Born in
Milford, Connecticut, Dugan graduated from
Westminster College in
pennsylvania in 1975. He then earned his
Juris Doctor degree from
Marquette University Law School in 1978. He resided in
Shorewood, Wisconsin. In 1992, Dugan was appointed to the
Wisconsin Circuit Court in Milwaukee County by Governor
Tommy Thompson. He was re-elected to the Circuit Court without opposition in 1993, 1999, 2005, and 2011. During his judicial career, Judge Dugan has been President of the Milwaukee Trial Judges Association and served as the Associate Dean of the Wisconsin Judicial College. In 2008, Judge Dugan was nominated by
President George W. Bush to the
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin to replace retiring Judge
Rudolph T. Randa, but Judge Randa chose to rescind his resignation. In 2015, Dugan was a finalist under consideration by Governor
Scott Walker for appointment to the
Wisconsin Court of Appeals after Judge
Rebecca Bradley's elevation to the
Wisconsin Supreme Court; that seat instead went to
William W. Brash III. Governor Walker ultimately appointed Judge Dugan to the Court of Appeals in October 2016 to replace retiring Judge
Patricia S. Curley. He was re-elected without opposition in 2018. Dugan has announced he will not run for re-election in 2024 and will leave office early in November 2023. ==Electoral history==