Candidates for Board of Governors

The following names were submitted by nomination petition for election to the Board of Governors.

• District Map
• View Officer Candidates

District 1 (one vacancy)​

• Steven C. Harvey, Wassel, Harvey & Schuk LLP, Delavan, Marquette 1993 [Statement]

• Daniel J. Blinka, Godfrey & Kahn SC, Milwaukee, U.W. 2005 [Statement]
• Milton L. Childs Sr., State Public Defenders Office, Milwaukee, Marquette 2003 [Statement]
• Michael J. Cohen, Meissner Tierney Fisher & Nichols SC, Milwaukee, Marquette 1986 [Statement]
• Hannah C. Dugan, Law Offices of Hannah C. Dugan LLC, Milwaukee, U.W. 1987 [Statement]
• Martin P. Gagne, Gagne & O'Halloran LLC, Milwaukee, Boston University 1981 [Statement]
• Gregg M. Herman, Loeb & Herman SC, Milwaukee, U.W. 1977 [Statement]
• Brett H. Ludwig, Foley & Lardner LLP, Milwaukee, Minnesota 1994 [Statement]
• Nicholas C. Zales, Zales Law Office, Milwaukee, Marquette 1989 [Statement]

District 3 (one vacancy)

• Peggy A. Lautenschlager, Lautenschlager Law Office, Fond du Lac, U.W. 1980 [Statement]

• Bruce J. Brovold, Kostner, Koslo & Brovold LLC, Arcadia, U.W. 1975 [Statement]

• Daniel P. Fay, Oakton Avenue Law Offices SC, Pewaukee, Marquette 1977 [Statement]
• Ronald J. Sonderhouse, Wolff & Sonderhouse LLP, Waukesha, Detroit 1990 [Statement]

• John R. Orton, Curran, Hollenbeck & Orton SC, Mauston, Marquette 1981 [Statement]

• Truscenialyn Brooks, Perkins Coie LLP, Madison, U.W. 2011 [Statement]
• Douglas S. Buck, Foley & Lardner LLP, Madison, U.W. 1993 [Statement]
• Jeff A. Goldman, DeWitt Ross & Stevens SC, Madison, U.W. 2003 [Statement]

• Howard J. Bichler, St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin, Webster, Marquette 1976 [Statement]
• Benjamin Lane, Wiley Law SC, Chippewa Falls, U.W. 2010 [Statement]

• Robert G. Barrington, Dodge County District Attorney's Office, Beaver Dam, U.W. 2007 [Statement]

• Kelly L. Mould, Johnson Bank, Racine, U.W. 2011 [Statement]
  
  

More about the candidates...

Steven C. Harvey of Dousman. Marquette University, J.D. 1993. University of Notre Dame, B.A., 1989. Wassel, Harvey & Schuk, LLP, Partner, Delavan. Member, State Bar of Wisconsin; Walworth County Bar Association; United States District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin.

Steven C. Harvey Campaign Statement

When was the last time you actually spoke to your State Bar representative?

I am Steven Harvey and am running for the State Bar of Wisconsin Board of Governors for District 1, comprised of Jefferson, Walworth and Kenosha Counties. I am a partner in the Delavan law firm of Wassel, Harvey and Schuk LLP. I graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1989, and from Marquette Law School in 1993. I have practiced from Delavan throughout my 21-year career, advancing from an associate to a partner with the same attorney who first hired me.

I have three partners, who have anywhere from thirteen to over thirty years of experience. We practice in the areas of law that people need most, from family and probate law to business litigation, municipal representation and landlord/tenant law.

I have personally witnessed the needs that attorneys have at different stages of their careers.

Although the State Bar is charged with managing and directing the State Bar, too many attorneys do not know what the State Bar does, other than charge a yearly fee. I will communicate regularly with District 1 Bar members to make sure they know what the Bar is doing, and more importantly, what the Bar can do for them.

I will attend county bar association meetings regularly to keep attorneys apprised of Bar affairs and to promote services offered by the State Bar. The State Bar is a splendid organization, but there are many available services that are not fully used by members. I will strive to link you, the practicing attorney, to all the business advantages the State Bar can offer to you.

Please consider voting for me in the upcoming State Bar election, and I look forward to meeting with you very soon!

