On the recordJuly 29, 2010
I rise to today in support of Louis Butler's nomination to be District Court Judge for the Western District of Wisconsin. Justice Butler is an accomplished lawyer whose career has been distinguished across the board as an advocate, trial court judge, Wisconsin Supreme Court justice, and professor. He is supported throughout Wisconsin and I am confident that he will be an excellent Federal judge. For 30 years, Justice Butler has dedicated himself to public service. He began his career fighting for the rights of indigent defendants as a public defender. He was the first public defender in Wisconsin history to argue a case before the U.S. Supreme Court. As a trial court judge, he earned a reputation for being a tough but fair jurist and was recognized as a top Milwaukee judge. For more than 10 years, Justice Butler has shared his expertise and knowledge by training judges as a faculty member of the National Judicial College. Justice Butler served with distinction on the Wisconsin Supreme Court for 4 years. There, he participated in hundreds of cases, many of, which were decided by a unanimous or near-unanimous court. During his 4 years on the bench, he proved himself to be a hard-working, thoughtful and consensus building jurist. Throughout his career, Justice Butler has been a judge who upholds the rule of law in an impartial and deeply respectful manner.
