2016

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ISSN #1534-1917 | USPS #000-857

Ruth Irvings
Law Office of
Ruth J. Irvings

Johanna Allex
Stafford
Rosenbaum

Ana BerriosSchroeder
Milwaukee
County Circuit
Court

Ann Barry
Hanneman
Simandl Law
Group

10

Tonya Brito
University of
Wisconsin Law
School

11

Kelley
Chenhalls
Hochstatter,
McCarthy, Rivas
& Runde

12

Marilyn
Crowley
Neider &
Boucher

14

Christine Esser
Habush Habush
& Rottier

15

Karen Flaherty
Brookfield City
Attorneys Office

16

Lecia Johnson
Godfrey & Kahn

18

Alyce Katayama
Quarles & Brady

19

Tracey Klein
Reinhart Boerner
Van Deuren

20

Christine
Nelson
Nelson, Connell,
Tallmadge &
Slein

22

Ellen Nowak
Wisconsin
Public Service
Commission

23

Meg Pekarske
Reinhart Boerner
Van Deuren

24

Rhoda Ricciardi
Dane County
Circuit Court

25

Amanda Riek
State Public
Defenders
Office

26

Kristen
Scheuerman
Herrling Clark
Law Firm

27

Kathy Schill
Michael Best &
Friedrich

28

Amy SchmidtJones
Michael Best &
Friedrich

30

Ariella
Schreiber
Rural Mutual
Insurance Co.

31

Angela Schultz
Marquette
University
Law School

32

Sheila
Shadman
Halloin &
Murdock

34

Audrey
Skwierawski
Wisconsin
Department of
Justice

35

Ellen Thorn
Arndt, Bushwell
& Thorn

36

Nancy Wilson
Axley Brynelson

TABLE OF
CONTENTS
2

2016

Reprints
For more information or to discuss options,
call Jenny Byington at 414-225-1803.

Recognize Achievement
Inspire high performance
and outstanding service.
Commemorate milestones.

RUTH IRVINGS | law office of ruth j. irvings

Irvings follows her passions

Ruth Irvings career lies where
professional, political and personal
matters meet.
Prompted by her passion for social
justice, Irvings found herself working in
Milwaukee at Legal Action of Wisconsin,
a nonprofit law firm that offers services to
low-income clients. Within seven years of
her graduation from law school, she had
become the law firms executive director,
supervising 45 lawyers in seven different
offices ranging from south of the Illinois

2016

border to Madison. She went on to private

practice before helping to found the
all-female firm Nelson, Irvings & Waeffler
in 1998.
And thats how I got to where I am,
starting as a child of the 60s, coming out
of Stanford Law School ready to save the
world, Irvings deadpanned.

In 2014, she opened the Law Offices

of Ruth J. Irvings, where she said she has
been happily practicing trust administration, planning matters related to marital
property, working with LGBT couples and
doing estate planning. That last specialty
she describes as helping people define
their legacy.
People tell me the most personal, the
most intimate things in order to figure
out what they want to have happen after
their death, she said. I think it is so
personal and that so much of
being a good estate planner is
being able to establish a rapport
to listen to them, to understand
what is the goal and then using
your expertise to be able to
accomplish the goal.
And its no surprise that,
through her work, the Milwaukee estate planner has established quite
the legacy of her own.
Irvings former law partner, Carol Wessels, said Irvings sets the standard for what
constitutes an ethical, brilliant and compassionate practice. Wessels said Irvings was a
mentor who demonstrated how to maintain
both a practice and the highest standards.

Irvings is a founding member and

former president of Sojourner Family
Peace Center, Milwaukees first shelter
for battered women, and has served
on the boards of the Mental Health
Association in Milwaukee, the Milwaukee
Jewish Council, Milestones Programs
for Children, the Jewish Home and Care
Center Foundation, and Fair Wisconsin
Education Fund. She now helps lead
the Congregation Shalom Community
Relations Council.
She has been a central figure in representing same-sex and other non-marital
couples and was involved in drafting Wisconsins 2008 Domestic Partnership Act.
I recall her spending many hours
late into the evening on phone meetings
with LGBT advocacy groups as the legal
challenges facing the barriers to samesex marriage in Wisconsin were waged,
Wessels said in a statement.
Irvings was able to enjoy the fruits of her
labor when, two years ago, she married her
partner of 32 years. She said she believes
she and her partner, also a Women in the
Law honoree, may be the first married
couple to have both won the awards.
- Alison Henderson

AWL selects Irvings as Woman of the Year

If the law was one of the final frontiers
to be conquered by women in the 20th
century, then Ruth Irvings was truly one
of the pioneers.
From becoming the executive director
of a law firm early in her career, to helping
to found an all-female firm in 1998, to
leading the charge in the fight to ensure
members of the LGBT community enjoy
equal rights under the law, Irvings has
been a shining example of what women
can accomplish in a profession that until
recently had been open only to men. It is
for those reasons that Irvings was selected
among this years 36 Women in the Law
honorees to be the Association of Women
Lawyers choice for the Woman of the
Year award.
AWL is the Wisconsin Law Journals
event partner in these annual Women in

the Law awards. In selecting this years

recipient of this prestigious award, the
criteria considered were:
The excellence shown in a legal career
and the ways in which a particular candidate has set an example that inspires other
women to take up the law as a profession.
The ways in which a candidate opened
up doors for women lawyers in fields that
were historically closed to women.
The ways in which a candidate served
her profession or community in a manner
that has benefited the legal profession as
a whole.
The AWL judges felt that Irvings fit all
the criteria, along with standing out in
various other ways.
The judges particularly praised her for:
tackling legal issues affecting the LGBT
community when no one else would;

starting an all-female law firm at a

time when few women were even partners
in law firms; and
committing her time and life to helping those with few advocates and continued to pursue change through her many
volunteer activities.
The judges called Irvings a true trailblazer in estate planning and on behalf of
womens rights.
Ruths nomination stood out and
impressed me because not only was she
the founder of an all-woman law firm
where she was a mentor to other women
attorneys, she has a demonstrated record
of making her clients interests her first
concern, said Jennifer Hong. In addition
to the practice of law, Ruths extensive
community involvement shows an outstanding commitment to womens issues.

JOHANNA ALLEX | stafford rosenbaum

Music leads Allex to a legal career

Johanna Allexs journey toward a law
career started with an oboe.
Before she was a lawyer, Allex was a
professional oboist living in the Chicago suburbs. She was a member of the
musicians union in Chicago, had undergraduate and graduate degrees in the fine
arts and ran her own studio giving private
music lessons.
I decided I needed more education
about how to manage my books, said
Allex, who now is a senior partner and
board of directors member at Stafford
Rosenbaum, Milwaukee.
So while her children still were toddlers,
she started taking night classes in accounting. Eventually, she had accumulated
enough credits to sit for the CPA exam.
Around that time, she said, she decided

she wanted a law degree. That led her to

the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law
School when she was in her early 30s. She
started law school when her son started
kindergarten.
After graduation, she took a job with
Michael Best & Friedrich in Milwaukee
and then eventually broke off to start her
own firm. A little more than a year ago,
she left that firm for a spot at Stafford.
Chris Hughes, the firms managing
partner, said he has known Allex for more
than a decade, having worked with her on
the National Heritage Land Trust. He said he
always knew Allex was bright and articulate,
but it was only when she joined Stafford that
he realized how good she is at her job.
Johanna has very high expectations, so she
expects youll bring your A game, Hughes

said, but she also creates opportunity.