Daniel J. Blinka of Milwaukee. University of Wisconsin Law School, J.D. 2009. I am a litigation attorney at Godfrey & Kahn, S.C., in Milwaukee. I represent clients entangled in government enforcement actions, principally actions brought by the SEC, and related litigation. My practice also focuses on general commercial litigation. I am a member of the American Bar Association, State Bar of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Bar Association, Seventh Circuit Bar Association, and Eastern District of Wisconsin Bar Associations. I am the President-Elect of Milwaukee Young Lawyers Association. I am actively involved in local bar associations as well as the State Bar of Wisconsin. Most recently I served on the State Bar’s Committee on Challenges Facing New Lawyers.

Milton L. Childs of Milwaukee. Marquette University, J.D., 2003. Assistant State Public Defender, Milwaukee Juvenile and Mental Health Office. Member of State Bar of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Bar Association, Wisconsin Association of African American Lawyers, and U.S. District Court, Eastern District of WI. Published Marquette Elder’s Advisor Law Review and American Bar Association. Edited Chapters in State Bar of Wisconsin Juvenile Law Handbook. Former Member of the State Bar of Wisconsin Solo and Small Firm Practice Committee. Operated solo law practice in the areas of bankruptcy, business, civil, contracts, criminal, employment discrimination, estate planning, family, landlord/tenant, non-profit organizations and small claims. Facilitated trainings in juvenile law, termination of parental rights, misdemeanors, and prison re-entry. Master of Business Administration from Keller Graduate School of Management. Honorable Discharge from U. S. Marine Corps. Member of American Legion. WIAA Basketball Official. Board Member of Civic Music Association of Milwaukee. Music and Worship Arts Coordinator at Tabernacle Community Baptist Church of Milwaukee.

Michael J. Cohen is a shareholder with the law firm of Meissner Tierney Fisher & Nichols S.C., in Milwaukee and serves on the firm’s Executive Committee. He concentrates his practice on complex commercial litigation, including non-compete and business torts, complex insurance coverage, and environmental/toxic torts. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin and law degree from Marquette University Law School. He has served one term on the Board of Governors and has served on the Policy Committee, the Judicial Election Steering Committee and as the Board of Governors liaison to the Ethics Committee. He is a past-President of the Milwaukee Bar Association and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Milwaukee Bar Association Foundation. He has also been very active in a leadership role with the Milwaukee Justice Center. He has been named on the Top 50 Wisconsin Super Lawyers® list (2008-2014); Top 25 Super Lawyers® in Milwaukee (2011-2014); and The Best Lawyers in America® (2010 - 2015), Milwaukee Insurance Lawyer of the Year (2014) and has received the Wisconsin Law Journal’s Leaders in the Law award (2011). He is seeking to be reelected to his second term on the Board of Governors.

Michael J. Cohen Campaign Statement

I would welcome the opportunity to be re-elected as a District 2 Board of Governors representative. My primary objective is to continue to work diligently to help provide the efficient delivery of relevant and valued services to State Bar members. I have very much enjoyed my first term on the Board of Governors, which has gone remarkably fast. Like everything else, there is a learning curve to the business of the State Bar and I have learned quite a bit over the last two years. It has been a very enriching experience in many ways.

I have been active on the Policy Committee, the Judicial Election Steering Committee, and as the Board of Governors liaison to the Ethics Committee and have very much enjoyed my interactions with these committees. We have made a lot of progress on the Policy Committee over the course of my first term in reviewing policies of the Bar and deciding which policies are obsolete, which should be modified and which should remain as statements of our organization for lobbying and other purposes.

I feel like we are doing some great things in the State Bar and have very much appreciated the opportunity to be a part of that progress.

Prior to being elected to the Board of Governors, I was very active in the Milwaukee Bar Association over the last decade, culminating in the honor of serving as President of the MBA. As with my work on the Board of Governors, I am proud of the work I did on behalf of the MBA. I still serve on the Executive Committee of the MBA Board and also serve as a board member of the Milwaukee Bar Association Foundation.

My work with the State Bar has also involved being active in the Litigation Section and having served as co-coordinator of the High School Mock Trial Tournament in the Milwaukee region for almost 20 years. The High School Mock Trial Tournament is just one of many excellent State Bar programs.

