Third Branch eNews

The Wisconsin Court of Appeals will see several changes in leadership beginning August 1, 2025, with new presiding judges named in three of the state’s four appellate districts.

Presiding judges are responsible for overseeing administrative operations within their districts while continuing to carry a full caseload. They assign cases, coordinate judicial panels, manage scheduling, and handle other organizational, administrative and staffing matters that support the efficient functioning of the Court of Appeals. These appointments were made by the Court of Appeals Chief Judge Maxine A. White in accordance with Wisconsin’s judicial administrative rules. Presiding judges are typically named to two-year terms.

In District I, Judge Pedro A. Colón has been appointed to serve as presiding judge. He succeeds Judge M. Joseph Donald in the role. Colón joined the Court of Appeals in 2023 after serving on the Milwaukee County Circuit Court since 2010. He was elected to a full term on the appellate bench in April 2024. Born in Puerto Rico and raised on Milwaukee’s South Side, Colón was the first Latino ever elected to the Wisconsin Legislature before beginning his judicial career.

Judge Lisa S. Neubauer will serve as the new presiding judge in District II, based in Waukesha. She succeeds Judge Mark D. Gundrum. Neubauer has served as a judge on the Court of Appeals since 2007 and was chief judge of the court from 2015 to 2021.

Judge Lisa K. Stark will continue as presiding judge in District III, headquartered in Wausau. She has served on the Court of Appeals since 2013 and has held the presiding role in prior terms. Before her appointment, she spent 13.5 years on the Eau Claire County Circuit Court. Her stewardship at this level has earned continuity and stability as she maintains administrative oversight across the district alongside her appellate duties.

Judge Donald will continue in his statewide role as deputy chief judge of the Court of Appeals. Donald has served on the appellate court since 2019.

In District IV, Judge Rachel A. Graham has been named presiding judge, succeeding Judge JoAnne F. Kloppenburg. Graham was appointed to the Court of Appeals in 2019 and elected in 2020. She grew up in Stevens Point and is a graduate of Northwestern University and the University of Wisconsin Law School. Before entering law, she worked as a special education teacher and taught media production to high school students. She later clerked for Justice Ann Walsh Bradley and practiced at Quarles & Brady LLP. Graham is a past recipient of the Seventh Circuit Pro Bono & Public Service Award.