Allexs practice centers on estate planning and trusts and working with small
businesses. She said she helps clients make
sure all the safety nets are in place and that
the people they care for are protected.
Its a real privilege, she said, because
its such a vulnerable time in their lives.
The life of a lawyer is a world away
from that of a musician, Allex said. That
job had her performing Wednesday
through Sunday nights and then teaching
music on Mondays and Tuesdays.
But she no longer plays. Around the
time she was considering going back to
school, Allex said, she injured her jaw and
couldnt perform at the same level.
I was at a crossroads, she said.
Chris Thompson

ANA BERRIOS-SCHROEDER | milwaukee county circuit court

Berrios-Schroeder pays it forward as court commissioner

Ana Berrios-Schroeder remains
extremely grateful to the teachers and
colleagues who helped her on the way to
becoming Milwaukee Countys Family
Court commissioner.
Ive had angels with me all along to
guide me in the right direction, and Im
so thankful for that support base, said
Berrios-Schroeder, who said that few of
her relatives have pursued schooling beyond high school. Ive had teachers take
a personal interest in me and encourage
me along. And when I started in the court
commissioners office as the youngest
person 15 years ago, I had colleagues who
guided me and taught me the things I
didnt even know that I didnt know.
Before joining the family commissioners office in 2001, Berrios-Schroeder put
together an impressive resume. Among
other things, she helped start a law firm
and worked as a staff attorney at the
Milwaukee County Child Support Agency.

Dean Zemel, an assistant family court

commissioner for Milwaukee County,
was impressed when Berrios-Schroeder
appeared before him as an attorney.
She was always incredibly prepared
and the commissioners knew, when she
was the attorney assigned to their calendar, that her part in the hearings would be
handled professionally, he said.
After joining the family commissioners office, She never shied away from
working beyond normal hours and takes
whatever time is needed to get her job
done well, Zemel said.
In 2012, Berrios-Schroeder was appointed deputy family court commissioner and
named to her current post in 2015.
I really enjoy my work and try to craft
orders that minimize conflict among the
parties, Berrios-Schroeder said. I only
wish that we had more time to spend
with the families, but the volume of cases
doesnt always make that possible.

When in court, Berrios-Schroeder

exudes calmness, said Lisa Allgood-Beal,
office management supervisor for Milwaukee County Family Court. Berrios-Schroeder has a talent for speaking in
a firm, even-keeled way when she explains
the law and the conclusion shes reached
to litigants, Allgood-Beal said.
The litigants werent interrupting her and
even acted completely comfortable, she said.
Although she keeps a busy calendar and
has many management responsibilities,
Berrios-Schroeder has still managed to find
time in the past few years to earn a masters
degree in sociology. She also participates in
various community organizations, including La Causa Inc., Community Action Inc.,
the Latino Community Center Inc., and the
Wisconsin Hispanic Lawyers Association.
I enjoy helping others and want to help
others as I have been helped, BerriosSchroeder said.
- MaryBeth Matzek

ANN BARRY HANNEMAN | simandl law group

Employment law changes keep Hanneman on balance

To Ann Hanneman, change is good
its what she enjoys the most about her
area of law.
Employment law is constantly changing, and with those changes come new
difficulties.
Hanneman, a principal at Waukesha-based Simandl Law Group, said she
has always had a great interest in helping
employers navigate those shoals.
I have never been bored, Hanneman
said. Its always new challenges and new
changes in the law. Thats what makes it so
exciting.
Her interest in employment law started
in college, when she pursued a degree in
industrial relations, which exposed her to
business and management law.
I feel very fortunate that I found an
area of the law I really like, she said. I
really love the area. If youre passionate
about your practice, it is very rewarding.

That passion also helps explain why

so many employers have sought out
Hannemans services over the years.
Julie Buchanan, whom Hanneman
worked with for 15 years at Buchanan
& Barry, hired Hanneman in the 1990s
after hearing Hannemans name come
up again and again during her search for
an employment attorney. And Buchanan says she wasnt disappointed, calling
Hanneman a great writer and person of
great integrity.
She is an exceptional attorney, Buchanan said. She is a superb advocate.
She is great with clients and always goes
the extra mile for those she represents.
Bob Simandl, founder of the firm that
Hanneman now works at, cant imagine a
day without her being around to help out.
Having seen her grow as a person and
professionally and for her to honor me
and join me in the firm, it was a great

moment, Simandl said. Theres not a day

I dont walk into the office and say, Thank
God Ann is here.
And although enthusiasm has been
a big part of Hannemans career, so has
balance.
Generally as lawyers we like to think
we are exclusively practicing law, but we
are also practicing business, she said. I
think maintaining that balance is important; you really cant lose sight of one or
the other.
That balance entails fostering a network
outside of the law and seeking out opportunities something Hanneman says she
was never afraid to do despite working in
a profession dominated by men.
I grew up with five brothers and I personally never felt I couldnt do anything
because I was a woman in this profession,
she said.
- Erika Strebel

Simandl Law Group, S.C.

is proud to honor

Ann Barry
Hanneman

as a recipient of the 2016

Women in the Law award.

Anns dedication reflects

in her work with our
clients and her community
outreach. Ann, thank you
and congratulations on
behalf of our entire team.

Law Professionals Partnering With Your HR Team

20975 Swenson Drive, Suite 250 w Waukesha, WI 53186 w 262-923-8650

TONYA BRITO | university of wisconsin law school

Brito uses law as weapon to fight poverty

While attending Harvard Law School,
Tonya Brito worked at a legal aid office
and, there, came to feel a real connection
with her clients.
While I may have been helping them
with a custody issue or something else, I
often realized that many of the problems
stemmed from poverty, she said. I may
have been able to help them with the current problem, but I wasnt able to address
the bigger issue poverty which I
knew would likely lead to more issues.
The experience showed me the power of
the law, as well as its limitations.
Although Brito knew in law school
she wanted to teach, she also wanted to
gain courtroom experience. She served
as a clerk for Judge John Garrett Penn at
the U.S. District Court for the District of
Columbia and practiced civil and criminal
litigation at a Washington, D.C., law firm.
I knew from my own experiences with
instructors that the ones who practiced

law brought more to their classes, and I

wanted to offer that, said Brito, associate
dean for research and faculty development
and the Burris-Bascom Professor of Law at
the University of Wisconsin Law School.
Beyond her teaching of family law and
civil procedure, Brito dedicates a great
deal of her time researching the places
where family law and poverty law meet.
She first noticed the connections when
she was a student.
Ive been able to find a balance between teaching and research, she said.
Brito and David Pate, a UW-Milwaukee social work professor, are the lead
investigators in a project examining what
happens in systems that various states use
to offer legal assistance in civil-contempt
proceedings. To that end, theyre taking a
look at a program that provides attorneys
for indigents in civil-contempt proceedings in Wisconsin and comparing their
experiences to those of similar litigants in

10

Illinois, where legal assistance is designed

to help defendants represent themselves.
Im fascinated with how research can
influence the law, Brito said.
University of Wisconsin Law School
Dean Margaret Raymond pointed out that
Brito and Pates work is receiving support
from two grants from the National Science Foundation. Often the competition
for such money is intense.
This current research dovetails with
Professor Britos long commitment to
community-service activities that address
family law policy, Raymond added.
Brito is finishing a three-year term
working as the director of the Institute
for Legal Studies, which offers programs,
lectures, workshops and presentations on
various topics.
This is really geared towards our
junior faculty and helping develop their
scholarly profile, she said.
- MaryBeth Matzek

KELLEY CHENHALLS | hochstatter, mccarthy, rivas & runde

Chenhalls keys in on immigration issues

Kelley Chenhalls views her work as
an immigration attorney at Hochstatter,
McCarthy, Rivas & Runde as a way to help
people achieve their dream of living and
working in the U.S.
Chenhalls practice centers on helping
doctors, scientists and other medical professionals fill out required paperwork and
find ways to reach their goals.
Strategy definitely plays a role in what
I do, she said. You have to look at the
situation and the different options and see
what may work best for their particular
situation. I have some Indian physicians
who wait eight to 10 years to get their
green card.
An avid traveler, Chenhalls realized
how important it was for people to feel
welcome in a new place. She sees her
work as an immigration attorney as stemming in part from that recognition.