I have served on the Executive Committee of my firm, Meissner Tierney Fisher & Nichols S.C., for over a decade and on my firm’s board of directors for over twenty years. I have also served on several non-profit boards, including a ten-year term for the Alliance for the Mentally Ill and my present work with the International Foundation of Gastrointestinal Disorders.

My work on these boards, including participation in the management of my own firm, gives me a breadth of experience and insight in how both bar associations and boards in general function. I pride myself both as a litigator and as a leader on working cooperatively with others and finding creative solutions to problems and would like to continue to bring those skills to Board of Governors.

My wife and I have two girls and reside in Whitefish Bay.

It would be both an honor and a pleasure to continue to represent Milwaukee lawyers on the Board of Governors and I ask for your vote.

Hannah C. Dugan of Milwaukee. University of Wisconsin Law School, J.D. 1987, and B.A. 1981, Boston College, Mass., 1983. Law Offices of Hannah C. Dugan LLC. (2010-present) Legal Action of Wisconsin (seven years) and Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee (eleven years). Member of State Bar of Wisconsin, U.W. Law School Board of Visitors (1997-present), Milwaukee Bar Association (president 1999-2000), Association for Women Lawyers (Scholarship Committee), Serjeant’s Inn – Milwaukee. Previous State Bar offices/appointments include: Board of Governors (1996-1998), Access to Justice Commission (2009-2014) (treasurer), Supreme Court Policy & Planning Advisory Committee (2002-2008), Commission on Delivery of Legal Services (1994-1998) (Pro Bono Committee chair), Professional Ethics Committee (1996-2002) (Vice-Chair), Legal Assistance Committee (1990-1994). Wisconsin Supreme Court appointments include: Wisconsin Judicial Commission (2000-2006) (Chair), Wisconsin Supreme Court Ethics 2000 Commission (2002-2007), Supreme Court Referee for Attorney Disciplinary Matters (2010-present).

Marty Gagne is a current member of the Board of Governors, elected in 2013. He also sits on the Board of Governors Policy Committee and is the Board's liaison to the State Bar Family Law Section Board of Directors. He is running for his second and final term. Marty is a 1981 cum laude graduate of Boston University Law School. He was a public defender in the Milwaukee Trial Office from 1981-1985, a partner at Hansen, Gagne & Foley from 1986 until 2001 and has been a partner at Gagne & O'Halloran since that date. His practice is focused on family law. He is a former chairperson of the Milwaukee Bar Association Family Law Section Board of Directors, a former member of the Milwaukee County Bench Bar Committee, and of the Board of Directors for Legal Action of Wisconsin. He is currently a member of the Leander J. Foley Matrimonial Inns of Court, Milwaukee Bar Association, the State Bar of Wisconsin Family Law Section, the Divorce Cooperation Institute, Inc., and the Collaborative Family Law Council of Wisconsin, Inc. He has been married to Jane Foley for 30 years. They are the proud parents of two adult children.

Gregg Herman is a shareholder with the law firm of Loeb & Herman SC, which practices exclusively family law. He is a 1974 graduate of the University of Wisconsin and 1977 graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School. From 1977-1984, Gregg was an Assistant District Attorney for Milwaukee County, prosecuting nearly 100 jury trials ranging from white-collar crime to first degree murder. He joined Leonard Loeb in the practice of family law in October 1984. He is Board Certified in Family Law Trial Advocacy by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He was chair of the American Bar Association Family Law Section from August 2007 through August 2008. He is also a past chair of the State Bar Family Law Section and President of the Milwaukee Bar Association. Gregg is currently on the Board of Governors of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and the Wisconsin Chapter of the AFCC. He is the author of Settlement Negotiation Techniques in Family Law: A Guide to Improved Tactics and Resolution, published by the ABA Family Law Section. His law firm authors Family Law in Wisconsin: A Forms and Procedures Handbook, published by the State Bar of Wisconsin.

Gregg Herman Campaign Statement

As a member of the Board of Governors of the State Bar of Wisconsin, it would be my goal to represent the lawyers of District 2, while keeping in mind the overall purpose of the bar association as an entity representing the legal system as a whole.

The above is not simple. Lawyers need a voice to advocate for their interests. This includes areas such as the unauthorized practice of law, sales tax on legal fees, the integrity of the profession and much more. Lawyers need to have the organized bar understand the economics of the practice and advocate for their interests.

