Frontlines Rebecca Bradley, shown at her Milwaukee home in August, says: “I was blessed with parents who instilled in us a strong work ethic, the value of education and the importance of God and family.” Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley is out to prove that voters got it right 10 Wisconsin Interest Allen Fredrickson photos Frontlines Following the law Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley is out to prove that voters got it right iven the stench that arose from last spring’s She uses an anecdote from the campaign to explain her Wisconsin Supreme Court race after Demo- victory. A fellow lawyer approached her after a campaign crats baldly injected partisan politics into a event and introduced himself by saying, “I’m to the left of nonpartisan election, voters might be forgiven Bernie Sanders.” for not noticing that they managed to pick a “I want you to know where I’m coming from when I say Gwinner uniquely qualified to serve on the court in the 21st I’m going to vote for you,” he continued. “I believe you will century. follow the law.” Justice Rebecca Bradley, who handily Bradley adds, “That’s what people in defeated Appeals Court Judge JoAnne Wisconsin want.” Kloppenburg on April 5, has an enviable ON THE “I’ve now gone through two campaigns. résumé. It’s packed with more experience FRONTLINES I know there are people who will never in more widely varied aspects of the law support me because I was initially ap- than any of her colleagues on the state’s OF REFORM pointed by Scott Walker, and others who highest court. think Walker can do no wrong,” she says. And Bradley, 45, is determined to con- by Sunny Schubert “But most people are truly between vince everyone — even her political detrac- those extremes. They want judges and tors — that the voters got it right. justices to have a conservative judicial philosophy, which is With more than 1.9 million votes cast in the largest turnout not the same as a conservative political philosophy. ever for a Wisconsin Supreme Court race, Bradley garnered “They want judges who are smart. They want judges who more than a million votes. She survived vicious attacks by are tough on crime. But, mostly, they want judges who will a union-funded group, an array of Democratic politicians all follow the law.” the way up to Hillary Clinton, Kloppenburg herself and the A middle-class childhood Milwaukee Journal Sentinel — which three weeks before Rebecca Grassl Bradley grew up in Milwaukee, just three the election published a flawed story accusing Bradley of miles from where she currently lives. having an extramarital affair with a client over a decade “My father was James Grassl. He died 20 years ago, ago, even though her ex-husband says he told a reporter it shortly after I graduated from law school. My mom is wasn’t true. Barbara Grassl. She was a full-time mother of four until my The voters didn’t care, favoring Bradley, 52 to 47 percent. father lost his job as a purchasing manager for a printing Allen Fredrickson photos 11 Frontlines company during the 1980s recession. When three columns she had written denigrating gays, “My mom retired from the Medical College of Wisconsin likening abortion to the Holocaust and calling Democratic They want judges and justices to have a as an administrative assistant several years ago. She still voters stupid and evil came to light during this year’s lives in the house I grew up in.” campaign, Bradley immediately apologized. She said that conservative“ judicial philosophy, which is not the same Bradley has two sisters and a brother. Her sister Susan what she wrote in 1992 did not reflect the woman she had as a conservative political philosophy. is a preschool teacher who lives in New Berlin. Her sister become. Virginia lives in Maryland and is a scientist who earned her “The Marquette Tribune was looking for students to take ” Ph.D. in genetics from Oxford. Her brother, Jim, lives in New provocative positions. I was way too provocative,” she says Berlin and is a teacher and coach at South Milwaukee High ruefully. “I’m very sorry. I wish I hadn’t published the particu- School. lar columns.” Bradley remembers “I realize that my a childhood filled words had hurt with love, centered people. It’s not who I around the Catholic am today,” she says. Church, but without Law school much money. and beyond “My family strug- She moved to gled financially The court Madison in 1993 to when I was growing “functions attend the University up, but my parents of Wisconsin Law ensured that we much better School. “The environ- would have excellent ment in Madison was education.” She and than it is different than Mil- her sisters attended portrayed in waukee, but I loved it. Divine Savior Holy It’s a wonderful town,” Angels High School; the media. she says. her brother attended We have “Especially in the Pius High School. law school, there “I was blessed with disagreements, were people with parents who instilled but I think many different view- in us a strong work points, students and ethic, the value of it’s healthy. professors. We were education and the taught to analyze importance of God ” things differently. And and family. We re- students back then main a close family,” were interested in she says. She still at- hearing a variety of tends church today. viewpoints,” she says. Bradley first developed an interest in law while in high “I’m not sure you find that on campuses today.” school. “I loved reading and I loved writing, and I started After graduation, Bradley joined the Milwaukee law firm of thinking about law school,” she says. Hinshaw & Culbertson, where she represented physicians She graduated from Marquette University with a degree in malpractice lawsuits and defended individuals and busi- in economics and business administration in 1993, unknow- nesses in product liability and personal injury cases. ingly leaving behind evidence that political opponents Then she moved to Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek, one of the would use to tarnish her two decades later. state’s biggest and most prestigious law firms, where she She’d been invited to write columns for a feature in the worked in commercial, information technology and intel- college newspaper called Crossfire, which pitted liberal and lectual property law, including the Internet. conservative students against each other. She left to become an executive at the RedPrairie soft- 12 Wisconsin Interest Frontlines They want judges and justices to have a conservative“ judicial philosophy, which is not the same as a conservative political philosophy.” ware firm (now JDA), but after three years in the business and supposedly fraught with partisan tension. sector, she returned to Whyte, where she worked for 12 However, she says, accusations of incivility among the years altogether. justices are overblown. “I think it’s more collegial than Outside of her law practice, Bradley was an active vol- people believe,” she says. unteer in the legal community, serving as president of the “The court functions much better than it is portrayed in Milwaukee Federalist Society chapter and as a member the media. We have disagreements, but I think it’s healthy. of the Thomas More Society and the Republican National We argue points of law and administrative issues — we’re Lawyers Association. technically in charge of all the courts in the state — but Today, she enjoys running, plays competitive tennis, reads we are always courteous and collegial in our discussions,” and travels. She holds season tickets to UW football games. Bradley says. She is engaged to an executive at a software company. She believes her untraditional background will aid the A wide-ranging judicial career court. In December 2012, the governor appointed Bradley to the “I’m the only justice who has served at three levels of the Milwaukee County Circuit Court, where she served in the court system: circuit court, appellate court and Supreme juvenile court division. Four months later, she was elected Court. I think that’s a positive. And while I’m not the only to a six-year term. justice to have been a business executive, I know how Her years in juvenile court were eye-opening. “I have things work in the real world. deep admiration for the lawyers and social workers who “I’ve seen firsthand how our decisions affect real people, have dedicated their lives to improving children’s lives. It’s from children and parents to businesses that create jobs,” an art, not a science,” she says. she says. “I had some kids check in with me every 30 days, so I She hopes to follow the example of former Chief Justice could keep an eye on them. The kids who were doing well Shirley Abrahamson in making the workings of the state’s while dealing with terrific peer pressure to do otherwise, top court understandable to the public. sometimes they’d tell me I was the only person who ever “One of my goals on the Supreme Court is to write opin- said anything positive to them,” she remembers. “It was ions that are very clearly written, very plainly written,” she heartbreaking sometimes, with kids showing up in court says. “We are not writing for lawyers. If you use too much with no parents … legalese, you risk losing your audience. Anyone should be “I tried to treat everyone with compassion and respect. I de- able to pick up an opinion and read it.” veloped a reputation for being a very caring person, for being Asked about the idea that Wisconsin should change its calm and empathetic, and for always following the law.” constitution so that judges and justices are appointed, not In 2014, Walker appointed Bradley to the District 1 Court of elected, Bradley says, “Well, I’ve been selected and I’ve Appeals, to replace esteemed Judge Ralph Adam Fine, who been elected.