Biography

After a distinguished 15-year career sitting on the Milwaukee County Circuit Court, Judge Ellen R. Brostrom (ret.) stepped down from the bench in May of 2024 to pursue a full-time career providing Mediation, Arbitration and other Alternative Dispute Resolution services. Judge Brostrom, throughout her judicial career, was highly effective helping litigants reach resolution through the pre-trial mediation process. She completed mediation training at the Pepperdine University Law School’s Strauss Institute of Dispute Resolution.

While on the bench, Judge Brostrom’s experience included presiding over hundreds of trials, including in the civil division over personal injury, construction defects, contracts (including employment, real estate and UCC), medical and professional malpractice, products liability, insurance (including coverage and bad faith), business/commercial, employment, eminent domain, financial matters, class actions, and evictions.

Judge Brostrom is known for her ability to digest complex facts, along with her critical thinking and analytical skills. As a judge, she was noted for her excellent communication skills both written and oral.

• In addition to judicial duties, Judge Brostrom has significant adult teaching experience, including:
• Associate Dean of the Wisconsin Judicial College, 2019 – present
• Faculty of the Wisconsin Digital Evidence Bootcamp, 2020 – present
• Faculty at the National Judicial College on the Fourth Amendment, 2021

Prior to her judicial career, Judge Brostrom practiced law privately as an associate and non-equity shareholder, where she concentrated her practice on litigation of complex civil cases, including commercial, contract, employment, insurance and actuarial malpractice claims.