At the same time, bar associations represent the legal system to the public. Given the low opinion of lawyers by society, it is important that we make efforts to educate the public about the good lawyers do – and the value of our legal system in making this a free and productive society.

These goals are by no means mutually exclusive. Lawyers perform highly valuable services to society, including more pro bono work than any other profession. In order for these services to continue, lawyers need to make a living and society should understand and appreciate these services.

I’ve served three prior terms on the Board of Governor over the years, so I have an understanding of its role. In addition, I’ve served in various positions with the State Bar of Wisconsin, including as chair of the Family Law Section (2007-08), chair of the Section Leaders Advisory Board (1997-2004) and on the editorial board of the Wisconsin Lawyer. Through these positions, I’ve learned a great deal about the State Bar, its strength and its weaknesses.

In addition, I’ve worked both as a government lawyer as a prosecutor for seven years and in private practice for the last thirty years. So, I have an appreciation of the court system, public and private practice.

The ability of one member of the Board of Governors is obviously quite limited in his or her ability to make major – and maybe even minor – impact. However, as a representative of the lawyers in District 2, if elected I will make every effort to balance this issues and advocate for the good my constituents and the legal system.

Brett H. Ludwig is a litigation partner at Foley & Lardner LLP. In addition to a general civil litigation practice, he specializes in insurance and reinsurance disputes. Among other honors, he has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® and recognized by The Legal 500 for his work in insurance law. He is Chair of the Pro Bono Committee for Foley’s Milwaukee office and an active member of the Eastern District of Wisconsin Bar Association’s (EDWBA’s) Pro Bono Committee. Brett received his J.D. degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Minnesota, where he was a Managing Editor on the Minnesota Law Review. He was also elected to the Order of Coif. He received his bachelor's degree, with highest honors, from the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. Brett is a member of the Milwaukee, Ozaukee County, Eastern District of Wisconsin and Seventh Circuit Bar Associations. He is currently the co-chair of the EDWBA Civil Practice Committee and last year was appointed to the Eastern District of Wisconsin Local Rules Committee. He and his wife, Melissa Bleidorn, and children, Maddie (11) and Ryan (6) live in Mequon.

Brett H. Ludwig Campaign Statement

I am eager to continue to represent the lawyers of Milwaukee County on the Board of Governors. Our profession continues to wrestle with important issues that affect all of us. During my first term on the Board of Governors, I tried to bring both common sense and consensus-building to the State Bar’s efforts to deal with those challenges. I have worked on the State Bar’s Judicial Election Steering Committee, which seeks to bring reform to our Supreme Court election process. I have also worked to bring common sense to the State Bar’s Policy Committee. I look forward to the opportunity to carry on that work and would appreciate the chance to pursue other efforts aimed at improving our system of justice and our profession.

I would be honored to continue to represent the lawyers in Milwaukee County on the Board of Governors.

Nicholas C. Zales of Milwaukee. Marquette University, J.D., 1989. Owner of the Zales Law Office. Admitted to practice in Wisconsin in 1989, the U.S.D.C. (E.D. Wis.) in 1989, and the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in December 1998.

Professional Memberships and Publications: Board of Governors, District 2 (Milwaukee County): 1995-97, 2002-05, 2007-11 & 2012-14. Chairperson: State Bar Finance Committee (2009-10); Communications Committee (2011-17), Dunn Author’s Award. Subcommittee Chair: 2014-15. State Bar President’s Award for excellence in service (2010). Strategic Planning Committee: (2009-10). BOG Policy Committee (2012-13), BOG Governance Committee (2013-14). BOG Chair Nominating Committee (2009). Professionalism Committee (2005-06); Election Policies Committee (1996-97); Judicial Independence Committee (1993-94). Board of Governors Liaison to the: Indian Law Section Board (2012-13); Communications Committee (2003-04, 2012-13); IRR and Agricultural/Agribusiness Law Sections (2008-09). Appellate Practice Section (2002-04; 2013-14) and the Insurance for Members Committee (2003-04). Section Memberships: Appellate Practice Section (2002-15); Family Law Section (2011-15). Author: Thirteen book reviews for the Wisconsin Lawyer magazine (1996-2013); Sixteen feature In Chambers interview articles on Wisconsin Court of Appeals judges and Supreme Court Justices for “De Novo,” the newsletter of the Appellate Practice Section; Wisconsin Judicial Council – President-elect James Brennan’s designee (2010-2011); WisTAF Board of Directors (2010-16).

