Law School Award Recipients

Alumna of the year aWARD

The Honorable Maxine A. White, Law '85
Milwaukee

Even as a grade-school student, Maxine dreamed of working her way into a position of great responsibility and influence. That, she figured, was how she could do the most good.

“It would provide magnificent opportunities to address deeply ingrained societal problems and injustices, to work with others to solve them,” she says.

She found the path to that position at Marquette Law School.

Maxine was appointed chief judge, chief administrator and spokesperson for Wisconsin’s First Judicial District in March 2015. As the chief judge, she is responsible for the administration of the business of all the courts within the judicial administrative district, including supervising its personnel and fiscal management.

“I have the unprecedented daily opportunity to lead and work with the most amazingly talented judges and other professionals from a variety of fields to showcase great works, attract resources and lead innovative justice reforms to benefit our community,” she says.

Maxine’s time at Marquette nurtured her spiritual and ethical grounding and passion for service — building on values that were instilled by her late parents.

“The most influential persons in my life are my mom, Frankie Mae Higgins White, and my father, James White,” she says. “They are the wellspring of my determination, my sense of justice, of right and wrong and the earthly example of selfless unconditional love.”

Fun fact:
Maxine’s favorite place to study on campus was the Law School basement, “the 1982–1985 version stocked with vending machines.”