Kitty Brennan

Kitty K. Brennan (born May 17, 1950) is an American lawyer and retired judge. She served on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals from 2008 to 2019 in the Milwaukee-based District I. Earlier in her career, she served 14 years as a Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge and worked as an assistant district attorney in Milwaukee County.

Biography

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Brennan received her bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and her J.D. degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School. She began her legal career as an assistant district attorney in the office of the Milwaukee County District Attorney. In 1984, she left the office to enter private practice with the firm Murphy & Brennan.

Brennan was elected to the Wisconsin Circuit Court in 1994, defeating George W. Greene in the spring election that year. Greene had been appointed to the role seven months before the election to replace Judge Robert W. Landry, who had retired. She was re-elected to the circuit court in 2000 and 2006. In 2005, she was appointed Chief Judge of the 1st Judicial Administrative District by the Wisconsin Supreme Court. She was re-appointed to a second two-year term as Chief Judge in 2007, but in 2008, Governor Jim Doyle appointed her to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals following the death of Judge Ted E. Wedemeyer, Jr. She was re-elected to the Court of Appeals without opposition in 2009 and 2015. She served as Presiding Judge for District I from 2016 to 2018. She retired in 2019 and was succeeded by Judge Joe Donald.

Wisconsin Court of Appeals (2009, 2015)