William J. Duffy

William J. Duffy (October 29, 1916 – February 25, 2013) was an American lawyer, politician, and judge. He served 24 years as a Wisconsin circuit court judge in Brown County (1968–1992), and was chief judge of Wisconsin's 8th judicial district from 1982 to 1988. Earlier in his career, he served one term in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Brown County as a Democrat.

Biography

Born in North Branch, Minnesota, Duffy grew up in Hollandtown, Wisconsin, and graduated from Kaukauna High School. He graduated from St. Norbert College and received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1941. Later that year, he joined the United States Army Air Forces for service in World War II. He served throughout the war in the Pacific theater, rising to the rank of Captain.

After the war, he practiced law in Green Bay, Wisconsin, in a partnership with attorney Jerry Clifford. In 1948 he defeated incumbent Republican Assemblyman Harvey Larsen to serve in the Wisconsin State Assembly for the 1949-1950 session. Larsen came back and defeated Duffy in 1950, ending his brief career in the Assembly. Duffy returned to his legal practice.

Wisconsin Circuit Court (1968, 1974, 1980, 1986)