Judges Brennan, Franke leave bench for law firm

Listen to this article

Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judges Michael B. Brennan and John Franke announced today that they would be stepping down from the bench to join the Milwaukee firm of Gass Weber Mullins LLC.

In a released statement Judge Franke said, “I found immense personal and professional satisfaction in serving as a judge. I have missed the work of a trial lawyer and decided it was time to be an advocate again. I know that clients put themselves into their trial lawyer’s hands, and I look forward to the complex litigation handled by Gass Weber Mullins.”

Prior to his election as judge, Franke led the US Department of Justice's Organized Crime Section in Milwaukee and was in charge of all organized crime prosecutions here for five years. Franke was the lead prosecutor on the federal gambling and extortion cases against organized crime boss Frank Balistrieri and his two sons. He successfully prosecuted the Balistrieri family and other organized crime figures from Milwaukee, Chicago and New York for racketeering and extortion.

Franke has been a circuit court judge since 1987.

Judge Brennan was appointed to the bench in 1999, and currently serves as presiding judge of the Civil Division. In a released statement, Brennan also said he was looking forward to returning to private practice.

“I am excited about returning to the courtroom as an advocate, using all I have learned as a judge,” Brennan said. “The judicial perspective on a client’s case at trial is unique. The judge knows which arguments won, and why, and has talked with hundreds of jurors on the same questions. I will bring that knowledge to the trial of complex commercial litigation and appeals.”

A Northwestern Law School graduate and Law Review editor, Brennan has clerked for U.S. District Court Judge Robert Warren and Seventh Circuit judge Daniel Manion. He was also worked for Foley & Lardner and the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s office.