Candidate for President-elect

Grant E. Birtch

Von Briesen and Roper S.C., Neenah
Email: gbirtch@vonbriesen.com

Platform Statement

My commitment is to each member of the State Bar.

In accepting the nomination for State Bar president-elect, I will work to make the State Bar a relevant and complementary resource for each member.

Through support of local and specialty bar associations, sections, divisions and the board of governors, I will assist the profession in dealing with the current challenges we all face in this rapidly changing legal landscape. This includes addressing processes that seek to supplant lawyers, while promoting new technology and innovations to help lawyers improve their practice.

By supporting leadership opportunities and recognizing our active volunteers, I hope to bring new, talented lawyers to State Bar positions, support our volunteers, and keep them involved throughout their careers. Leadership needs to include perspectives from throughout the bar, including those of government lawyers and non-resident lawyers.

Having served on the Board of Governors, the Finance Committee, and as chair of the Audit Committee, I understand the work done by the State Bar to fulfill its mission in a fiscally responsible way. I will continue to support these efforts.

If elected, I pledge to work to understand and be responsive to the expressed needs of the members of this organization. With the variety of lawyers and the variety of legal work, this requires focusing on strategic priorities to ensure all members are served. I pledge to work with the State Bar to continue efforts to promote access to justice and improve public trust in the legal system. Further, I pledge to continue to encourage diversity and inclusion throughout the organization.

Biography

My legal career began as a civil litigator in the Fox Valley. For the past twenty years I have focused my practice on business, real estate, estate planning and probate. Over these twenty years, I have been an active volunteer mediator. Now, after these years as a lawyer in a small firm, I and my two law partners have begun a new chapter, recently joining von Briesen & Roper, s.c. in the firm’s Neenah Office.

Following a term as President of the Winnebago County Bar Association in 1999, I began volunteering with the State Bar. In support of local bar leaders and local bar associations, I participated on the Local Bar Relations Committee, the Bar Leaders Conference Committee and the Bar Grant Committee. Working with many great lawyers during two terms on the Board of Governors, I served on both the Finance Committee and the Executive Committee. I received the State Bar of Wisconsin’s President’s Award for outstanding service in 2005 for my work as chair of the State Bar Redistricting Committee.

Professional/Bar Leadership

Education

University of Wisconsin Law School J.D. (1990)

Beloit College B.A. (1981)

Personal

In addition to my commitment to the profession, I strongly believe in participating in my community. Locally, I have volunteered for the City of Neenah and for a number of not-for-profit organizations. This includes time as president of the boards of the Neenah-Menasha YMCA and the Christine Ann Domestic Abuse Shelter in Oshkosh.

I live in Neenah with my wife Susan and we have three adult children, Ben (28), Mae (25), and Chris (23).​​