Biography

Randy Koschnick was appointed Director of State Courts by the Wisconsin Supreme Court, effective August, 2017 through July, 2023. The Director of State Courts is the top administrative officer of the Wisconsin Court System, serving at the pleasure of the Supreme Court under the direction of the Chief Justice. As Director, Randy regularly worked with the Circuit Court Judges in all 72 Wisconsin counties, the 16 Court of Appeals Judges as well as the seven Supreme Court Justices. His responsibilities included advising the Supreme Court on a wide range of administrative, budget and policy matters affecting the judiciary, running the CCAP statewide court system case management system, working with judicial advisory committees and boards, as well as with the Chief Judges of the state’s nine judicial administrative districts. Randy also oversaw the Wisconsin Court System’s Judicial Education Office, personnel, budgeting, and other functions for an organization of more than 800 employees statewide.

Prior to his appointment as Director of State Courts, Randy served 18 years as a Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge (1999-2017), including five years as Chief Judge of the Third Judicial Administrative District (which currently includes Dodge, Jefferson, Ozaukee, Washington and Waukesha Counties) and 10 years as Jefferson County’s Presiding Judge. During his time on the bench, Randy presided over thousands of cases including civil, family, probate, criminal and traffic, administering evidentiary hearings, settlement conferences, court trials and jury trials.

Under his leadership, Jefferson County Circuit Court rose from 18th to 1st statewide for overall median case age at disposition within the first two years of his new case assignment plan. He has 38 years of legal experience covering a broad spectrum of the law including Circuit Court Judge, public defender’s offices, prosecutor’s offices, and Board Member of the State Bar of Wisconsin Criminal Law Section.

Randy received the Wisconsin Legal Innovator Award in 2020 from the Wisconsin State Bar as well as the Leaders in the Law Award from the Wisconsin Law Journal in 2008.

Randy’s expertise in various areas of the law has allowed him to lecture at legal training seminars sponsored by the Wisconsin Judicial Education Office, as well as at the Wisconsin District Attorney’s Conferences and the Wisconsin State Public Defender’s Conferences.