Theres a lot of negative talk about

immigration and people sometimes dont
see the benefits, but there are people who
can benefit the country greatly by coming
here, Chenhalls said.
The lack of up-to-date immigration
rules can make her work difficult, Chenhalls said.
A lot of the guidance we receive as
attorneys comes from memos, she said.
We really need updated legislation.
Another source of trouble is clients
expectations, Chenhalls said. Often they
need to be managed.
Our immigration system is so confounding that it can be hard to give clients
accurate timelines, she said. You want
to help your clients as best as you can, but
sometimes theres a wait and you dont
want them to become discouraged.
She said she works on about 80 cases

11

at a time, a single one of which can go on

for years.
Chenhalls expertise and dedication
benefits more than just her clients, said
Jennifer Nissen, a fellow attorney at
Hochstatter, McCarthy, Rivas & Runde.
Kelley has assisted with obtaining visas
for hundreds of physicians in Wisconsin
alone, including many who are serving
the medically underserved residents of
Wisconsin, she said.
Chenhalls also volunteers with the
American Immigration Lawyers Association. She traveled to Washington, D.C., to
lobby for immigration reform in 2012 as
the coordinator of the AILA National Day
of Action and as an advocate in 2013. Shes
active in AILAs Wisconsin chapter, holding
several roles. From 2012 to 2013, she served
as chairperson of the organization.
- MaryBeth Matzek

MARILYN CROWLEY | neider & boucher

Crowley sets standard for life-long learning

Madison-area estate planning attorney
Marilyn Crowley is proving that its never
too late to learn new things and develop
new skills.
After graduating from college with a
math degree, Crowley worked primarily
as a stay-at-home-mom raising her three
children.
I never in a million years thought I
was going to be a lawyer it was beyond
my wildest dreams, she said.
When she picked up a part-time paralegal job at a firm in Lodi, her life was forever changed by a chance remark from an
attorney asking if she had ever considered
becoming a lawyer.
Thats why I went back to law school at
the age of 40, and because of that remark,
at the age of 50, I started my own law
firm, she said.
She obtained her law degree from the
University of Wisconsin Law School in

1986 and went on to become a founding

partner of her firm, Crowley & Associates,
with two other female attorneys, including Susan De Groot.
Starting her own law firm was not
a daunting experience for her, and she
embarked on the venture with her typical
enthusiasm, said De Groot, who reunited
with Crowley at Neider & Boucher.
Crowley joined Neider & Boucher in
2010 mainly because she wanted to reduce
her hours but, at the same time, did not
want to leave her clients out to dry.
Im working less and less, but what
was so important to me was that my
clients were really well taken care of, she
said. You really can make a difference in
peoples lives. Thats why Im 74 and still
practicing law: because I like being able to
help people.
And while her peers may attribute her
success to her enthusiasm, integrity and

12

entrepreneurial spirit, Crowley credits

the inspiration and encouragement she
received from others along the way. With
an understanding that the smallest of
gestures can change a life, she aims to
provide guidance to as many people as
she can.
She does this through everything from
teaching her colleagues how to listen to
and care for clients to meeting with recent
graduates to talk over coffee about the
legal field.
Marilyn L. Crowley is an attorney that
personifies what every lawyer, female or
male, should aspire to be, De Groot said
in a statement. She is an expert in her
field of practice and she shares her love
of the law with enthusiasm and integrity,
both with her fellow colleagues and with
her clients.
Alison Henderson

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CHRISTINE ESSER | habush habush & rottier

No horsing around for Habushs Esser

While each one of Christine Essers
cases is different, they share a common
theme: Clients are struggling to put their
lives back together after an accident.
I am helping clients when they are
most in need of help and are not sure
what to do next, said Esser, the manager
of Habush Habush & Rottiers Sheboygan
office. I guide them through the process
and work to get them a just settlement.
While Esser originally went to law
school with the intention of joining the
FBI, she discovered that the bureau wasnt
hiring. Following graduation, she worked
for a judge on the Iowa Supreme Court.
That year-long experience opened her
eyes how litigation can help in turn someones life around.
Esser specializes in personal injury.
By 2005, her extensive trial experience

had led her to become the first woman in

Wisconsin to be named a board-certified
civil trial specialist by the National Board
of Trial Advocates.
I dont get into court as much as I used
to, but a good number of my cases still go
to a jury, she said.
Esser is a volunteer with both legal and
community organizations, said Laurence
Fehring, her partner at Habush, Habush
& Rottier.
Shes an exemplary leader, not just for
our firm and profession, but in the community too, he said.
Some of Essers legal activities include
participating with the Wisconsin Association of Justice, the Wisconsin Womens
Caucus, and the Sheboygan County Law
Explorers Program. In the community, she
tutors illiterate adults, serves as a lunch

14

buddy to an elementary school student

through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Sheboygan and speaks frequently to local students
where children learn about the legal system
by pretending to convict the fairytale character Goldilocks of different crimes.
Essers love of horses has led to her participation in the Ozaukee County 4-H Horse
and Pony Project and Helping Hands Healing Hooves, a therapeutic equine-assisted
riding program for those with special needs.
While most people wouldnt equate
working with horses to the law, Esser sees
a connection.
Teaching young people how to handle
horses is a lot like the law. You cant force
any person or horse to do something, so
you need to earn their trust to work with
them, she said.
- MaryBeth Matzek

KAREN FLAHERTY | brookfield city attorney

Flaherty is invested in family, staff and community

As city attorney for Brookfield, Karen
Flaherty understands the importance of
foresight and the preparation needed to
keep the city on track.
She said being an in-house attorney
requires doing what you can to avoid
liability and to provide policy-makers
with whatever guidance they might need
to make an informed decision. Although
she spends much of her time in the
background, she takes satisfaction from
knowing that her work helps keep the
publics business moving.
You do everything you can to make
your employer the best community in the
state, she said, adding that as a Brookfield
resident, she has a vested interest in making it a wonderful place to life.
When my friends and neighbors
comment on things that they like, I am
proud of my role. When they complain
about something, I talk to the depart-

ment involved to try and get the situation

changed, she said.
Flaherty received an undergraduate degree in education and expected to practice
juvenile law. She took up municipal law
only after serving as a clerk at a general
practice firm that also represented a small
city in Wisconsin.
When she was hired on to her current
position, she became involved in all sides
of municipal law from traffic prosecution to open-records litigation to a hearing before the Fire and Police Commission related to the firing of a police officer.
She became the assistant attorney for
the city of Wauwatosa and then took a
four-year break to have children. When
the youngest of her three children turned
one, she returned to a law firm that provided her with a benefit of flexibility that
she now tries to pass on to her employees.
If someone decides that it is best for her

15

family to work part time, or if she needs to

leave to be with a sick child, and that flexibility can be accommodated, I have offered
that to those whom I supervise, she said,
adding that she makes a point each week to
check in on how each of her employees is
doing in their lives away from the office.
What I find amazing is shes always willing to help anyone who asks, said Attorney
Mary Woehrer of Woehrer Law Office, who
was Flahertys classmate in law school.
Flaherty made her way to the Brookfield city attorneys office in 1994 and now
serves as department head for the city
attorney, city clerk and the mayor.
Karen has the unique ability to effectively work with diverse segments of the
community, Woehrer said.
She is a talented attorney and a leader
who is always open and receptive to other
people and ideas.
- Alison Henderson

LECIA JOHNSON | godfrey & kahn

Johnsons law career a steady progression

When she was young, Lecia Johnson
didnt dream about becoming a lawyer.
No one in her family or any friends had
anything to do with a corporate law firm.
And she never had an a-ha moment
when she realized a law career was exactly
what she wanted.
I cant say I was committed to a life of
being a lawyer when I went to law school,
said Johnson, who now is a shareholder in
the Tax and Employee Benefits Division of
Milwaukee-based Godfrey & Kahn.
But she did get an inkling along the
way, in part from time she spent taking
classes in international business and
French at Illinois Wesleyan University.
She spent a lot of time studying abroad,
she said, and that sparked an interest in
international law.
Still, it wasnt enough to prevent her

from viewing the University of Iowa Law

School, where she studied international
law, as a possible steppingstone to business school.
For Johnson, 41, the realization that
she had found the right career happened
gradually, through a steady sense of job
satisfaction after working a few years as
an attorney.
Sixteen years later, all spent at Godfrey & Kahn, she is seeing other gradual
changes. She started out concentrating
heavily on international law, but that has
shifted over time to employee benefits.
She also made the switch from associate
to shareholder. That change, she said, was
one of the hardest she has gone through.
Just to ready yourself for that, Johnson said, both on a technical basis and a
mental basis.