Peggy A. Lautenschlager of Fond du Lac. University of Wisconsin, J.D., 1980. Lautenschlager Law Office, previously Bauer & Bach, Lawton & Cates, Williams, King & Lautenschlager, and Mueller & Lautenschlager. Member: State Bar of Wisconsin, Fond du Lac County Bar Association, Dane County Bar Association, Western District Bar Association, Society of Attorneys General Emeritus, Legal Association for Women. Former Winnebago County District Attorney, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Attorney General, Representative to Wisconsin Assembly. Former Adjunct Instructor: U.W. Law School, Ripon College, U.W.-Oshkosh. Former member: Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys, ASTOP Board of Directors, Legal Services of Northeast Wisconsin, Big Brothers and Sisters, Fond du Lac and Oshkosh. Current member: Blandine House Board of Directors, EMERGE Wisconsin Board of Advisors, Wisconsin NARAL.

Peggy A. Lautenschlager Campaign Statement

The continuing challenge of the State Bar of Wisconsin is to remain relevant to all of its members — whether from big firms or small, in public or private practice, specializing in a specific type of law or a more general practice, or serving a local or national clientele. The State Bar must serve every lawyer, from those who have just finished law school to the older lawyer winding down a practice.

Doing so requires a Board of Governors that represents, or at least recognizes, this diversity, and strives to find common ground while serving the needs of all. The strength of the State Bar Board of Governors comes from the collective and diverse experiences of its members and those members’ ability to address issues and reach resolution to challenges by finding that common ground, while respecting the individual differences within the profession.

My legal career has included work in both the public and private sectors, in state and federal court, in solo, small and large legal practices, as an associate and a supervisor, and with many types of cases and clients. I have also worked in and with legislative bodies at all levels of government.

These experiences, in my almost 35 years as a member of the State Bar, give me somewhat unique insight to serve effectively as a member of the Board of Governors. First and foremost, I would use this position to reach out to members in Dodge, Fond du Lac, and Winnebago Counties, serving as a conduit between the State Bar and its individual members, listening to members, and voicing their concerns. Second, I would be a spokesperson for the concerns of attorneys in small and mid-sized communities, in small and mid-sized firms, with an emphasis on providing practical, useful, and common sense services to these members. Third, I would encourage access — from access to the State Bar by its members to access to legal representation and the courts by average citizens. Fourth, I would work to foster an understanding of lawyers, the law, and legal institutions by the public at large. I hope my professional experience would afford me the opportunity to make the State Bar more useful and accessible to its members, and make our system of justice better for those we serve.

For these reasons, I ask for your support and your vote, and hope to be your representative to the Board of Governors.

Bruce J. Brovold of Arcadia is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School, J.D. 1975, and of University of Wisconsin-River Falls, B.S. 1972. He is a member of the Board of Governors (2013-present), Wisconsin Law Foundation Fellows (2010-present) and the Office of Lawyer Regulation District 5 Investigative Committee (1996-2003 & 2007-present). He previously served as a member of the Consumer Information & Protection Committee and the Insurance for Members Committee of the State Bar of Wisconsin. He is a past President of the Tri County Bar Inc. serving attorney members in Buffalo, Jackson, Pepin and Trempealeau Counties. He joined the Arcadia firm of Kostner, Ward, Galstad & Koslo in 1975. The firm later became Kostner, Koslo & Brovold LLC where is he a member attorney.

Daniel P. Fay of Pewaukee. I graduated from Marquette University Law School in 1977. I have practiced law in Waukesha County since 1977. I have served on the Fee Arbitration Panel for over twenty-five (25) years. I have been co-chairman of the State Bar’s Lawyer’s Assistance Committee. I am also a past board member of the Wisconsin Criminal Defense Lawyer’s Association, as well as numerous community groups.

Daniel P. Fay Campaign Statement

I am running for the Board of Governors because Waukesha County and my fellow lawyers in Waukesha County have been very good to me and my family. I strongly believe that a lawyer has an obligation to be a good steward to his community of lawyers. I am running for the Board of Governors to show my willingness to fulfill my obligations to my colleagues and my community.

