court (2002, 2008, 2014)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, April 2, 2002

Wisconsin Court of Appeals (2017, 2023)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, April 4, 2017 , colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, April 4, 2023

References

1951 births Living people People from Fox Point, Wisconsin St. Norbert College alumni Marquette University Law School alumni Businesspeople from Wisconsin Wisconsin Court of Appeals judges Wisconsin circuit court judges 21st-century American judges {{DEFAULTSORT:Brash, William W.