Lawrence alumna Crawford elected to Wisconsin Supreme Court

Lawrence University alumna Susan Crawford '87 was elected April 1 to the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Crawford, a Dane County judge, received 55% of the vote in the race against Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel. The race drew a record-setting voter turnout for a state judicial race and received heavy media attention from around the world.

Crawford's win marks the second time a Lawrence alum has sat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Louis Butler '73 served on the state's highest court from 2004 to 2008.

Crawford's journey since graduating from Lawrence has been one of accomplishment and service, leading to her twice being elected a Dane County Circuit Court judge, first in 2018 and again in 2024.

Following her graduation from Lawrence in 1987, Crawford earned her master's degree from Indiana University in 1989 and her J.D. from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1994.

She told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel during the campaign that she pursued an English major at Lawrence with the intent of becoming a college professor. But she was increasingly drawn to the national conversation surrounding politics, policy, and justice. Her experience at Lawrence helped prepare her for that path, including serving on the Judicial Board while a student.

It was after earning her master's degree in English at Indiana that she set her sights on a law career.

Crawford worked as an assistant attorney general while Jim Doyle was state attorney general in the late 1990s and early 2000s. She would go on to hold various state leadership positions and serve as chief legal counsel after Doyle was elected governor in 2002. She then became a private-practice attorney before running for the Dane County judgeship in 2018.

After being re-elected last year, Crawford jumped into the nonpartisan Wisconsin Supreme Court race.

"I feel that I have a lot to offer the state of Wisconsin, and that the background that I bring to the race, the breadth of experience that I bring, and my commitment to fairness and impartiality and using our laws to protect people makes me the right candidate," Crawford told the Journal Sentinel during the race.

In a guest column to The Capital Times, Crawford talked about her upbringing in western Wisconsin preparing her for this moment.

"I grew up in Chippewa Falls, where my dad was an engineer who earned his degree with the help of the G.I. Bill after serving in Korea," Crawford wrote. "My mom's roots run deep in Wisconsin - she's a third-generation Wisconsinite from Green County, where her great-grandfather had a barbershop in Monroe back in the 1860s. My parents, both born during the Great Depression, led by example and taught us four kids to be resilient and never give up.

"Life wasn't always easy when I was growing up in Chippewa Falls. Our family faced some challenges, but we stuck together, worked hard and made it through the tough times. I'm now the proud mom of two hard-working young adults. My husband and I brought up our kids to help others and give back to the community.

"All of this taught me the difference between right and wrong, the value of common sense, the importance of honesty and hard work - principles that have guided me throughout my career, and principles I'll bring to the Wisconsin Supreme Court."