16

Whatever changes might occur in her

career, she has the backing of the firms
managing partner, Nicholas Wahl. He described Johnson as gifted and intelligent
and as having no interest in the spotlight.
There isnt just one trait that defines her
talent as an attorney, he said. Shes solid in
all her endeavors.
As the managing partner of the firm,
Wahl said, I can tell you were very fortunate to have her on our team.
And now, the woman who wasnt sure
about a law career until she was a few
years into it is helping others who are just
getting started. Johnson said the hardest
part of her job now is trying to work
with and train associates and make sure
Im giving them the training and mentoring they need to move forward.
- Chris Thompson

Strong women
make Wisconsin
stronger.
Godfrey & Kahn congratulates this years
Women in the Law.
Those who make outstanding contributions to our legal
community deserve to be celebrated. Godfrey & Kahn extends
its support and congratulations to this years Women in the
Law honorees, especially our very own Lecia Johnson.

We think business.

2016 Godfrey & Kahn, S.C.

OFFICES IN MILWAUKEE, MADISON, WAUKESHA, GREEN BAY AND APPLETON, WISCONSIN AND WASHINGTON, D.C.

ANDREW
HEBL

Nominate a colleague today for

Wisconsin Law Journals 2016 Up and
Coming Lawyers and Unsung Heroes.

Insurance litigator
at Boardman & Clark

Hebl carries on legacy

of helping others

ndrew Hebl doesnt keep his cape in his briefcase, although he

should probably consider it.
Im not a hero, insisted Hebl, an insurance litigator
at Boardman & Clark in Madison. I just provide a valuable
service. I represent everyday people who get sued. Somebody
makes a mistake; they run a red light, they blow a stop sign, theyre going
a little too fast, theyre not trying to do anything wrong. But they make a
mistake and somebody gets hurt. Its why we all have car insurance.
I get to come in tell them everything is going to be OK, tell them they
shouldnt worry about this, it happens all the time. I can be the one to worry
about this. And its rewarding. Its nice to take this burden off them. And they
dont have to pay me; their insurance company is going to pay me, so theyre
protected.
Its an example he took from his father, Gary Hebl, an attorney in Sun
Prairie.
I look up to my dad. He helps people. And Ive always appreciated that.
Its what we do or, at least, try to do. I represent people who, hopefully this

WISCONSIN LAW JOURNAL

is going to be their only involvement with the civil court system. If I can
bring them through that with a minimum of worry and, Im happy to say,
I almost always do it makes you feel good. Its rewarding. It makes you
feel like youre doing something good.
Its part of the reason he has participated in panel discussions on
deposition techniques, why hes written about tort law for the State Bar of
Wisconsins annual survey, and why he continues to pen other legal articles.
Its just something lawyers have a responsibility to do. As attorneys, we
all have a collective responsibility to serve our communities, said Hebl, who
also volunteers for the United Way in Dane County.
Its that commitment to the profession that inspires Amanda Kaiser.
Hes an integral part of our insurance defense practice and litigation
When clients of Tracey Wood & Associgroup. But he adds value beyond doing legwork, said Kaiser, a partner with
ates are facing a puzzle that seems unsolvthe litigation practice group at Boardman & Clark, who often works cases
able, Joleen Gudel tries to look at the situawith Hebl. He reinvigorates me. Its really nice to have enthusiastic, fresh
tion from a different perspective.
blood looking at things.
Gudel, who has worked as a paralegal at
Jessicathe
Stephen
Madison traffic and criminal defense
firm since 2010, likes to believe anything is
2015 UP AND COMING LAWYERS
possible. She uses ingenuity, finding solu9
tions for difficult problems.
A lot of these clients feel like theyre
at the worst possible time in their life,
she said. I like when I can work with the
clients and make sure that theyre staying
as positive as they possibly can during the
situation. I think they all deserve a chance
to tell their side.
Gudel first met Wood while working as
a legal secretary at the Legal Assistance to

HONORING
BEHIND THE SCENES
EXCELLENCE

JOLEEN GUDEL
tracey wood & associates

Gudel helps in hard times

Institutionalized Persons project at the University of Wisconsin Law School. The two
crossed paths in various positions, and when
Woods landed her first job in legal defense,
she invited Gudel to join her. They have been
working together on and off for more than
10 years.
Wood said in addition to handling the
calendar of one of the busiest criminal law
attorneys in the area, Gudel is in charge of
the entire office managing a number of
support staff, as well as three attorneys. She
also works with clients, researches briefs and
generates ideas for motions and defenses.
Wood added that she is always available for
both legal and emotional support in what is
often a stressful job to employees.
Whether she is managing several pressing

tasks at the same time or trying not to be

mired in the troubling situations she encounters, Gudels optimistic attitude comes
through in her work and might, in part, help
her ease the pressures of a job that can be
hectic. These difficulties may also be offset
by the cooperation of a supportive staff.
Its unique to have such a great group of
people that are willing to bend over backward to help someone else out in any position, she said.
As the firm expands, Gudel foresees being
able to share her knowledge with newer staff
members. She also recently became a member of the paralegal association in Madison
and looks forward to sharing the fruit of her
experiences with that organization.
Alison Henderson

Information online at
www.wislawjournal.com/events

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ALYCE KATAYAMA | quarles & brady

Quarles Katayama classic in every sense

Its no surprise that Alyce Katayamas
role model is her mother, who took
charge when her father, a naval officer,
was away overseas.
She just did what she needed to do,
and I just thought that was what women
did, Katayama said.
Its an example she has kept in mind at
Quarles & Brady, where she became the
firms first female partner in 1982.
Her colleague Joe Masterson, a business
and securities lawyer and fellow partner at
the firm, often consults Katayama because
of her specialty in health care law. He said
he has never been disappointed.
Shes very good at making whatever
time is necessary and appropriate to help
a colleague like me understand a clients
needs and therefore contribute to a good
solution, he said. Shes never too busy to
do what it takes.
And Katayama maintains her high stan-

dards in her endeavors outside of Quarles,

writing scientific papers and finding time to
work with community groups. One of those
organizations, the Milwaukee Symphony
Orchestra, is especially close to her heart.
I love classical music, Katayama said.
I was raised with a lot of exposure to it. I
studied piano. I think its a very enriching
aspect of being alive. Ive tried to indoctrinate my children.
Mark Niehaus, executive director of the
orchestra, said Katayama is the best kind
of board member because she not only
appreciates and promotes the orchestra,
but she also has helped with the organizations internal workings.
Katayama, who has been on the orchestra board for 12 years, has helped set up
bylaws and governance regulations.
Shes one of those people who asks,
What can I do to help? he said. Shes
a great example of being a propulsion

18

engine and catalyst for our initiatives and

strategic objectives.
Katayama said she now considers herself to be much more fortunate than her
mother was. For one, Katayama said her
late husband was at home more often than
her father had been.
I probably had more child-rearing support than anyone I know, she said.
Altogether, Katayama said, her experience as a woman working in the legal field
has largely been a good one. She said she
has enjoyed the full support of all the men
in her life. More than anything, she said,
success comes from grit and dedication to
ones clients.
Work hard, become an expert in your
specialty area or niches, be a good servant
to your clients, and treat your clients as if
they are your best friends, she said. And
eventually many of them will be.
- Erika Strebel

TRACEY KLEIN | reinhart boerner van deuren

Klein finds life-work balance in career

Tracey Klein has learned an important
lesson about having a legal career: The
higher attorneys rise in the ranks, the
more flexibility they have.
That basic truth might not have been
so evident to her when she was 29 and
had just given birth to twins. She had
six weeks off work and lots of doubts
about whether she could strike a balance
between motherhood and having a career,
she said.
I remember thinking, Oh, this is
maybe not worth it, said Klein, now 56
and the chairwoman of the Health Care
Department of Milwaukee-based Reinhart
Boerner Van Deuren.
But, with encouragement from her
husband and Mondays off, she said she
somehow managed it all. It just meant
keeping her blue jeans and dress-down
clothes in her car for the quick transition
to school volunteer.

