Candidate Profile: Jeff Davis For WI Court Of Appeals District 2

The 2021 election is heating up in Wisconsin and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office. Voters will also decide the outcome of state representative, senate seats and local government and school boards.

Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Judge Jeffrey ("Jeff") Davis, Waukesha, hopes to retain his seat as Court of Appeals Judge for District 2 in Wisconsin.

The Court of Appeals is the state's intermediate appellate court. The court is composed of 16 judges from four districts headquartered in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Wausau, and Madison.

Age (as of Election Day)

59

Position Sought

Court Of Appeals Judge, District 2

Party Affiliation

None

Family

Wife Rachel Schneider and four kids, ages 28 to 20

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Miami (Ohio) University, B.S., 1984; Ohio State Law School, J.D, 1987

Occupation

Judge on the Court of Appeals since October, 2019

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Village Trustee, Village of Fox Point; Board of Zoning Appeals, Village of Fox Point

Campaign website

www.judgejeffdavis.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

To serve the public good in a position that makes the best use of my deep knowledge of the law and the 32 years of real world experience representing clients in the trial and appellate courts of this State and beyond.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

As it relates to my position, I think the single most pressing issue in this district is the need to ensure a judiciary that is highly experienced, trusted and respected among fellow judges and lawyers who come before us, and highly competent. With a year and a half on the bench, following a 32 year highly successful career practicing law in the trial and appellate courts of this State and beyond, and with a reputation as an ethical, knowledgeable, and collegial practitioner, I believe I have already had a positive impact on the judiciary, and will continue to do so if retained.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

As noted above, I have a year and a half on the bench and 32 years experience in the trial and appellate courts of this state, including a number of important cases in the Wisconsin Supreme Court. In addition to work in the courtroom, my experiences include chairing the State Bar's Appellate Practice section, teaching as an adjunct professor, and guest lecturing, at Marquette Law School, and frequent lecturer and author on topics of substantive legal issues in both Wisconsin and national venues and publications . I was urged to apply for my position by judges and justices who told me the courts need more lawyers with business law and civil experience on the bench.

My opponent is a career law clerk who just within the past year became a part time Muskego municipal law judge. A law clerk is an entry level position within the judicial system, and clerks who wish to become judges as a rule seek to advance to either higher level positions within the system, e.g., staff attorney or court commissioner, or much more typically, outside employment actually practicing law on behalf of clients.

To compensate for her lack of experience, my opponent has attempted to frame this non-partisan race in terms of politics, based on the party of the Governor who appointed me, despite the fact that she applied with this same Governor for my position, and was also passed over for a judicial position by Governor Walker. Her efforts to politicize this race has nonetheless resulted in endorsements made up largely of politicians and politically active groups who have no familiarity with my opinions as a judge or my work as a lawyer.

In contrast to my opponent's supporters, I have overwhelming support from the judicial and legal community, as well as the business community, including individuals considered both conservative and liberal. My supporters include Chief Justice Pat Roggensack, and Justices Annette Ziegler, David Prosser and Jon Wilcox from the Supreme Court, 22 current and retired judges on the Court of Appeals, dozens of trial court judges (including ten judges appointed by Governor Walker), and scores of corporate General Counsels, private attorneys and business leaders such as Ted Kellner, Jeff Joerres and Austin Ramirez. Unlike my opponent, my support comes largely from those who are intimately familiar with my work as a judge and lawyer.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

This is a policy/political based question that is not relevant to my position as a judge, and frankly it would be inappropriate for me to weigh in on this issue, given the possibility that actions of local officials in terms of their legal obligations and scope of authority could potentially come before our court.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Just to reiterate what is set forth above, my performance in my year and half on the bench, which has garnered near universal support among my peers, should tell voters what they need to know about my ability to handle this job. As further evidence, I would direct the voters' attention to my 32 year career in private practice described above.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

From one of my early mentors, a highly respected Wisconsin attorney, now deceased: Take the long view. Your reputation as someone people can trust is everything. Never do anything to compromise your integrity regardless of any short term gains doing so may bring. Along the same lines, a line my dad often used: the only thing that separates arrogance and failure is time.