Candidate for Secretary
Chuck Stertz
Outagamie County District Attorneys Office, Appleton
Email: Chuck.Stertz@da.wi.gov
Platform Statement
I am honored to be nominated for the office of State Bar Secretary. I am proud of the Bar, its members, and its many programs. Every day the Bar works to increase access to justice, promote a high-functioning justice system, ensure a commitment to diversity and inclusion, and improve the competitive advantage for Wisconsin lawyers. These strategic goals are not simply aspirational, every part of the Bar, from its staff to its divisions, sections, and committees, work very hard to advance these goals.
Having served as the chair of the criminal law section, the president of the Young Lawyers Division, chair of the Policy Committee, and having served 5 years on the Board of Governors, I bring a unique understanding of the Bar’s many functions, programs, and interests. I have developed an awareness of how leaders within the Bar can work with the various sections, division, and committees to maximize the impact of each event or program. As secretary, I will use that knowledge to help each State Bar committee, section, and division advance the Bar’s missions while meeting their individual goals and objectives.
Biography
I live within walking distance of the courthouse in downtown Appleton with my wife and two young daughters. I am an Assistant District Attorney for Outagamie County with a caseload primarily focused on the youthful offender diversion program, providing the opportunity to prosecute a wide-variety of criminal activity with an eye on finding resolutions outside the criminal courts that make victims whole and rehabilitate the youthful offender. I represent my office on the county’s evidence based decision making (EBDM) committee, as well as the county’s coordinating council. These groups are made up of representatives from service providers, probation agencies, defense counsel, judges, victims, community members, and prosecutors. Their goal is to find creative ways to improve the justice system so as to decrease recidivism and improve the criminal justice for all involved including victims, witnesses and defendants.
My volunteer service with the Bar includes leadership roles with the Young Lawyers Division, the Criminal Law Section, and various committees including: the Executive Committee, Strategic Planning Committee, Public Education Committee, and Legislative Oversight Committee. Additionally, I served on the Executive Director search committee and the disparate incarceration committee. I am also proud to represent the State Bar as a delegate to the ABA House of Delegates, and to be an elected member of the council of the ABA Government and Public Sector Lawyers Division.
