President Ülle Madise was born on 11 December 1974 in Tartu.

She earned her BA and magister iuris (both cum laude) from the University of Tartu and completed her PhD at Tallinn University of Technology in 2007. She served as Estonia’s Chancellor of Justice from 2015 to 2026.

President Madise has held key roles in academia, public administration, and constitutional law. She worked at the Ministry of Justice, advised the Constitutional Committee of the Riigikogu (Estonian Parliament), served as Legal Adviser to the President of Estonia, and was Director of Audit at the National Audit Office. She was also Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Tartu and Professor of Public Law at Tallinn University of Technology. Since 2012, she has been editor-in-chief of the commented edition of the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia.

She has also been active in international and national organizations, including the International Ombudsman Institute, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, and Estonia’s Council of Ethics of Officials.

Beyond her legal career, she has contributed to public discourse through radio programmes, public appearances, and scholarly and opinion articles.

President Madise is married to Lauri Madise.

Education

2007–2007 Tallinn University of Technology, PhD
2001–2006 Doctoral studies, University of Tartu
1998–2001 University of Tartu, Master of Laws (magister iuris, cum laude)
1993–1998 University of Tartu, Bachelor of Laws (BA, cum laude)

Professional Experience

2015–2026 Chancellor of Justice of the Republic of Estonia
2016–2021 Visiting Professor of Constitutional Law, University of Tartu
2011–2016 Professor of Constitutional Law, University of Tartu
2009–2011 Professor of Public Law, Tallinn University of Technology
2009–2015 Legal Adviser to the President of the Republic of Estonia
2006–2010 Member of the National Electoral Committee
2005–2009 Lecturer in Constitutional and Administrative Law, Tallinn University of Technology
2005–2008 Auditor General of Audit Department II, National Audit Office of Estonia
2002–2005 Adviser to the Constitutional Committee of the Riigikogu (Estonian Parliament), Head of the Committee Secretariat
2002–2002 Parliamentary Adviser to the Minister of Justice
2001–2005 Lecturer, University of Tartu
1998–2002 Head of the Public Law Department, Ministry of Justice
1997–1998 Specialist, Public Law Department, Ministry of Justice

Academic and Professional Activities

2015–2025 Member of the Supervisory Board of the Iuridicum Foundation
2021–present Member of the Supervisory Board of the Mart Nutt Foundation
2012, 2017, 2020 Editor-in-Chief of The Constitution of the Republic of Estonia: Commented Edition
2012–2014 Member of the Jury of the Enn Soosaar Award for Ethical Essay Writing
2014–2022 Chair of the Jury of the Enn Soosaar Award for Ethical Essay Writing
2014–2017 Member of the Supervisory Board of the Estonian Cooperation Assembly
2023–2024 Member of the European Regional Board of the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI)
2013–2022 Member of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI)
2015–2021 Member of the European Regional Board of the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI); also Member of the IOI World Board from October 2017
2013–2015 Member of the Council of Ethics for Public Officials
2012–2015 Member of the Public Advisory Council of Estonian Public Broadcasting
2011–2012 Member of the Organising Committee of the 32nd Estonian Lawyers' Days
2011–2012 Member of the National Committee for the Commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia
2010–2015 Independent Expert for the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) of the Council of Europe
2010–2015 Member of the Board of Trustees of the Estonian Academy of Arts
2010–2011 Member of the Evaluation Committee for the Transitional Assessment of Law Degree Programmes

Publications and Media Work

2016–2018 Creator of Õigus ja õiglus (Law and Justice), a popular educational radio series on Kuku Radio
2009–2015 Creator of Vanamehed kolmandalt (Old Men from the Third Floor), a popular educational radio series on Kuku Radio

Author of numerous academic articles, opinion pieces and contributions to edited volumes; contributor to the Estonian Human Development Report; speeches, presentations and interviews.

National Honours

2026 – Collar of the Order of the National Coat of Arms
2024 – Order of the National Coat of Arms, Third Class