Tom Hruz (MPA ’97) has served as an appellate judge on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, District III, since 2014. In this role, Hruz is committed to properly applying the law in an unbiased manner. He closely reviews, analyzes, and decides each case and then writes a decision explaining his thought process to the parties involved, other courts, and the legal community at large. “That entire exercise is so rewarding to me every time I do it,” Hruz says.
Sometimes, especially in high-profile cases, Hruz and his fellow judges receive criticism on the outcome of a case. Even though, Hruz says, “that criticism is often only disagreement with the bottom-line decision without any substantive engagement in the merits of the underlying legal analysis.” State judges do not and cannot respond to these claims or attempt to defend themselves, which can prove trying at times.
When Hruz began his studies at the La Follette School, he knew that he wanted to attend law school in the future. “It was only in law school that I developed the goal of becoming a judge, especially an appellate court judge,” he says. He worked at a state-level think tank as a resident fellow while attending law school. He enjoyed spending his time thinking about ways to improve public policy and government performance during the day, and then immersing himself in learning the law in the evenings and on the weekends.
Hruz says that he has great memories of his fellow students and staff at La Follette. “I was surrounded by very intelligent, engaging, helpful, and fun individuals, all of whom created a great experience, inside and outside of the classroom.” In his work today, Hruz constantly uses the writing, analytical, administrative, and management skills that were enhanced by his La Follette education. “Like any government office, the court system—both at large and in our particular court of appeals district—must handle many important personnel, management, and internal policy matters,” Hruz says. “I am able to use the public administration skills that I learned at La Follette to help me in these roles and in interacting with the administrators in the court system.”
Hruz advises current La Follette students to not be shy about reaching out to alumni, himself included, for any career advice. Hruz says he would be happy to speak to any student thinking about a career in the judiciary and encourages them to reach out via his office phone or email.
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.