Several current and former Wisconsin circuit court judges were recognized by the State Bar of Wisconsin during its 2026 Annual Meeting & Conference in La Crosse for their contributions to the legal profession, the administration of justice, and the communities they serve.
Judge Michael Zell of the Portage County Circuit Court received the State Bar’s Judge of the Year Award. The award, presented by the State Bar’s Bench and Bar Committee, recognizes an outstanding circuit court judge who has improved the judicial system during the past year through leadership in advancing the quality of justice, judicial education, or innovative programs.
The State Bar recognized Judge Zell for his leadership on several court improvement efforts, including a comprehensive rewrite of Portage County’s local court rules. The updated rules include provisions related to the use of artificial intelligence and changes aimed at ensuring individuals receive actual notice when debt collection actions are filed against them.
Judge Zell’s path to the bench included work as a solo practitioner, prosecutor, and public defender before he was appointed to the Portage County Circuit Court in 2022.
Judge William C. Griesbach, a former Brown County Circuit Court judge and current U.S. District Court judge for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, received the State Bar’s Lifetime Jurist Award.
The award recognizes Judge Griesbach for a career defined by fairness, integrity, and long-standing service to the legal system. Judge Griesbach served on the Brown County Circuit Court before joining the federal bench, where he continues to serve in the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
Judge Thomas J. Walsh of the Brown County Circuit Court received the Hon. Charles Dunn Wisconsin Lawyer Author Award, which recognizes writing excellence in Wisconsin Lawyer magazine. The award is named in honor of Wisconsin’s first Supreme Court chief justice.
Judge Walsh was recognized for his article, “Lawyers, Judges, the Third Branch: ‘A Republic, If You Can Keep It,’” published in a 2025 edition of Wisconsin Lawyer. The article examines the role of lawyers and judges in preserving the dignity and integrity of the justice system and the balance of government.
In addition to his work on the bench, Judge Walsh is a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Family Law Section and serves as editor of The Wisconsin Journal of Family Law.
Judge Ashley Morse of the Rock County Circuit Court received the State Bar’s Diversity and Inclusion Trailblazer Award. The award recognizes an individual who contributes to and enhances diversity and inclusion within the Wisconsin legal profession.
Judge Morse, who serves in Branch 4 of the Rock County Circuit Court, was recognized for her work to advance equity and inclusion within the legal system and the broader community. She was appointed to the bench in 2022 and elected the following spring.
The State Bar’s annual awards recognize judges, lawyers, law students, and legal workers whose work strengthens Wisconsin’s legal profession and supports the administration of justice.
Third Branch eNews is an online monthly newsletter of the Director of State Courts Office. If you are interested in contributing an article about your department’s programs or accomplishments, contact your department head. Information about judicial retirements and judicial obituaries may be submitted to: Sara.Foster@wicourts.gov