2009
Davis elected 'chief of the chiefs'
Madison, Wisconsin - August 14, 2009
Wisconsin's Committee of Chief Judges today elected Chief Judge J. Mac Davis, Waukesha County Circuit Court, as “chief of the chiefs.” In this capacity, Davis serves as chair of the group of 10 chief judges, each of whom is selected by the Wisconsin Supreme Court to help oversee a judicial administrative district.
Davis replaces Chief Judge Benjamin D. Proctor, Eau Claire County Circuit Court, who continues to serve as chief judge of the 10th Judicial Administrative District.
“The Committee of Chief Judges is key to supporting the work of the trial courts of Wisconsin, and a critical line of communication between the Supreme Court, state staff, and circuit judges,” Davis said. “I am pleased to have the confidence of such a fine group of my fellows.”
Davis has served on the bench in Waukesha County since first being elected in 1990. He was re-elected in 1997 and 2003 and will continue to handle a caseload. He previously worked in private practice and served as a state senator from 1983 to 1990. He has been chief judge of the 3rd Judicial District since 2006. The district is comprised of Jefferson, Ozaukee, Washington and Waukesha counties.
Davis is the creator of TaxCalc, a program that he updates and provides annually at no charge to judges and lawyers across the state to help calculate maintenance and other payments related to divorce. He has served on a variety of court-related committees and in leadership roles, including: chair of the Waukesha County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council; chair of the Wisconsin Judicial Conference in 2003; and president of the Waukesha County Bar Association in 2006 and 2007. Last year, he was nominated by former president George W. Bush to serve as a U.S. District Court judge.
Working as a team with a deputy chief judge and a professional court administrator, chief judges manage the flow of cases, supervise personnel, develop budgets, and meet monthly as a committee to work on issues of statewide importance.
Contact:Tom Sheehan
Court Information Officer
(608) 261-6640