Justice Janine P. Geske currently serves as the Director of the Andrew Center for Restorative Justice and as a Distinguished Professor of Law at Marquette University Law School. She is on sabbatical as a member of the Marquette University Board of Trustees. In the fall of 2011, she served as a Visiting Professor of law at the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium in Restorative Justice at its Institute of Criminology. She served as interim dean of Marquette Law School from July 2002 to July 2003 and as interim Milwaukee County Executive from February 28 to May 6, 2002. She previously served on the Wisconsin Supreme Court from 1993-1998. From 1981-1993, she was a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge. Prior to becoming a judge, she served as chief staff attorney for the Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee and then as clinical director and assistant professor of law at Marquette University.
She served as the Association of Marquette University Women Chair in Humanistic Studies, 2000 - 2001 and served as a member of the faculty of the National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada for over ten years.
In 2013, the St. Thomas More Lawyer's Association awarded her its Faithful Servant Award. In 2009, she received the Woman of Faith Award from the Sisters of the Divine Savior, the F.B.I. Director's Community Award and a Wisconsin State Bar Fellows Award in recognition for contributions to the Bar and the ideals of the American Bar Foundation. In 2008, she was inducted into the Wisconsin Academy of Science, Arts and Letters. In 2007, she was awarded the 2007 Thurgood Marshall College Fund Legacy Award, the 2007 American Inns of Court 7th Circuit Professionalism Award, the 2007 U.S. Postal Service Government Service/Law Award, the St. Norbert College Ambassador of Peace Award, the SET Ministry Transformation Award, an honorary member of Phi Beta Kappa. In 2006, Justice Geske was awarded "The Woman of the Word Award from the Milwaukee Cathedral Place (a women and children's homeless shelter), The "Difference Maker Award" from the American Bar Association General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Division.
In 2003, Marion College in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin awarded Justice Geske an honorary doctor of law degree and Marquette University High School awarded her the Spirit of St. Ignatius Award. In 2002 the Milwaukee Archdiocese recognized her with the Vatican II Award in communication. In 1998, she received an honorary Doctor of Law degree from Marquette University and an honorary doctorate of humanities from Mount Mary College in Milwaukee. In that same year, the Wisconsin Newspaper Association selected her as the Newsmaker of the Year and the Milwaukee Press Club honored her by choosing her as the Milwaukee Headliner of the Year. In both 1994 and 2002, the Milwaukee Bar honored Justice Geske with its "Lawyer of the Year" award. Justice Geske was recognized by Marquette University as the 1993 Law School Alumnae of the Year and as the 1994 all university Alumnae of the Year. She was also honored with an alumni Service Award from Beloit College in 2002. She was granted a Special Achievement Award as a Wisconsin Leader in the Law that same year. The Friends of the Benedict Center gave Justice Geske their Justice Award in 2003.
She also has been recognized by receiving the Marquette University Criminology and Law Studies Program Veritas et Justitia Award, 1994 (for dedication to truth and justice), the Professional Dimensions' Sacajawea Award, 1994 (for exceptional community service and leadership), the Legal Aid Society's Equal Justice Award, 1992 and the Outstanding Citizen Award, Pi Lambda Theta, 1992.
Justice Geske has served as the commencement speaker at a number of college and university graduation ceremonies. She frequently teaches at judicial, legal and community conferences on mediation, restorative justice, sentencing, evidence, the courts, and spirituality and work.She is a member of the American Bar Association, State Bar of Wisconsin, Fellows of the American Bar, Fellows of the Wisconsin Bar, American Law Institute, Association of Conflict Resolution and the Wisconsin Association of Mediators.
Justice Geske is also a Fellow of the American College of Civil Trial Mediators, member of the Association for Confliction Resolution, member of the Alternative Dispute Resolution sections of the American and Wisconsin Bar Associations, member of the Standing Committee for Indigent Defense, Federal Public Defender's Office, and member of the Board of Trustees for the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, member of the Board of Directors for the Opus Prize ( an annual $1 million humanitarian award), member of the Department of Corrections Victims Advisory Committee. She has previously served as the Dean of the Wisconsin Judicial College, member of the Board of Trustees for the International Centre on Healing and the Law, Chair of the Marquette University High School board of directors, former member of Inns of Courts-Madison, Inns of Court-Milwaukee, Mayor John Norquist's Task Force on Drugs/Crime in the Neighborhoods, Wisconsin Equal Justice Task Force, Task Force on Victims' Rights Amendment, Milwaukee Homicide Advisory Panel, State Bar Commission on Delivery of Legal Services, Beloit College Board of Trustees, and Milwaukee Bar Association Board of Directors.
Justice Geske graduated from Beloit College with a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Masters of Arts in Teaching and received her J.D. from Marquette University Law School.
