Across the great state of Wisconsin, the name Judge Mark Frankel precedes the man who walks into the courtroom. Many people make an impact on others throughout their lives. Judges impact people’s lives every day with every decision.
Even before he was a Judge, the law meant a little more to him. His passion for the law was also evident early on. Yes, the law and Frankel are inseparable, and the state of Wisconsin is better because of it.
The Blazing Ascent of an Aspiring Attorney
A young Frankel wasted little time following his successful educational endeavors. After graduating with a law degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1973, he soon began the law firm of Frankel, Langhammer & Pines.
As a litigator, attorney Mark Frankel quickly earned a reputation for promoting and being an advocate for mediation in the courtroom. That reputation would later be the impetus for his name becoming etched in the annals of Wisconsin state law.
It takes most law professionals many years to earn a reputation and the level of respect necessary to earn an appointment as a Judge. In 1979, he was elected to the Dane County Circuit Court, only several short years after graduating college and working as an attorney.
Judge and Lawmaker
This rarely seen ascension made the Honorable Judge Frankel one of the youngest to hold the role of a judge in Wisconsin’s history. It was also a role he held for two decades while continuing to push for more integrated mediation in the litigation process.
By the time he stepped down from his full-time role on the bench (he still serves in a reserve capacity), he had built a legacy. Today, courtrooms throughout the state of Wisconsin handle the litigation of cases differently due to the changes inspired and implemented by him.
The changes in jury input and involvement in jury trials are only one area of Wisconsin law that he impacted and influenced. Sentencing guidelines for drunk driving that he helped develop and construct are now part of the Statewide statutes governing drunk driving cases.
A Life Defined by the Law
Before and after he earned the title, Honorable Judge Mark Frankel, his is a life defined by the law. And he has also helped define the law too.
When he isn’t involved in arbitration or presiding over cases, he is most likely spending his time enjoying a movie, traveling, or even riding his motorcycle – and wearing his helmet. Yes, there is more behind the man with the gavel in his hand, but for him, there is nothing more important than the law.
With less time in the courtroom and after years of serving, he has also found opportunities to teach law. For those that know him, that probably isn’t all that shocking. As they say, “you can take the man out of the courtroom, but you can’t take the courtroom out of the man.”
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