Wisconsin Chief Justice Jill Karofsky joined WisPolitics for a luncheon on Thursday afternoon to discuss her style regarding her new chiefhood and plans for the future of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
The conversation was moderated by President of WisPolitics Jeff Mayers, with the event open to the public and time for questions from the audience at the end.
Chief Justice Karofsky began her term on July 1, replacing former Chief Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, according to WMTV15. She will serve as Chief Justice for two years, per Wisconsin Law.
Before assuming her current position, Chief Justice Karofsky was a Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice between 2020 and 2025, and a Dane County Circuit Court Judge for three years before that, according to Wisconsin Court System.
“I look at all those things [the Supreme Court] is responsible for and I smile… at the opportunity to be able to enhance, to be able to improve upon, to expand all those areas of the court system so that [it] works better for the people,” Chief Justice Karofsky said.
Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice is officially a nonpartisan position, though voting records and endorsements can indicate a Justice’s political affiliation, according to University of Wisconsin Law School.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court is split four to three, with liberals– including Chief Justice Karofsky– holding the majority since 2023, according to UW Law.
In four of the last five supreme court elections, Wisconsinites elected liberal justices by over 10 points. According to Chief Justice Karofsky, this is not a coincidence.
“The Wisconsin electorate is intelligent, they’re informed,” Chief Justice Karofsky said. “What they saw was a court that was going too far rubber stamping a right-wing agenda, and they wanted a court that was going to base decisions on the rule of law.”
Chief Judge Karofsky said she doesn’t believe all of the decisions handed down were made in true unbiased fashion when conservative Justices held the majority in Wisconsin.
With the current Wisconsin Supreme Court, the shadow of political bias is no longer present, Chief Justice Karofsky said.
“I had to follow the law,” Chief Justice Karofsky said. “There are times when I definitely have had to rule in a way that I didn’t agree with.”
Chief Justice Karofsky has been recognized three times for her work with victims of abuse, according to WCS. Her advocacy taught her that one of the most dangerous things for a victim of domestic violence is for the perpetrator to possess a firearm.
There’s no law barring an individual convicted of disorderly conduct from having a conceal carry permit, though.
When presented a case with these factors, Chief Justice Karofsky said she ruled in favor of issuing the permit to a domestic violence convict, against her personal judgement, to uphold the Wisconsin Constitution.
“I realized my job, very simply, is to be curious,” Chief Justice Karofsky said. “I don’t have to be the smartest person in the room, but I have to be the most curious.”
