For more than 37 years, Supreme Court Commissioner Nancy Kopp has been a steady force behind the scenes of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, providing legal analysis and guidance that has shaped thousands of decisions. On March 14, 2025, she will retire, closing a chapter that spans more than 10,000 cases and the tenure of 23 justices, including five chief justices.
As a Supreme Court commissioner, Kopp has played a critical role in assisting the justices by reviewing petitions for review, advising on discretionary jurisdiction, preparing legal memoranda, and handling attorney and judicial disciplinary matters. She has also been instrumental in drafting court orders, administrative rules, and per curiam opinions, ensuring the court's work is supported by thorough legal analysis.
Beyond her work at the court, Kopp has been an active member of the State Bar’s Appellate Practice Section, serving as its newsletter editor for six years. Her passion for legal history has also been a defining feature of her career. A longtime researcher of Lavinia Goodell, Wisconsin's first woman lawyer, Kopp helped organize the 150th-anniversary celebration of Goodell's admission to the bar in June 2024. This event brought together descendants of Goodell's family at the Rock County Courthouse.
“I have spent nearly seven years researching Lavinia Goodell,” Kopp said. “I have always felt a special kinship with Lavinia because she was living in Janesville when she decided to pursue a legal career, and at age eighteen my first law-related job was as a legal secretary in Janesville.”
Though she will miss her colleagues, Kopp is eager to embrace new adventures. She has upcoming trips planned to Portugal and the Panama Canal and intends to continue her historical research. She will also oversee the Rudy Kopp Library and Archive at the Kelch Aviation Museum in Brodhead, Wisconsin, a role that honors her father’s legacy.
As she prepares to step away from the court, Kopp leaves behind a legacy of dedication, scholarship, and an undeniable sense of humor—perhaps best captured in her choice of a farewell photo. For years, she has marked her annual office file purge by climbing into a recycling bin for a commemorative snapshot. It’s a fitting reminder that, after nearly four decades of sifting through legal complexities, she has never lost her lighthearted spirit.
Third Branch eNews is an online monthly newsletter of the Director of State Courts Office. If you are interested in contributing an article about your department’s programs or accomplishments, contact your department head. Information about judicial retirements and judicial obituaries may be submitted to: Sara.Foster@wicourts.gov