James M. Brennan

April 23, 2010 – James M. Brennan, Catholic Charities, won the race for State Bar president-elect, defeating; Sarah Fry Bruch, Crivello Carlson SC; and Margaret Wrenn Hickey, Becker & Hickey SC, and Jay A. Urban, Urban & Taylor SC. Brennan received 1,718 votes, Hickey 1,551, Urban 1,379, and Bruch 583. All four candidates are from Milwaukee. Brennan’s term begins July 1 when James C. Boll Jr., corporate counsel, Madison Gas & Electric, Madison, succeeds Douglas W. Kammer, Kammer & Studinski Chartered, Portage, as State Bar president.

“I am proud to serve the 23,000 members of the State Bar and look forward to helping them advance the interests of their clients, the public, and the profession,” Brennan said. “Lawyers play an essential role in our justice system, and the State Bar is in a unique position to help them refine the special skills they need to solve a wide variety of problems for their clients and society. I fully support the Bar's work to improve access to justice, including its sustained opposition to taxation of legal services.”

Brennan is a 1976 graduate of Marquette University Law School and currently serves as Interim Executive Director of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, a nonprofit social and legal service agency serving ten counties in Southeastern Wisconsin. Twenty percent of his professional time is committed to pro bono work serving homeless individuals and veterans.

Michael J. Remington

In other State Bar races, Michael J. Remington, Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, Washington, D.C., was elected State Bar secretary, defeating Benton C. Strauss, Strauss & Malk LLP, Northbrook, Ill., and Daniel F. Rinzel, Redmon, Peyton & Braswell LLP, Alexandria, Va. Remington received 1,785 votes, Strauss 1,206, and Rinzel 949.

This is the first State Bar election that allowed nonresident members to run for State Bar officer posts. On Nov. 2, 2009, the Wisconsin Supreme Court unanimously approved State Bar petition to amend Supreme Court Rule 10.04(1) to permit non-resident members of the State Bar to hold office as treasurer, secretary, and chairperson of the Board of Governors. Nonresidents comprise more than 30 percent of the State Bar’s total membership. The secretary serves a two-year term.

Catherine A. La Fleur, La Fleur Law Office SC, defeated Gregory John Cook, Greg Cook Law Offices SC, William C. Gleisner III, Law Offices of William C Gleisner III, and Paul J. Scoptur, Aiken & Scoptur SC. for a seat on the Judicial Council. All four candidates are from Milwaukee. La Fleur received 1,452, votes, Scoptur 1,384, Gleisner 1,270, and Cook 572. The Judicial Council representative serves three years.

	Catherine A. La Fleur

Those elected to serve as district representatives on the State Bar Board of Governors are:

District 2

• Colleen D. Ball
  State Public Defender Milwaukee Appellate Division, Milwaukee

• Nathaniel Cade Jr.
  Michael Best & Friedrich LLP, Milwaukee

• Raymond M. Dall’Osto
  Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown LLP, Milwaukee

• Kevin J. Lyons
  Davis & Kuelthau SC, Milwaukee

• Amy E. Wochos
  Milwaukee County Courthouse, Milwaukee

District 4

• William F. Fale
  Fale, Fale & Hemsing, Sheboygan

District 6

• Samuel W. Benedict
  State Public Defenders Office, Waukesha

• Jeffrey R. Zirgibel
  Pasternak & Zirgibel SC, Brookfield

District 8

• R. Michael Waterman
  Mudge, Porter, Lundeen & Seguin SC, Hudson

District 9

• Brian L. Anderson
  DeWitt Ross & Stevens SC, Madison

• Steven A. Levine
  Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, Madison

• Frank D. Remington
  Wisconsin Department of Justice, Madison

• Kelli S. Thompson
  State Public Defenders Office, Madison

District 10

• John T. Schomisch Jr.
  Schomisch Legal Group LLC, Appleton

District 12

• George K. Steil Jr.
  Brennan Steil SC, Janesville

District 14

• Robert R. Gagan
  Calewarts, Duffy & Gagan, Green Bay

District 16

• W. Craig Olafsson
  Wausau

Division Elections

The Government Lawyers Division elected the following to serve two-year terms as directors:

Joseph M. Cardamone III, Kenosha

Kathleen Chung, Madison

Angelina Gabriele, Kenosha

In the Nonresident Lawyers Division, Thomas P. Gehl, Chicago defeated Nicole Klassen, Washington, D.C., 200 votes to 179 for president-elect.

The Nonresident Lawyers Division elected the following to serve two-year terms on the board of directors:

Kimberly Matthei-Briggs, California

Steven H. Schuster, Washington, D.C.

H. Charles Stahmer, Montana

Sarah E. Troupis, Indiana

David M. Werwie, Minnesota

The Senior Lawyers Division elected Thomas G. Ragatz, Madison, president-elect.

The Young Lawyers Division elected Jonathan A. Gruhl, Glendale, to be president-elect. Other YLD officer elections will be held on May 6 at the State Bar Annual Convention in Madison.

All terms begin on July 1.