And I tried to pretend I didnt have my

business suit on a hanger, she said.
A life in law wasnt Kleins first choice.
She was a political science major at the
University of Wisconsin-Madison and
had plans to run campaigns.
But she decided that would be a difficult life, so she chose law school.
In the last year she found herself trying
to decide whether she should pursue lobbying or the law. Once again she chose the
law, taking a job at the health care firm in
Milwaukee.
From that point on, working in health
care became a priority.
She said its a fulfilling type of practice
because it gives her a chance to serve
people.
Its just a real opportunity to represent
an industry, Klein said, and all of the
multifacets of that industry.
Not only does Klein enjoy her legal

19

practice, she has the added benefit of

being really good at it, said Jerry Janzer,
Reinhart CEO and chairman. Hes worked
with Klein since she started at the firm 17
years ago.
He said shes a great role model and
really involved in the community. She recently, for instance, won an appointment
to the UW Board of Regents.
What I think impresses me the most
about her, Janzer said, is when she
engages on whatever she engages on, she
gives it her complete effort.
Her tenacity becomes evident when
she talks about the sense of ownership
that goes along with the flexibility of her
position at the firm.
Its your own business, Klein said.
Every year you have to start over and
re-create.
- Chris Thompson

CHRISTINE NELSON | nelson, connell, tallmadge & slein

Nelson is lawyer, mentor, friend, trailblazer

Chris Nelson is not only a lawyer to
lawyers, but also a friend to lawyers.
As a malpractice lawyer and a founder
of the firm Nelson, Connell, Tallmadge &
Slein, Nelson has been an objective, yet
accessible shoulder that lawyers can lean
on when they have found themselves in a
tough spot.
She has been counseling, consoling,
cajoling and comforting lawyers with all
sorts of legal and ethical problems for many
years, said John Slein, who is also a partner
at Nelson, Connell, Tallmadge & Slein.
Slein has known Nelson since the late
80s and said she was a mentor to him
when he was first starting out, providing
him wiht advice that has stuck.
Ive been practicing for 32 years, and
in my opinion ... shes one of the best female attorneys actually, one of the best
of any gender in the state, he said.
When Nelson graduated from Marquette Law School in 1979, she said she
was one of 13 women in her class. Despite

her then being part of a rather small

group, she said she has never experienced
anything that she has perceived to stand
in her way as a female attorney.
As a general proposition, any of the
female attorneys that have been practicing
as long as I have all paved the way for the
females that are now practicing, because it
used to be that we were sort of a rarity in
the courtroom, she said.
Nelson became one of the first women
to make partner at the downtown Milwaukee law firm of Kluwin, Dunphy and
Hankin, where Slein said she was always
helping counsel job candidates (whether
they were hired or not). She went on with
her husband to establish her own firm in
Waukesha County and has run it for more
than 25 years.
She was among the top partners in
the firm in terms of production, Slein
said. If you can develop clients and keep
clients happy in a firm, thats huge. ... Shes
always been flush with clients and repeat

20

clients for many years, and that says it

right there for me. Ive always looked up
to that, too. Shes been such a rainmaker
and the clients are always very happy.
She has served as the president of the
Wisconsin Defense Counsel and as a
fee-dispute arbitrator for the State Bar of
Wisconsin. She has also given dozens of
continuing education and client seminars.
She was recognized as a Super Lawyer in
2008-09 and in the Martindale Hubbells
Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers in 2011.
I would say that this is a good job
you have to have a little bit of a stiff spine
to do it. If youre going to go into litigation, you just have to be prepared to work
hard, she said.
Although Slein said she tends to shy
away from awards, her colleagues decided
it was finally time to recognize her as one
of the most deserving and qualified attorneys in the state.
- Alison Henderson

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ELLEN NOWAK | wisconsin public service commission

For Nowak, actions speak louder than words

Ellen Nowak said she has followed an
interesting path to her current position
as the chairperson of the Public Service
Commission of Wisconsin.
After a four-year stint practicing
business litigation at Mallery & Zimmerman, she served as chief of staff to former
Waukesha County Executive Dan Vrakas
before going on to work with the Wisconsin Assembly and School Choice Wisconsin. She was appointed to the Wisconsin
Public Service Commission in 2011 and
was named its chairperson in 2015.
No matter what she does, she gets
results.
As the legal counsel, and subsequently chief of staff, to the speaker of the
Wisconsin Assembly from 2002 to 2006,
Nowak worked on legislation that affected
every resident in Wisconsin. As the deputy director of School Choice Wisconsin,
she helped lift the cap on the number of
students who could attend choice schools,

a policy change with implications for

thousands of families in Milwaukee.
I like work that has a direct impact on
things we did, whether its passing laws or
working with other agencies to implement
legislation, you see the results, she said.
John Wirth, a shareholder at Mallery
& Zimmerman, said Nowak is the highest-ranking female lawyer in Wisconsin government with the exception of
Supreme Court justices, and one of the
highest-ranking women of any profession. Her success, he said, has come in
positions that have been predominantly
held by men.
In addition to her work with the PSC,
she serves on several committees of the
National Association of Regulatory Utility
Commissioners, including its executive
committee; the Committee on Energy
Resources and the Environment; and the
Task Force on Environmental Regulation and Generation. She also serves on

22

the Advisory Council to the Board of

Directors for the Electric Power Research
Institute.
Nowak said she takes great satisfaction
in her work.
There were fights and there were struggles along the way. You see that there are
a lot of passionate viewpoints, and to see
that through to the end when you know
youre making a difference, its a great
thing, she said.
Wirth called Nowak a true trailblazer,
but said she has made a difference quietly.
Her tendency, he said, is to lead by setting
an example, rather than telling other
people what to do.
Nowak agreed.
You can be a more vocal leader, or you
can lead by your actions, she said. And I
see myself as the latter. I hope people just
learn from my actions, and what I do and
how I conduct myself.
- Alison Henderson

MEG PEKARSKE | reinhart boerner van deuren

Pekarske finds hospice law hospitable

Meg Pekarske can explain her legal
career in one sentence: Things just sort
of happened.
That was the case after she earned her
undergraduate degree and wasnt sure
what to do next. She applied to law school
and a few other graduate programs, keeping in mind her father, a teacher, had told
her not to become a lawyer.
When she became a lawyer, life took a
different turn. Shortly after taking a job at
Reinhart Boerner Van Deurens Madison
office, she met two people, Pekarske said,
who would become her mentors: the equity shareholders Mary Michal and Burt
Wagner.
Their practice specializing in health
care and hospice drew her in. Early on,
she worked in long-term care and assisted living.
Michal, though, was trying to get a

hospice practice off the ground. Then

she retired.
I had to make a choice about seven
years into my career, Pekarske said.
She chose hospice, much to the delight
of the firms CEO and chairman, Jerry
Janzer.
She got on the front edge of that early
in her career, he said, and is now nationally known for that.
Janzer, though, said theres more to
Pekarskes commitment to that area of the
law than simply taking the role of chairwoman of the firms Hospice and Palliative Care Practice. He said shes passionate
about it and spends time working with
people in the field.
She does it for her concern for the
hospice industry, Janzer said, and need
to educate people in hospice care.
Pekarske, 41, said she considers it a

23

privilege working with hospice clients.

