To enhance the confidence of the people in the independence and integrity of Wisconsin’s highest court, the State Bar of Wisconsin recommends the adoption of a constitutional amendment that would change the term of office for supreme court justices to a single elected 16-year term.
Judicial Election Steering Committee members weigh in on the 16-year term proposal in the March 2014 edition of Wisconsin Lawyer.
In this WisconsinEye video, Marquette University Law School Dean Joseph Kearney expresses his support of the State Bar's 16-year term proposal in his speech entitled "The Wisconsin Supreme Court: Can We Help?" at the Western District of Wisconsin Bar Association’s annual luncheon and CLE program.
Looking at the events of the bitter 2012 state Supreme Court election between incumbent David Prosser and challenger JoAnne Kloppenburg, the State Bar of Wisconsin wanted to do something about them.
So did Joseph Troy, a former Outagamie County judge who's now a private-practice attorney with Habush Habush & Rottier in Appleton. When the State Bar president approached Troy about setting up a task force to explore the issues, Troy jumped at the chance.
State Bar Judicial Task Force members shared what they’re calling “The Wisconsin Plan” with Marquette law students, faculty and members of the community.
