Best Court of Appeals Judge

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Hon. Richard S. Brown, Wisconsin Court of Appeals, District II

Familiarity does not always breed contempt.

Court of Appeals Judge Richard S. Brown, the attorneys’ favorite for best Court of Appeals judge, is not just the longest serving judge; there has never been a Wisconsin Court of Appeals without him.

Of the 16 judges on the court, only Brown and Judge Charles P. Dykman (Dist. IV) have been on the court since its inception more than 30 years ago, in 1978.

Currently the chief judge of the court, Brown has served on the bench nearly five times longer than he practiced law as an attorney. Graduating in 1971, Brown practiced for two years as an assistant district attorney in Racine County. After that, he practiced civil litigation in Oshkosh until joining the court.

Brown said he was flattered to be named the best Court of Appeals judge in the state, but said, “I don’t look at being a judge as being a competitive thing. That’s not what I’m about.”

On the contrary, when asked what makes one a good appellate judge, Brown said, “An appellate court judge should be intelligent, love the law, love to write, be collegial and not be an iconoclast or self-promoter.”

He also said appellate judges should not be driven by politics or special interests.

“We work very hard in our court and we also work hard to maintain a collegial atmosphere,” Brown said. “In District II, we talk to each other and encourage our staff and law clerks to talk to each other. … We strive to maintain an open atmosphere because it results in better judicial decision making.”