As a Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice, every day Jill Karofsky (MA ’92) is tasked with thinking about the most important issues of our time and is challenged by thorny legal issues. “I tell people that serving on the Wisconsin Supreme Court is an honor and a privilege, and as clichéd as that may sound, it is the absolute truth,” Karofsky says. “I still cannot believe that my office is in Wisconsin’s Capitol — one of the most magnificent buildings in the country.”
Karofsky was inspired to pursue a career in public service by her mom, who served as the Mayor of Middleton, Wisconsin in the 1970s. When Karofsky first came to UW–Madison, it was for law school, and after her first year she decided to apply for the La Follette School’s Public Policy and Administration degree through a dual-degree program with the Law School. After finding her law classes to be very theoretical, she felt her La Follette classes provided her with an education that was practical, and she thoroughly enjoyed both the professors and students at La Follette. “I knew then that I wanted to use both my law and master’s degrees to help people, but I did not originally think it would result in me being a judge,” she says. “You can’t predict your journey!”
As the court engages with pivotal issues that many people around the state care passionately about, many view its work as increasingly political. Karofsky says there are a couple of reasons for this. “First, because our other two branches are split politically—the Legislature is Republican and the Executive branch is Democratic—many issues reach a stalemate, and they come to us for resolution. Additionally, the U.S. Supreme Court has sent more issues to state courts. This includes issues such as abortion and redistricting.” This poses a challenge for Karfosky in her work, as the Wisconsin Supreme Court has had to decide several high-profile cases that seem political in nature, and the court’s decisions have an impact that is felt statewide.
Karofsky’s advice to La Follette students interested in enacting and implementing evidence-based policy in today’s divisive political environment is: “Get involved in your community however you can. Find good mentors. Ask lots of questions. Be curious. Read from a vast array of sources, not just those that confirm your own biases. Most importantly, vote! The only time your vote doesn’t matter is when you don’t cast it.”
Alumni in the Spotlight
To celebrate La Follette’s 40th anniversary, we are highlighting alumni throughout 2024 who influence policymaking at the highest levels in government, nonprofit, and private-sector organizations across the country and abroad.