Back to State Bar 2016 Election Officer Candidates.
Candidate for President-elect
Paul G. Swanson
Steinhilber, Swanson, Mares, Marone & McDermott, Oshkosh
Email: pswanson@oshkoshlawyers.com
Platform Statement
I have to confess that, while I don’t feel like a State Bar insider, when I look at my resume of State Bar activities, I must admit that I have been deeply involved in the State Bar of Wisconsin since I was a law student. On the other hand, the “Bar Insider” moniker, in my case, simply means that I enjoy associating myself with lawyers. Yes, I actually like most lawyers. I enjoy being a lawyer for many reasons and have never regretted the choice I made to go to law school.
My Bar activities started as a law clerk for the State Bar of Wisconsin Ethics Committee & CLE Department while in law school. I was fortunate to have worked with the energetic and thoughtful people who helped build the Association to what it is today. Indeed, it is difficult for me to believe that the State Bar of Wisconsin is the complex organization it is today as, upon reflection, there may have been 15 to 20 employees in 1979 compared with the 90-plus we have today.
Our association has become one of the pre-eminent State Bars in the country, providing an unbelievable array of quality products and services to its members. However, I can’t help but notice that many of our members either do not utilize or are not aware of its services.
As the president of our association, I would strive to focus its resources to better serve those who want to get involved. We need to do a more efficient job; be more innovative in providing services to the profession and the public. The association must find a way to encourage more of its members to get involved. Most importantly, we should foster a common bond among us, namely, that we are professionals helping people get along in our society. We solve problems and provide solutions to make things work. These are skills we can be proud of.
Our association, through dues paid by its members and fees generated by, primarily, the Continuing Legal Education program now known as Pinnacle, should direct its resources towards facilitating the various groups’ activities within the State Bar that promote the goals of the Bar. Sections need more support as they drive our association. We need to better identify ways to make State Bar membership more relevant and valued by our Government Lawyers Division as well as the Non-Resident Lawyers Division; both are difficult tasks. Likewise, the Young Lawyers Division needs to be encouraged and provided the resources necessary to engage more of its members in its activities and those of our association. Many of our newer members are struggling. To help these members, the association should foster both competence and public service by providing support to the programs developed by the Young Lawyers’ leadership. Indeed, we have a duty and obligation to our profession to help our members obtain the skills, competence and confidence they need to prosper. They are the future of our association.
I also believe that the Annual Meeting and Conference, recently reintroduced, is the perfect vehicle to allow lawyers to not only sharpen their professional skills, but also gather in a social setting to enjoy each other’s company and develop lasting relationships. The network development that our conferences foster is critical to what we do and who we are. We should strive to make these events something that more of our members will value on many levels. These meetings are, by and large, the best places to meet new professional friends and renew old acquaintances. We come away from these events recharged and ready to tackle new problems. (And who doesn’t enjoy a good party?)
In summary, I would say that my goal as president, should I earn that office, will be to focus our association toward providing support for more of its members. We will encourage more to participate in activities that not only further the profession and the high ideals of integrity, competence and public service, but will continue to foster collegiality, shared interests, and social interaction. We are privileged to practice in a great profession, and I feel that the better we understand each other as lawyers and as people, the better job we will do in furthering our professional interests and serving our clients. This is our State Bar. While we may be compelled by our Court to join it, our predecessors have built a great institution within which we serve. We owe it to those who follow to make it better.
Biography
Current position
Partner in firm of Steinhilber, Swanson, Mares, Marone & McDermott (Oshkosh), also known as Steinhilber, Swanson, Resop & Sipsma (Madison)
Paul primarily represents corporate and individual debtors in complex business reorganization strategies, out-of-court restructurings, and formal Chapter 11 reorganizations. Additionally, he represents individuals in financial distress, and has considerable experience representing farmers and others in the agricultural sector. He has been a Chapter 7 panel trustee in the Eastern District of Wisconsin since 1983, presiding over tens of thousands of Chapter 7 cases on behalf of the United States Trustee.
Education
J.D., University of Wisconsin Law School
B.A., Business Administration-Accounting, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
Professional Activities
Current Treasurer, State Bar of Wisconsin, serving on its Executive and Finance Committees
Past Chair and member, Continuing Legal Education Committee
Past Chair and member, Bankruptcy, Insolvency, and Creditors’ Rights Section
Past President, State Bar Young Lawyers Division
Past Chair, Board of Governors (2014-15); Governor for terms 1987 -1995 and 2008-2015
Co-Chair, American Bankruptcy Institute Central States Conference
Past President, National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees (2005); Board member 1994-2006
Chapter 7 panel trustee, Eastern District of Wisconsin
Co-Chair, Federal Judicial Selection Commission for the State of Wisconsin
Member, Milwaukee Bar Association, American Bankruptcy Institute, American Bar Association, and the Eastern District of Wisconsin Federal Bar Association
Professional Recognitions
Selected to Super Lawyers (2005, 2007-2015)
Educational Activities
Lecturer on bankruptcy related topics for the State Bar of Wisconsin, American Bankruptcy Institute, National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees, Law Education Institute, National Advocacy Center, LSU Continuing Education, and the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges.
Personal
Paul and his wife, Jody, live on the shores of Lake Winnebago in Oshkosh with their dog, Spot. They have twins, Michael and Alexandra, who are, thankfully, graduating from college this year and will presumably enter the workforce. Paul’s spare time is spent skiing, snowshoeing, bicycling, and sailing. He promises to, if elected President, maintain those activities and, thus, retain perspective.
