Nomination of Brett H. Ludwig

Floor Speech

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Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, it is my privilege to recommend the Honorable Brett H. Ludwig to be the U.S. district judge for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Judge Ludwig passed the Senate Judiciary Committee with bipartisan support. I look forward to the full Senate voting to confirm him today.

Since 2017, Judge Ludwig has served the people of Wisconsin on the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts for both the Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin.

Judge Ludwig was born in rural north central Wisconsin and spent his childhood in the city of Colby, the birthplace of the cheese that bears its name. His grandparents and great-grandparents were dairy farmers, instilling in their children and grandchildren the values of hard work and dedication that Wisconsin's farm families are known for.

Brett's father, Duane Ludwig, worked nearly 40 years at a factory making corrugated container boxes. His mother, Connie, worked as a receptionist, secretary, and medical records clerk. They raised him to have a strong work ethic and to appreciate the importance of education.

Judge Ludwig graduated from Colby High School in 1987. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, graduating with the highest honors. He then attended the University of Minnesota Law School on a merit-based scholarship. He excelled in his class work, ``grading on'' to the Minnesota Law Review. He ultimately graduated magna cum laude, was named to the Order of the Coif, and then clerked for the Honorable George G. Fagg on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

Following his clerkship, Brett returned to Wisconsin to practice at Foley & Lardner in Milwaukee, the largest law firm in Wisconsin and one of the oldest law firms in the United States. In 2003, Foley & Lardner made him a partner, and he spent the next 14 years building a successful commercial litigation practice. In addition to trying more than a dozen complex, multimillion-dollar cases through judgment, he played a crucial role in firm management, chairing the Milwaukee office's recruiting and pro bono committees.

Brett's leadership and contribution to his field extended far beyond his firm. He was hired by the Marquette University Law School to serve as an adjunct professor teaching insurance law. He served a term on the State Bar Board of Governors and was active in the Eastern District of Milwaukee Bar Association. He was also active in marshaling the efforts of Milwaukee's largest law firms to commit time and lawyers to pro bono representations in the district court.

In 2017, Brett left private practice when he was selected to serve as a bankruptcy judge, where he presided over more than 12,500 bankruptcy cases, issued more than 20,000 orders, and adjudicated dozens of evidentiary hearings and trials--all while earning the respect of debtors, creditors, and their lawyers through his strong judicial temperament, empathy, and compassion.

Judge Ludwig has also shown a strong and clear commitment to the rule of law. His written decisions reflect that he is a judge who is committed to faithfully applying the Bankruptcy Code and rules as they are written. He has demonstrated that he is not and will not be an activist judge.

Judge Ludwig lives just outside Milwaukee with his wife, Melissa Bleidorn; their children, Madeleine and Ryan; and a black lab, Chloe.

I would like to thank Senator Baldwin for her support of our bipartisan nomination commission that has once again selected an excellent jurist.

I would like to thank the hard-working members of this commission for their time and dedication in finding and recommending Judge Brett Ludwig, who will serve our Nation and the people of Wisconsin in the Eastern District with distinction and honor.

Judge Ludwig has my full support, and I urge all my colleagues to vote yes on his confirmation.

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