Candidate for President-elect
David E. Lasker
Juneau County Corporation Counsel, Mauston
Email:
1davidlasker@gmail.com
Platform Statement
I grew up respecting lawyers and wanting to be one. My father, Morris Lasker, was a lawyer, who became a federal judge - and ultimately a revered one – in the Southern District of New York and the District of Massachusetts. Lawyers are extraordinary human beings – intelligent, well-educated, and caring people who wish to be of service to others. We practice law because we want to make a difference in this world.
I just paid my bar dues for the 51st time since graduating from U.W. Law School and becoming a lawyer in 1973. So, as a senior member, I certainly know the State Bar and what it does for lawyers and also for the public that relies on them. I'm impressed with the uniform excellence of the State Bar – its staff and participating attorneys on the board of governors and in numerous committees and programs. I would be honored to be president-elect of such an outstanding organization.
As president, my first duty would be to serve as a reliable steward of the continued success of the State Bar. I would work to ensure continuation of the many thoughtful innovations introduced by past Bar presidents and elected officials, such as supporting the mental health and well-being of lawyers and the continued success of WisLAP. I have been active in WisLAP as a mentor and a monitor for decades and was privileged to be recognized as "Volunteer of the Year" in 2013. WisLAP is an important part of the State Bar.
What I bring to this position is experience and – with that – wisdom. I was a trial and appellate litigator, primarily in civil rights, for 33 years. I have argued before the U.S. Supreme Court and have been lead attorney in 41 reported cases. I've now served as corporation counsel for Juneau County for over 15 years, handling cases involving children and families, mental commitments, guardianships and protective placements, enforcement of ordinances, and generally managing all the legal affairs of a medium-sized Wisconsin county. Before that, I was a sixth-grade teacher and camp counselor, a political activist as an aide to Senator William Proxmire, chief of staff to Governor Patrick Lucey when he ran for vice president in 1980, and a candidate for Dane County District Attorney in 1982.
I've never met another lawyer who wasn't of real interest to me. We're such a diverse lot by background and personality – and most often highly respectable. I've often said, "there are as many ways to lawyer your way through a problem as there are people with law degrees." I do understand lawyers and how we think and what we do.
I also have a good understanding of people – how we see things, what we feel, and what we want. I hope to enhance the relationship between the Bar and the public, who really don't know much about lawyers other than lawyer jokes. They aren't clear about how we're trained, what good and honest advocacy can do for them, what we do in the everyday practice of law, or for that matter why we charge the fees we do. We talk among ourselves about such things, but I am committed to better outreach with the public.
I've had an interesting life. My personal experiences have seasoned me with a deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. In 2022, I published a memoir entitled
See What the Future Brings (a memoir of my life as a civil rights lawyer, political activist, and ordinary person). It received a favorable review in
Wisconsin Lawyer magazine last summer under the heading by the reviewer of "Verdict: Touchdown!" [see 96 Wis. Law. 48-49 (June 2023).] The book is a transparent account of who I am.
Generally, I have a pretty good idea of how our world works – its politics, government, courts, economics, and social institutions. I would like to help the State Bar maintain and expand its service to others.
I want every lawyer in Wisconsin to know that the State Bar is here to help them – whatever the problem might be. I believe the help we provide will not just strengthen the individual attorney but will also improve the quality of care we provide to clients and the public.
I ask for your vote. Thank you.
Biography
David E. Lasker was born on Aug. 15, 1945, which was the official date of the end of World War II. He grew up in Chappaqua, New York, and graduated from Horace Greeley High School in 1963, from UW-Madison in 1967, and from U.W. Law School in 1973.
He's lived in Wisconsin ever since, practicing as a sole proprietor in Madison and for many years as a partner in Julian, Olson & Lasker, S.C. He did trial and appellate work as a civil rights attorney for over 33 years. He was lead counsel in 41 reported cases and has argued before the U.S. Supreme Court. He's also admitted to practice in the courts of appeals of the Seventh and Eighth Circuits, the district courts of the Eastern and Western districts of Wisconsin and the District of Minnesota, and the Wisconsin Supreme Court. He is currently corporation counsel for Juneau County and has served in that position for over 15 years working in the public interest.
Lasker is a past chairperson of the State Bar Individual Rights and Responsibilities Section and a participant in WisLAP, recognized as "Volunteer of the Year" in 2013. He's a long time political activist and was an aide to Sen. William Proxmire. Before getting his law degree, he also was a sixth-grade schoolteacher on a Sioux reservation in Nebraska and in Middleton, Wisconsin, as well as a newscaster on Wisconsin Public Radio and assistant director of a summer camp for emotionally troubled youth in New York. He was a candidate for Dane County district attorney in 1982, and was chief of staff to former governor and ambassador to Mexico Patrick Lucey when he ran for vice president in 1980.
He is the author of
See What the Future Brings (a memoir of my life as a civil rights lawyer, political activist, and ordinary person) (David E. Lasker, Lake Delton, WI: 2022). He loves spending time with his three grandchildren.
