Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Annette Ziegler will serve as the high court's next chief justice.
Ziegler's fellow justices selected her to serve in the role, effective May 1. Current Chief Justice Patience Drake Roggensack decided to not seek re-election, but will remain on the court. Ziegler is part of the court's 4-3 conservative majority.
"I will do all I can to ensure the Wisconsin Supreme Court operates fairly and efficiently with a fidelity to the law," Ziegler said in a statement Wednesday.
"We will make the people of this great state proud of our professionalism and collegiality, even during our sometimes vigorous debates. I want to thank my colleagues for their faith in me, especially Chief Justice Roggensack who has set a wonderful example for me to follow. I’m grateful she is remaining on the Court and will be a tremendous resource for me," Ziegler said.
Ziegler was first elected to the Supreme Court in 2007 and was reelected in 2017.
The Grand Rapids native is a graduate of Hope College in Michigan and Marquette University.
Ziegler focused on civil litigation in private practice, and served as a pro bono special assistant district attorney in Milwaukee County in 1992 and 1996, according to the statement.
Before serving as a circuit court judge, she was an assistant United States attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
Ziegler is the Supreme Court Liaison to the Board of Bar Examiners and a member of the Supreme Court Finance Committee. Justice Ziegler also currently serves on the Marquette University Law School Advisory Board.
Before joining the Supreme Court, Ziegler served as a Washington County Circuit Court judge from 1997 to 2007, and as deputy chief judge of the Third Judicial Administrative District, according to the statement.