Jill Karofsky

Jill Judith Karofsky (born July 15, 1966) is an American attorney and jurist from Madison, Wisconsin. She is the 29th and current chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, a position she has held since July 1, 2025. She has been a justice of the court since 2020, when she defeated incumbent justice Daniel Kelly. Before being elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, Karofsky served three years as a Wisconsin circuit court judge in Dane County (2017–2020). Earlier in her career, she served as an assistant district attorney in Dane County, and an assistant attorney general in the Wisconsin Department of Justice. She married attorney Jason Knutson in July 1998, though they later divorced.

Karofsky entered civil service as a deputy district attorney for Dane County.

Judicial career In 2017, Karofsky was elected as a judge on the Dane County Circuit Court, beating municipal judge Marilyn Townsend by 15 points.

Three years later, Karofsky challenged incumbent Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly in Wisconsin's 2020 election. Kelly had been appointed to the Supreme Court by Republican then-Governor Scott Walker in 2016 and was endorsed by President Donald Trump. Karofsky was endorsed by over 100 current and former Wisconsin judges, including incumbent Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Dallet. She also received endorsements from U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, former governor Jim Doyle, and former U.S. senators Russ Feingold and Herb Kohl. In the final days before the election, Karofsky was endorsed by both the remaining 2020 Democratic Party presidential primary candidates—former Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders.

The election became the most expensive judicial race in Wisconsin history up to that time, with the campaigns raising a combined $10 million. During the campaign, Karofsky was the target of television attack ads funded by supporters of her opponent Daniel Kelly. The ads falsely claimed Karofsky, as deputy district attorney, struck a plea deal with a man charged with sexual assault of a minor resulting in no jail time.

On April 13, 2020, Karofsky was declared the winner of the election, taking roughly 55% of the vote.

2020 Presidential election cases Karofsky voted with the majority of the Wisconsin Supreme Court to dismiss several of Donald Trump's appeals as he sought to challenge the results of the 2020 United States presidential election in Wisconsin. As a result, she and Judge Rebecca Dallet, who also voted with the majority, were attacked in print and on social media with antisemitic and misogynistic comments and threats. The attacks prompted the chief justice, Patience D. Roggensack, to issue a statement condemning the threats.

Chief Justice On April 3, 2025, Justice Ann Walsh Bradley was elected to a two-year term as court's chief justice beginning May 1. Because Bradley's judicial term expired on July 31, Karofsky was also elected to succeed Bradley as chief justice. Bradley officially stepped down as chief justice on July 1, 2025, and Karofsky succeeded her.

Personal life A single mother of two children (a son and a daughter), Karofsky lives in Madison, Wisconsin.

Electoral history

Wisconsin Circuit Court (2017)