Sherwood K. Zink

Personal

• Residence: Madison, Wis.
  
  
• Married; two children

Education

• University of Wisconsin, B.A. (1965)
  
  
• U.W. Law School, J.D. (1969)

Current practice

Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD), Office of the Secretary, emphasizing health, public welfare and child support laws. Responsibilities include appellate litigation and serving as liaison to the Legislature and state court administration

Current professional activities

• State Bar of Wisconsin: Board of Governors; Executive Committee; Facilities Committee; board liaison to Children and Law, Criminal Law, and Administrative and Local Government sections; Government Lawyers Division president and liaison to Delivery of Legal Services Implementation Committee; and state liaison to Family Law Section
  
  
• American Bar Association: Family Law Section Committee; Government and Public Sector Lawyers Division Leadership Institute Planning Committee
  
  
• Dane County Bar Association: Program Committee
  
  
• Wisconsin State Attorneys Association: President and Board of Directors

Past professional activities

• Speaker at Harvard, Northwestern and U.W. law schools, the National Center for State Courts, the National Conference of State Legislators, ABA and State Bar of Wisconsin conferences, state judicial workshops and various continuing legal education seminars
  
  
• Author, numerous articles and books including The Wisconsin Child Support Prosecutors' Desk Reference
  
  
• State Bar of Wisconsin Board of Governors, Finance Committee, and section and division officer, board member and committee member
  
  
• Co-chair, The Wisconsin Child Support Prosecutors' Council
  
  
• President, The Wisconsin State Attorneys' Association, 1990-present
  
  
• United States "legal expert" to France and Germany in negotiations to implement international treaties affecting children

My turn

"No Higher Calling" is the motto of the ABA's Government and Public Sector Lawyers Division, but I believe it should refer to our entire profession. The lawyers of this state have proven that there is no higher calling than lawyering by their selfless contributions of their time to their pro bono clients, their communities, their local bar associations and their State Bar. It is that volunteerism that is the State Bar's lifeblood, and it is the Bar's committees, sections and divisions that are its arteries.

However, recent membership poll results reflect increasing alienation from the Bar. The most significant findings were:

• Leadership is out of touch with the average member's problems;
  
  
• The Bar is doing little to help deal with real-world problems faced by members; and
  
  
• The Bar does not do enough to address loss of professionalism.

Clearly, the Bar as a service organization for lawyers is not perceived as responsive to the needs of its "rank and file." With more than an $8 million annual income, it spends only about $70,000 each year on local bar relations. Yet we spend more than $420,000 on meetings of the Board of Governors and committees. With two-thirds of the Bar's members in small firms or solo practice and another fifth of its members in government or corporate law offices who have limited contact with Bar governance, there is some basis for members' negative perceptions.

To respond to members needs, we must:

• Involve a cross section of members in our strategic planning. The technology and law practice of the 21st century will be different, but we won't be. Bar leadership must be more aware of the needs of members for services that will help members cope with change. The Bar needs to better identify the services that its members need and want. It is important that we be more of a "full service" organization for members. These services may include nontraditional ones such as financial or computer consultation, especially for those lawyers whose firms dissolve or whose employment is at risk.
  
  
• Decentralize Bar resources to "bring the Bar to its members." Often the information produced by the great work of Bar committees and our fine Bar staff does not reach other members. Bar leadership must be more accessible to members, through regional meetings and regular audio-video call-in programs with Bar leaders. State Bar staff needs to be assigned as field staff to work with local bars to identify ways to assist those organizations whenever needed.
  
  
• Be more concerned with perceptions in public relations. The Bar as the public representative of our profession is too often perceived as an apologist for the vested interests of lawyers. It must establish better guidelines for public policy positions to avoid Bar advocacy on controversial matters not directly affecting the profession. The Bar must forge a new partnership with the courts for public outreach and establish itself as a "friend of the Legislature" on matters of legal policy.
  
  
• Make the Bar more businesslike. The CLE "business" is losing "market share" despite its heavy reliance upon volunteers. Accounting for more than two-thirds of our income, the business side of our association must be more efficiently managed to avoid price increases and further dues increases. For example, the Bar must institute reasonable cost controls on travel and meeting expenditures.

My experience in Bar governance and my understanding of the complex critical issues facing the Bar makes me keenly aware of the challenges before the Bar as we approach the 21st century. As a State Bar governor, a member of the Executive Committee this year and a member of the Finance Committee last year, I know the Bar's internal operations and finances. As an officer and board member in various sections for nearly 20 years, I know what attracts and motivates volunteers. As house counsel for the state's largest agency, I learned the importance of management teamwork. As president of the Government Lawyers Division for two years and president of the Wisconsin State Attorneys Association since 1990, I understand that lawyers need leaders who listen.

With endorsements from the majority of the members of the Board of Governors, many past presidents, section and division leaders, and public and private practitioners, I have the grassroots support necessary to help build a consensus among members. But, I need your vote to make the State Bar truly the Bar for all Wisconsin lawyers.

Please see the candidate's ad on page 67. To contact Mr. Zink, call his office at (608) 266-3284, or email: He can also be reached at home, (608) 233-6448, or by personal e-mail.

Wisconsin Lawyer