Lisa S. Neubauer

Lisa Neubauer ( Stephens; born July 21, 1957) is an American lawyer and judge from Racine, Wisconsin. She is a judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals in the Waukesha-based 2nd district court, from 2007 to 2026. She previously served as chief judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals from 2015 through 2021. She was an unsuccessful candidate for Wisconsin Supreme Court in the 2019 election.

Her husband, Jeffrey A. Neubauer, is a former chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, and former member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Their daughter, Greta Neubauer, is a current member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, and the Democratic minority leader.

Early life and education Neubauer graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1979. Prior to attending law school, she worked as an aide to state senator Fred Risser of Madison. In 1987, Neubauer graduated from the University of Chicago Law School where she was a member of the Order of the Coif. Following her graduation from law school, she was a law clerk to Judge Barbara Brandriff Crabb of the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin.

In December 2007, Democratic governor Jim Doyle appointed Neubauer to a seat on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals vacated by retired Judge Neal Nettesheim. Neubauer was the first woman to serve as a judge of the court's District II, headquartered in Waukesha. Neubauer was elected to a full term on the court in the April 2008 general election, defeating attorney William C. Gleisner III. She enjoyed bi-partisan support in her campaign for the position, including the endorsement of Michael Grebe, the former state chair of the Republican Party of Wisconsin. In 2009, Neubauer was appointed presiding judge of District II. Neubauer took office on August 2, replacing retiring Chief Judge Richard S. Brown.

Neubauer was a candidate for Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2019. Despite endorsements from 150 current and former Wisconsin judges, including 18 from the court of appeals, she was narrowly defeated by Judge Brian Hagedorn.

Neubauer was re-elected to another term on the Court of Appeals in 2020. On June 28, 2021, the Wisconsin Supreme Court issued an order ending her term as chief judge on July 31, 2021; she was replaced by presiding judge William W. Brash III.

In October 2025, Neubauer announced that she would not run for a fourth term on the Court of Appeals in the 2026 election.

Personal life Lisa Stephens took the last name Neubauer in 1986 when she married Jeffrey A. Neubauer, who was then serving as a state representative and would later serve four years as chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. They have three adult children, including Greta Neubauer, the current Democratic minority leader in the Wisconsin State Assembly. The Neubauers reside in Racine, Wisconsin.

Electoral history

Wisconsin Court of Appeals (2008, 2014, 2020)

Wisconsin Supreme Court (2019)