But being chairwoman of the practice also
comes with its own difficulties.
For instance, no one taught her in law
school how to strike a balance between
empowering her employees and managing
them, she said. Law school also didnt
give her tips on the best way to handle the
death of a colleagues spouse or what to do
when an associate leaves to become a nun,
Pekarske said.
I have lived the truth of: You really
learn the most through the hard stuff,
Pekarske said.
Building the practice and learning how
to manage people hasnt always been easy,
she said, but for someone whose career just
sort of happened, shes not complaining.
I still cant believe, Pekarske said, Ive
done what Ive done.
- Chris Thompson

RHODA RICCIARDI | dane county circuit court

Ricciardi channels her inner Finch

After 10 years working in the banking
industry, Rhoda Ricciardi decided to
pursue a career she had been interested in
as a child.
I remember watching To Kill a Mockingbird and I wanted to be Atticus Finch,
said Ricciardi, a court commissioner for
Dane County. I was also looking for a
career where I could support myself and
my kids, and the law seemed a good fit.
Ricciardi attended the University of
Wisconsin-Parkside to earn a bachelors
degree and then moved to Madison with
her three children to attend the University
of Wisconsin Law School. Following graduation, she was hired by the Office of the
State Public Defender and worked in Sauk
County. For 15 years she handled between
300 and 400 criminal cases annually and
worked as an adjunct professor at the UW
Law School.
I guess I had my opportunity after all
to be Atticus Finch, she said. I enjoyed

helping those who didnt have anyone else

to speak for them.
In 2011, Ricciardi became a Dane
County Circuit Court commissioner.
Beyond presiding over hearings for
cases involving family and paternity law,
mental health, guardianship, small claims,
juvenile and criminal law, she runs the
countys medium-risk drug court.
For the drug court, Ricciardi leads a
team that includes a prosecutor from the
district attorneys office, a public defender
and a liaison from Journey Mental Health,
who manages the bulk of the courts treatment programs.
She meets with her team every Tuesday
and then follows those gatherings with an
in-court review of program participants.
Working on the drug court is the most
challenging part of my job but the most
fulfilling, Ricciardi said. The vast majority of participants are addicted to heroin,
and its our goal to keep them off and to

24

help them get their lives back. Its so hard

to watch people make positive changes,
but then slip back into their old ways.
Ricciardi and her teams work for the
drug court are essential to the general
success of the countys court system,
said Dane County Circuit Court Judge
Rhonda Lanford.
Commissioner Ricciardi works on the
front line to help those battling the very
serious problem of heroin addiction, she
said. Ricciardi really enjoys being the
main cheerleader for the court participants in working toward their goal.
Working with the drug court allows
Ricciardi to continue her passion of working with those who most need help.
The most rewarding part of my job is
definitely watching people graduate from
the court and moving on successfully with
their lives, she said.
MaryBeth Matzek

AMANDA RIEK | state public defenders office

Riek puts the public in public defender

Amanda Riek enjoys rooting for the
underdog.
I always wanted to be a public defender, said Riek, who joined the public
defenders office in Baraboo following
graduation from the University of Wisconsin School of Law. Ive always been
interested in how people interact with
each other and wanted to help people. I
view my job as speaking for people who
need help speaking for themselves.
As a public defender covering Columbia County, Riek takes on a variety of
adult and juvenile cases, ranging from
misdemeanors to homicides.
I find enjoyment advocating for others. My cases offer a lot of variety, which
is what I enjoy most about my work,
she said. I have a lot of compassion
for my clients and I wish my calendar

allowed me to get to know them better.

Last year, Riek secured a not-guilty
verdict in a homicide case a rare feat,
said Anthony Cotton, a partner at Kuchler
& Cotton Law Offices in Waukesha.
Many lawyers practice their entire
career without such a verdict. She secured
the result while still considered a new
attorney by many people, he said.
Rieks advocacy for others began while
in law school when she started a student
chapter of the Wisconsin Association of
Criminal Defense Lawyers. After graduation, Riek ran for and won a seat on
the WACDL Board of Directors.
Amanda is likely the youngest person
ever elected to that board, Cotton said. She
is constantly promoting the organization to
prospective members. She sets an example
for everyone men and women alike.

25

Besides her work with the public

defenders office and the WACDL, Riek
also volunteers at the Sauk County Drug
Court, where she helps those with drug
addictions avoid a criminal conviction.
Just a few years out of law school she
graduated in 2011 Riek said its important
to attend training seminars to learn how to
better defend and work with her clients.
I believe everyone deserves a topnotch defense, she said. Clients want to
know someone is on their side and thats
what I try to do.
Riek credited Janet Hyde, a psychology
and womens studies professor at UW, for
inspiring her.
She was a great mentor and always
encouraged me to be fearless, she said.
MaryBeth Matzek

KRISTEN SCHEUERMAN | herrling clark law firm

Scheuerman finds perfect fit in personal injury law

Kristen Scheuerman never sought to
specialize in personal injury law.
Yet, when she had the opportunity to do
so at Herrling Clark Law Firm in Appleton, she took it and never looked back.
I cant imagine doing anything else,
Scheuerman said. Its a good fit with me
personally.
But Scheuerman doesnt just do what she
loves she excels in it, says John Claypool,
a partner at Herrling Clark.
Shes probably one of the better lawyers
Ive worked with or mentored in terms of
having the whole package, Claypool said.
Shes bright, good with people, clients
like her, shes good with opposing counsel.
Shes just all around extremely talented.
When the firm made Scheuerman a
partner in February she became the first
female personal injury lawyer to rise to
that level at Herrling Clark. And she did it
all while juggling the responsibilities that
come with being a single mother.
I am extremely fortunate, Scheuerman

said. And I dont know that there have

been obstacles because I have a supportive
group of partners. There were no roadblocks as long as I worked hard.
Even people who have worked as opposing parties in her cases sing Scheuermans praise. Jana Cartier, casualty claims
and litigation director at Integrity Insurance, has worked both alongside Scheuerman and against Scheuerman on cases.
Cartier said she has never met another
plaintiff s attorney who appreciates as
much as Scheuerman the benefits of being
able to get a case settled quickly.
Many attorneys are so often against
trying to really amicably resolve the claim
based on the true value, Cartier said.
She obviously has her clients interests
in mind, but she understands that were
working toward the same common goal.
Claypool says the six years Scheuerman
spent in sales before starting her legal
career contributes to her ability to see
eye-to-eye with opposing counsel and

26

basically anyone she encounters.

Shes the real deal, he said. Shes the
whole package, and were just thrilled to
have her on our team.
Scheuerman says she is mainly motivated by a desire to do her best for others.
I want to do right by the people who
have trusted me clients, partners
to do the very best job possible and set
an example for my daughter and she
can hopefully see what the benefits are
of working hard and giving back to the
community, Scheuerman said.
And it looks as if shes on the right track.
Scheuerman often shares her office with
her 4-year old daughter, Quinn, who sits
at her own desk in the office. Although she
may not know what a lawyer does, Quinn
has written on surveys at school that her
mom works a lot on her computer, makes
a lot of phone calls and helps people.
That last part is the most important
part, Scheuerman said.
- Erika Strebel

KATHY SCHILL | michael best & friedrich

Schill drafts a solid litigation career

Jonathan Margolies clearly remembers
the poise Kathy Schill showed when she
handled her first cross-examination and
what she did to the expert witness.
Michael Best & Friedrich was litigating
a case in New Jersey in the late 1990s.
And when Schill faced the witness, she
was nice, polite and got right to the point,
said Margolies, an attorney at the firm for
25 years.
She just devastated this guy with a
smile, he said, adding her prowess has
nothing to do with her being a woman;
shes just a really good attorney.
Schill, now a partner in the firms litigation group, loves coming up with strategies for cases, she said. She specializes in
patent and trademark cases.
The hardest part of the job, she said,
is helping clients manage their expecta-

tions and dealing with unexpected things

that happen in litigation.
Despite her fitting in so well at Michael Best, she never really expected to
end up there, Schill said. She grew up in
Milwaukee and went to Duke University
for undergraduate work and law school.
While there, she met her future husband,
who taught at a nearby high school while
she was finishing her law degree.
Upon her graduation, she looked at
firms in various cities before deciding on
Michael Best back in her hometown.
It wasnt what I expected to do, Schill
said, but it turned out great.
During her time with the firm, she has had
two children. When her second was born,
she said, she struggled with figuring out how
to manage her career with being present the
way I wanted to be present at home.

