100 Women We Love: Rhonda Lanford

In last year’s election cycle, Rhonda Lanford made our community very happy when she beat an incumbent appointed by Wisconsin’s Republican Governor Scott Walker to become Circuit Court Judge-Elect in Dane County. Her election win exemplifies her advice to her LGBT peers: “You can do anything, and be anything you want to be,” she says, “as long as you are true to yourself. Do not let anyone tell you that you cannot achieve what you want because of who you are.” An attorney for more than 17 years, Lanford has been lead counsel for numerous jury trials and has written hundreds of briefs for lawsuits, including those in the U.S. Supreme Court. She’s argued cases before the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, Wisconsin Supreme Court, the United States 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, and numerous circuit courts. Year after year, Lanford the “super lawyer” has racked up awards, titles and accolades, including being honored as a “Leader in the Law” by the Wisconsin Law Journal, and ranked among the top 50 lawyers in her home state. Lanford teaches at her alma mater, the University of Wisconsin Law School, where she co-created the school’s acclaimed mock trial program. When she takes the bench in August, presiding over key civil and criminal cases, we can mark one more victory for our side. –NHM