Leadership Award

Justice Janine P. Geske Receives FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award


On March 19, 2010, former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Janine P. Geske joined other community leaders from around the United States in a special ceremony held at the FBI’s Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Justice Geske is the 2009 Milwaukee recipient of the FBI’s Director’s Community Leadership Award (DCLA), presented annually to an individual or organization that has furthered the efforts of law enforcement. Justice Geske joined other honorees who were nominated by special agents in charge (SAC) from FBI field offices from across the nation.

Justice Geske served on the Wisconsin Supreme Court from 1993-1998. She currently serves as a Distinguished Professor of Law at Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI. Justice Geske leads the efforts of the Restorative Justice initiative through Marquette University’s School of Law.

The initiative has brought community focus to the law school by providing the students with substantial leadership training. It has also become a resource for other restorative justice organizations in the state, formed partnerships with local community groups that work with criminal justice issues, and provides victim/offender dialogues for crimes of severe violence through powerful healing circles.

Justice Geske has been a powerful leader in the Milwaukee community and is well respected throughout Wisconsin for her proactive efforts in crime prevention to end the circle of violence brought on by repeat offenders who leave correctional institutions and return to a life of crime, creating more victims of violent crime in the process.

The DCLA is presented by FBI Director Robert Mueller, III, and was created in 1990 as a way to honor individuals and organizations for their efforts in combating crime, terrorism, drugs, and violence in America.