27

The firm helped her find that balance by

letting her, for the past 15 years, work on
a 60 percent schedule.
I did feel really fortunate that the firm
was willing to give it a go, Schill said.
The firm is happy to have her, Margolies
said. Shes a clear thinker, he said, who
doesnt fight the ridiculous issues, and
she is the clearest and most elegant writer with whom he has worked.
Her first drafts look like my 20th
drafts, Margolies said.
Schill loves writing, she said, because
it gives her a chance to see her research,
analysis and strategies play out. She said
she appreciates the compliment but thinks
her colleague might have gone too far.
Hes prone to exaggeration, Schill said.
- Chris Thompson

AMY SCHMIDT-JONES | michael best & friedrich

Schmidt-Jones adds sophistication

to Michael Best practice group
There are parts of Amy Schmidt-Jones
legal career that were lost in the fog of
motherhood.
The partner at Milwaukees Michael
Best & Friedrich said flat-out fatigue can
do that to someone.
Certainly, I think embarking on being
a mother as well as an attorney was probably one of the biggest challenges in my
career, Schmidt Jones said, because you
want to give 100 percent in both areas.
But, she said, the environment at
Michael Best helped her overcome that
hurdle, and the flexible schedule she kept
during that time did nothing to slow her
career progression.
Now with the firm for nearly 20 years,
she has risen to become chairwoman of
the Labor and Employment Relations
practice group. Her job now has her playing primarily three roles.
First, as a litigator, she represents man-

agement exclusively in cases when, for

instance, a company has been sued by an
employee.
The firms managing partner, David
Krutz, said her talent in that regard also
has helped Michael Best at times when
she represented her own employer. He
didnt go into details but said Schmidt
Jones has guided the firm get out of some
sticky situations and reach amicable
resolutions he didnt think were possible.
Second, she is a counselor for employers, helping them handle employee
complaints and finding ways to avoid
litigation, if possible.
But the job also means she is a manager. She supervises about 40 attorneys and
paralegals and handles strategic directions
for the group, advocates on its behalf and
works with the firms management team.
Its a lot of meetings, Schmidt-Jones
said.

28

Its also a big advantage to the firm,

Krutz said. He said she has one of the
highest intellects of the people in our firm
and the people Ive met and combines
that intelligence with sound judgment,
which helps her cut through legalese
when solving problems.
Shes added the sophistication in a
practice area to take us to the next level
with some of the clients that are multinational or have complex organizational
structures, Krutz said.
Thats a long road to travel for someone
who wasnt sure she wanted to be a lawyer.
Schmidt Jones even tried her hand at
broadcasting with CBS on the East Coast
before choosing law school at New York
University.
It is sort of a way of thinking, she said,
that plays to my strengths.
- Chris Thompson

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ARIELLA SCHREIBER | rural mutual insurance co.

Schreiber blends business with law

Law school didnt teach Ariella
Schreiber enough about business, so shes
going for her MBA in addition to working
a full-time day job.
That one job would be enough for many
people.
As the director of claims for Rural Mutual Insurance Co. in Madison, Schreiber
oversees the property and casualty units
and supervises three managers. She also
has a big say in what approach the company should take to litigation and how much
to pay for settlements.
I try to make sure were making good
decisions, Schreiber said, not only for us
as a company, but also for our insureds.
Working for an insurance company in
Wisconsin wasnt part of Schreibers original plan. In fact, working as an attorney
wasnt necessarily a guarantee either.
A New Jersey native, she went to
Rutgers University and studied chemical

engineering and history. She said she, like

many people, was at loose ends following
college graduation.
She ultimately chose law school at Seton Hall University. But that was nothing
like I imagined and led to some doubts,
Schreiber said.
During that time, though, she went to a
wedding in Wisconsin and met her future
husband. And she stuck with law and
moved to Wisconsin after graduating.
She took a job at a small law firm in
Madison.
When I first started working as an
actual attorney, Schreiber said, that was
when I knew I made the right decision.
Rural Mutual was a client, and five
years ago the company offered her a job as
in-house counsel.
She said her favorite part of the job is
figuring out how to resolve claims and
making sure the company is paying out

30

appropriate amounts. Schreiber said she

also likes the strategy that goes into trials.
I really like working through hard
problems, she said.
Working toward an MBA in her free
time fits that description. Schreiber said
law school teaches people to think like
lawyers, and she now needs to also think
like someone in business.
Her decision to commit so much
personal time to developing into a better
employee isnt lost on Dan Merk, Rurals
vice president and treasurer. He said she is
a skilled attorney who has a deep understanding of insurance contracts.
But taking that next step for an MBA,
he said, is going above and beyond.
I dont know how she does it, he said.
Its incredible.
- Chris Thompson

ANGELA SCHULTZ | marquette university law school

Schultz stays true to her passion

Kindness, patience and compassion are
not words the general public often associates with lawyers.
And yet, those are the attributes Angela
Schultz has developed and seen in law
students and lawyers while working
as assistant dean of public service for
Marquette University Law School. The
schools clinics benefit from the work of
about 3,000 volunteers.
Theres always been kindness infused
in this profession but, at the same time,
this is a profession that is adversarial,
Schultz said. At the end of the day we are
a helping profession.
Schultz credits the more than 10 years
she spent advocating for domestic-violence victims before going to law school
for teaching her how to use kindness,
patience and compassion when guiding
people through difficult situations and the
justice systems many complexities.
And it was that work that helped her
in her move from Oregon to Wisconsin.

When that uprooting took place, Schultz

had been away from Wisconsin for about
half her life.
It was a challenge because I had become
an outsider moving into a place where I felt
this is a network of people who know each
other, she said. But I overcame it just by
relying on what I knew.
Helping her along the way were people
who had a similar interest in domestic-violence work. It was through those
connections that she landed the job she
has now.
Coupled with her law degree, Schultzs
background has made her into a leader
who stands out from the common run,
says Mary Ferwerda, director of the
Milwaukee Justice Center, which is an
access-to-justice project arising from a
collaboration between the Milwaukee Bar
Association, Marquette University Law
School and Milwaukee County.
Shes very knowledgeable about access
to justice issues and how what we do

31

makes a difference, Ferwerda said. She

has a lot of forward thinking in how to
structure a program so that they are effective for clients and for student learning.
One of the greatest joys of Schultzs job
is helping students and watching them
take up pro bono work, then eventually
return as lawyers.
We have a lot of compassionate,
big-hearted people who come out of Marquette Law School who do all kinds of good
things across the community, she said.
Among the various reasons people have
for returning, its often Schultzs dedication to social justice and access to justice
that is the biggest draw, said Matt Parlow,
her boss and associate dean for academic
affairs at Marquette Law School.
People are inspired by that sort of
inner compass that leads her, he said.
I think people are drawn and impressed
by it. I think they enjoy working with her
because of it.
- Erika Strebel

SHEILA SHADMAN | halloin & murdock

Shadman gives back to program that inspired her

Sheila Shadman knows from experience how one class can set a student on a
completely unexpected course.
It happened to her when she was an
undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She was then planning
a career in psychology, but there was a
criminal law class that had caught her
interest.
When she finally got into the class,
she found it was exactly what she hoped
it would be. It laid out the step-by-step
reasoning that goes into criminal law, she
said, and it appealed directly to her love
of problem-solving.
That class, Shadman said, kind of transformed my idea of what I wanted to do.
It set her on a course for Marquette
University Law School, where she discovered Street Law, another class she said can
prove transformative. Street Law lets law

school students teach high-schoolers substantive law. The coursework culminates

in a mock-trial competition.
Now, after being an associate attorney
at Halloin & Murdock for five years,
Shadman has become an adjunct assistant
professor at Marquette and the director of
Street Law.
Its a chance for Shadman to build on a
program that inspired her.
Its focused, she said, on making
the high school students in Milwaukee
informed citizens.
Kimberly Finnigan, a paralegal at the
firm, said she is amazed at how involved
Shadman is outside of work while also
dealing with the demands that are usually
placed on an associate attorney.
I just dont know how she gets the
energy, Finnigan said.
Shadman said she loves the variety. The

