MILWAUKEE — Judge Derek C. Mosley, who served on Milwaukee's municipal court for more than 20 years, was appointed director of Marquette University Law School’s Lubar Center for Public Policy Research and Civic Education.
Mosley will start in his new position in January of 2023, the university announced Tuesday.
"The title might be different, but the person won't be," said Mosley.
Mosley is not new to Marquette. He is a 1995 graduate of the school, where he received his J.D. from Marquette University Law School.
After 20 years on the bench, he's ready for a new challenge.
"Being a judge makes it difficult to do the things I want to do," Mosley said.
One of those things is advocating for change when it comes to reckless driving. As a municipal judge, Mosley sees people of all ages in his courtroom cited for traffic violations. He said he's ready to take it a step further.
"Not just sitting on the bench and issuing sentencing, but trying to figure out what we can do to stop people from engaging in this behavior," he said.
The Milwaukee Common Council appointed Mosley to the municipal court in 2002. Before that, Mosley worked as Assistant District Attorney for Milwaukee County. Mosley sits on a number of boards, including the State Bar of Wisconsin's Public Trust & Confidence Committee, Public Image Committee, and the Minority Recruitment Committee, according to the court's website.
In this role, Mosley will lead the Lubar Center. His responsibilities will include creating public events and programming "that will fulfill and expand the law school’s role as a public square for timely and important public policy discussions," according to a news release.
The Lubar Center contains research and public programming including the popular Marquette Law School Poll, 'On the Issues' conversations, and lectures with scholars, among other events.
"Having those conversations on the bench taking what I learned from those conversations, and try to implement those into policies in which we can actually make a difference in reckless driving," he said.
He points to more Driver's Ed in schools and shrinking roads.
He believes this role allows him to reach more people from all walks of life.
"Making sure everybody has the opportunity to have their voice heard and everybody has the opportunity to tell their truth," Mosley said. "I want this to be the place that happens."
Mosley issued the following statement Tuesday:
“I am thrilled to be coming home to Marquette to serve the public good in new and valuable ways as director of the Lubar Center,” Mosley said. “It has been my great honor to have served the people of Milwaukee for more than 27 years, first as a prosecutor and then a presiding judge. I now look forward to the unique and exciting challenge of helping to advance public understanding of and discourse around matters of law and public policy through the city’s preeminent public forum.”
