Judge Diane S. Sykes, a former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice and longtime federal appellate judge, has announced she will assume senior status on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit on October 1. Senior status allows judges to maintain a reduced caseload while opening a vacancy for a full-time appointment.
Sykes, 67, was appointed to the Seventh Circuit in 2004 by President George W. Bush, following her five-year tenure on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Prior to that, she served as a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge from 1992 to 1999, presiding over cases in misdemeanor, felony, and civil divisions.
A Milwaukee-area native, Sykes earned a journalism degree from Northwestern University before attending Marquette University Law School. Before beginning her legal career, she worked as a reporter for the Milwaukee Journal. She later practiced law in Milwaukee and clerked for federal Judge Terence T. Evans before joining the judiciary.
Her legal career has encompassed several high-profile cases, and her rulings have shaped important legal precedents within Wisconsin and the broader Seventh Circuit, which hears appeals from federal courts in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana.
In a statement, Sykes said she is grateful for the opportunity to serve and looks forward to continuing her work as a senior judge while spending more time with her family.
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