The Wisconsin Court of Appeals enters a new chapter, welcoming Judge M. Joseph Donald as chief judge and Judge Rachel A. Graham as deputy chief judge.
The appointments were made by the Wisconsin Supreme Court, effective April 22, 2026.
Judge Donald succeeds Chief Judge Maxine A. White, who recently retired from the Court of Appeals. He previously held the role of deputy chief judge.
Judge Donald joined the Court of Appeals in 2019 after more than two decades as a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge. Before taking the bench, he served as an assistant city attorney for the City of Milwaukee and worked as a law clerk in Milwaukee County Circuit Court.
In addition to her work on the bench, Judge Graham is a member of the Wisconsin Judicial Council and chairs the council’s Appellate Procedure Committee. She previously served as president of the James E. Doyle American Inns of Court chapter and as vice president of the Wisconsin Trust Account Foundation. She is also a recipient of the Seventh Circuit Bar Association’s Pro Bono and Public Service Award.
As chief judge, Judge Donald will maintain a caseload while overseeing administrative responsibilities for the four-district, 16-judge court, including case management and coordination with court leadership and staff.
Judge Graham has served on the Court of Appeals since 2019 and is currently a presiding judge in District Four. Before joining the court, she practiced commercial litigation at Quarles & Brady LLP and served as a law clerk to Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley.
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