Women Judges' Night

Women Judges’ Night is the Association for Women Lawyers' premiere annual event. Since 1980, we have gathered to recognize the women in our profession who serve on the bench. Women Judges’ Night will take place on Wednesday, February 28, 2024 at Saint Kate - The Arts Hotel in Milwaukee. Our keynote speaker will be Hon. Pamela Pepper, chief judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

Each year, Women Judges’ Night features a speaker who shares her unique perspective on the law and how women have changed not only the landscape of the rules and regulations, but the landscape of the practice in general. They bring with them a history of how their own career has been shaped by being a woman in the legal profession. Previous keynote speakers include Justice Janine Geske, Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson, Secretary of State Hon. Vel Phillips, Lieutenant Governor Barbara Lawton, Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager, and columnist Dahlia Lithwick. 

Women Judges’ Night not only celebrates women judges; it is also a forum for encouraging young women to pursue a career in the law. Five scholarships are awarded each year by the Association for Women Lawyers Foundation to current Marquette University and University of Wisconsin law students with the money raised from direct donations and corporate sponsorships of Women Judges’ Night.