Politics & Government

Waukesha County's Newest Judge is Jennifer Dorow

Gov. Scott Walker appoints local defense attorney to vacant judicial position.

Jennifer Dorow is known throughout the where she has gone before the bench as both a prosecutor and a defense attorney. But now she is taking on a new role as she was appointed to replace outgoing Judge Mark Gundrum,

“This is something that I have wanted to do for awhile,” said Dorow, who also has civil law experience from the beginning of her 15-year career as an attorney. “For me I see it as an opportunity to serve the citizens of Waukesha County and the state.”

Gov. Scott Walker announced Friday that Dorow would be the new judge during a transitional period between now and August, when the vacancy will be filled after an April 2012 election.

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“Attorney Dorow possesses the intellect and poise that make for a perfect judicial candidate,” Walker said in a news release. “Her experiences (as a) prosecutor, a criminal defense attorney and her community involvement will help her ensure that all litigants are treated fairly under the law.”

Dorow received a Bachelor of Arts from Marquette University before graduating cum laude from Regent University School of Law, according to the news release.  She volunteers for Safe & Sound Waukesha and serves on the board of the Waukesha Noon Chapter of Kiwanis International. Dorow also devotes a portion of her private practice to serve as a Guardian ad Litem to protect children in Waukesha County.

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Dorow plans to run in the spring election, she said.

“I am just thankful to Gov. Walker for giving me this opportunity,” Dorow said. “I am honored. It definitely was a great early Christmas present.”

While the announcement comes days before Christmas, there are some details that still need to be worked out. Dorow needs to wrap up cases at her private law firm. Any cases that she has worked on that are scheduled to go before her courtroom will also need to move to another judge to prevent any conflict of interests in the judicial process.

Additionally, Dorow said her first few weeks will be spent shadowing another judge to learn about the new position and receive judge training.

Ultimately, though, she said she wants to bring justice to the community.

“I want to bring integrity to the bench,” Dorow said. “I want to make sure every litigant that comes before me gets a fair and impartial judge that give them the opportunity to be heard.”


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