32

firm specializes in business, real estate

and construction litigation. Shadman has
devoted much of her time to the latter
practice.
She said she works regularly with architects, engineers and others in the industry. Seldom are two cases alike.
It makes every day exciting, she said.
Finnigan said Shadman has proved
herself to be a talented attorney. One
example of her abilities can be seen in the
work she has done in her native state of Illinois, where she also holds a law license.
Finnigan said Illinois Cook County is a
crazy minefield of rules and regulations.
Even so, Shadman was able to show
quickly through case filings for the firm that
she is comfortable navigating that maze.
That was impressive to me, Finnigan
said, and Ive been a paralegal for 12 years.
- Chris Thompson

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AUDREY SKWIERAWSKI | wisconsin department of justice

Skwierawski fosters change in

Milwaukees criminal justice system
After earning her law degree from Georgetown Law, Audrey Skwierawski was on her
way toward practicing personal injury law.
Then she got held-up at gunpoint while
working in Washington, D.C.
Skwierawski, an assistant attorney general
with a specialty in providing support in
cases involving violence against women, had
been a victim of several crimes. The holdup
was only the latest one. Going through the
court system, she says, sowed the seeds for
her passion for the criminal justice.
Skwierawski packed up her car, drove
back to Milwaukee and applied for a position in the Milwaukee County District
Attorneys Office. She went on to be an
assistant district attorney there for 15 years,
leading the domestic violence unit.
I saw areas of the criminal justice system
that could be made better by the people
inside of it, Skwierawski said. Not on a
grandiose scale but there are these incre-

mental, small things that everybody can do

working in the system to make it better.
And thats what Skwierawski did in Milwaukee while she was an assistant district
attorney and a coordinator for the citys Commission on Domestic Violence and Sexual
Assault, said Terry Perry, Skwierawskis former boss and the former director of the city of
Milwaukees Office on Violence Prevention.
She created a seismic shift in how this
community addresses domestic violence,
sexual assault and violence against women,
Perry said.
Skwierawski was able to bring all the players
to the table to facilitate change in large part
because everyone even law-enforcement
officers and survivors trusted her, said Perry.
Those who worked with her felt she was
a true partner, said Carmen Pitre, president
and chief executive of the Sojourner Family
Peace Center, which collaborated with the
commission Skwierawski used to work for.

34

That ability to connect with people was

something Jane Foley, a domestic violence
victim-witness supervisor at the Milwaukee
County DAs office, often saw when she was
working with Skwierawski on cases involving domestic violence and sexual assault.
She just leans in and has amazing eye
contact and facial expressions, Foley said.
And the range of people she can talk to can
go from an 82-year-old woman who was
violated or little kids or teenagers who
dont want to talk.
Despite those difficult situations, Skwierawski says, the personal rewards of the job
keep her going.
For one, she said, it is a privilege to serve
the people of Wisconsin. Second, she is able
to help people deal with real problems.
Theres a certain finality to it, she said.
You get a jury verdict and you feel like you
have done something.
- Erika Strebel

ELLEN THORN | arndt, bushwell & thorn

Thorn proves she can do it all

Ellen Thorn is well-known for her commitment to her practice, her family and
the village of West Salem.
Twenty-five years ago, Thorn went into
business with her two partners at Arndt,
Bushwell, & Thorn in Sparta. Twenty-six
years ago, she got married to a man who
can now testify to her being an equal
partner in caring for their three children
and the household.
Both have been very successful,
long-lasting, supportive partnerships,
Thorn said.
She has been coaching the West Salem
High School mock trials team since 1989.
She also teaches young lawyers and future
lawyers as a University of Wisconsin Law
School instructor specializing in criminal
law, family law and lawyering techniques.
She is a member of the Wisconsin
Catholic Conference Policy Advisory
Group, has served on the State of Wisconsin Fee Arbitration Panel and the Seventh
Judicial District Citizen Review Panel and

is the president of the Marie W. Heider

Fine Arts Center. She has also been
involved in several other public service
roles, including serving as chairwoman of
the Dioceses of La Crosse Sexual Abuse
Review Board and as a past-president of
both the Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys and the Monroe
County Bar Association.
Thorn graduated from the University
of Wisconsin Law School in 1984 and
now specializes in family law, mediation
and Social Security disability law. Before
helping found Arndt, Bushwell, & Thorn,
she was an assistant state public defender
in La Crosse for six years.
Thorn believes her greatest influence
has been on her daughters, who have
seen firsthand that it is possible to have
a family, be a leader in a profession,
serve on boards and still have time to officiate soccer games. Leading by example
and showing her daughters the importance of being involved has helped them

35

become strong, independent, neat

women, she said.
Daniel Berkos, chairman of the State
Public Defender Board, said that Thorns
commitment to public service is exemplified by her longstanding membership
there. She has been on the board for 13
years, making her the longest-serving
female lawyer, according to Berkos.
Shes very involved in her professional community as well as her personal
community. Shes one of those people
who gives 100 percent to whatever she
does, and I always know that shes going
to be a great advocate for her clients, said
La Crosse County Circuit Court Judge
Gloria Doyle, who has been a friend and
colleague of Thorns for 29 years.
Doyle added that she and Thorn became
especially close while they found themselves working to have both a family and a
legal career at a time when many women
felt they had to choose one or the other.
- Alison Henderson

NANCY WILSON | axley brynelson

Wilson excels in her fast-forward career

When Nancy Wilson decided to back to
school, she put her nose to the grindstone
and went non-stop for five years. All in
one go, she found herself earning her undergraduate degree, masters in accounting and a law degree.
It was not a traditional students experience, Wilson said. I had a mission, and
I did an 18-credit summer in law school.
I was determined to get through it as
quickly as I could.
Wilson, a partner and tax and corporate
attorney at Axley Brynelsons Waukesha
office, says she felt a need to speed things
up. Having spent a decade in the manufacturing industry, she was 30 years old
when she decided to go back to school.
It was about 95 percent men when I
went in, she said. So when I went into
law I didnt find the field at all extreme.
Before choosing the law, Wilson had
a series of manufacturing jobs ranging

from machine operator to vice president.

She cut her teeth in accounting when her
employers bookkeeper quit and she was
elected to step into that role.
Those experiences have given her a
different perspective.
Its given me the ability to, when
working with companies, give some
owners some insight into how workers
are probably feeling and be respectful of
workers and manage the transaction without causing unnecessary alarm or stress to
the company as a whole, Wilson said. It
really taught me how to work on a team.
What makes Wilson stand out both
professionally and personally is the
way she handles adversity, says Sharon
Manlick, operations manager at Axleys
Waukesha office.
I admire her, Manlick said. I just
love her perspective on life. She is just an
incredible person.

36

Manlick got to know Wilson when

Wilson first started at Axley. That was
around the same time Wilson was caring
for her parents, who both died two years
ago, just three months apart.
What got me through that was that
my parents really taught us how to look at
life in a humorous manner versus being
overwhelmed by the seriousness of it,
Wilson said.
Manlick says she is in awe of Wilsons
ability to care for her parents and grieve
while continuing to meet with clients and
help colleagues.
She always made time for everyone,
and she still does, Manlick said. Her
plate is always full but you would never
feel that you are a bother to her. She will
always make time for you.
- Erika Strebel

Arndt, Buswell & Thorn, S.C.

Experienced litigators in all areas of law serving

western and central Wisconsin since 1991.

We proudly congratulate
Ellen Thorn
for being selected as
one of the 2016
Women in the Law
Arndtbuswellthorn.com
Sparta: 608-269-1200
Bangor: 608-486-2257

Congratulations to all of the

Top Women in the Law award
recipients of 2016!
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