All lawyers are faced with challenges in their practice and as a result of their practice. The State Bar is dedicated to the challenges that all lawyers face. My only promise is to look at those challenges and “do the best that I can with the resources of the State Bar”.

Ronald J. Sonderhouse of Waukesha. Ron was born in October, 1964 and grew up in Saginaw, Michigan.

He attended Michigan State University, graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business in June 1987. He attended Law School at the University of Detroit, graduating in May 1990. After graduating he joined a general practice law firm as an associate in Allegan, Mich., for eight years before moving to Wisconsin. For 10 years he worked for a small law firm in Brookfield before forming Wolff & Sonderhouse LLP with Peter Wolff in 2008.

He practices in all areas of law, advocating for clients in Criminal, Family, Juvenile and Civil matters; primarily in the Waukesha County Circuit Courts. Accepting appointments from the Judge’s in all divisions and the Office of the State Public Defender. He is active in the community, currently serving on the State Bar Board of Governors, Board of Directors of the Waukesha County Bar Association and the Waukesha Chapter of Kiwanis. He is a certified Mediator, volunteers for the Waukesha County Family and Juvenile Law Clinics and serves as a Judge for the New Berlin Teen Court.

John R. Orton of Mauston. Marquette University, J.D. 1981. Member since 1984 of Curran, Hollenbeck & Orton, S.C. with offices in Mauston and Wisconsin Dells. Member of Wisconsin Association for Justice. Member of State Bar Litigation Section, Administrative & Local Government Lawyers Section, and General Practice Section. Litigation Section Board of Directors: 1989-92; Admin & Local Government Lawyers Section Board of Directors: 1999-2005; Chair 2004-05. Board of Governors: 2013-present. Chair of Judicial Election Steering Committee. City Attorney 1986-2009: Village Attorney and Township Attorney 1988-present. Member of Juneau and Sauk County Bar Associations. Married, father of three. Fabulous duck hunter.

Truscenialyn (Tru-SEE-nah-lynn) Brooks is a 2011 graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School. She is currently an associate at Perkins Coie LLP, and works as a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property Litigation group. Truscenialyn's practice encompasses a variety of industries including pharmaceuticals, LED light, and bicycle technology. Well versed in complex litigation matters, Truscenialyn has experience in all stages of litigation.

Truscenialyn Brooks Campaign Statement

I am very excited about the prospect of serving you as a member of the Board of Governors for the next two years, and hope you will consider supporting my candidacy.

Since joining the State Bar out of law school in 2011, I have been looking for ways to participate in the important work of the State Bar. Thanks to the guidance of many lawyers, inside and outside my current firm, I have been able to grow as a young attorney, and they have also encouraged me to try and give back to the community. I think now is the right time for me to make a contribution to the State Bar.

In 2013, I was fortunate to be selected as one of about two dozen young lawyers to attend the State Bar’s inaugural Leadership Development Summit.

I carried away much from that Summit; in particular, I was struck by how important it is for my generation of lawyers to speak up and become involved in the work of the State Bar, so as to identify and push forward issues that urgently affect young lawyers. One of the issues that most interest me in this regard is how we, as a profession, can adapt our delivery modes to new developments in technology, and how such adjustments can help us deliver legal services to our clients as well as to the underserved in our State. Needless to say, this will not come easily.

If you will support my candidacy for the Board of Governors, I pledge to use my voice and every other tool at my disposal to serve the membership of District 9, and to advance the aims of the State Bar as a whole.

Thank you in advance for your time and support.

Douglas S. Buck is a partner with Foley & Lardner LLP and heads its Madison office Real Estate Department. He has broad experience in real estate transactions involving lending, leasing, sales, acquisitions, development, and taxation. He handles zoning and land use controls, including tax increment financing transactions. Doug has also represented large equity funds in the acquisition and financing of office, apartment and manufactured home properties and has considerable experience with real estate workouts, foreclosures and restructurings, as well as tenant-in-common syndications. He has published articles in Real Estate Finance, Midwest Real Estate News and The Wisconsin Lawyer.

Doug received his law degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1993 and his undergraduate degree from Connecticut College in 1989. He is admitted to the bar in Illinois and Wisconsin.

Douglas S. Buck Campaign Statement

I am seeking reelection for a second term to the State Bar Board of Governors. It has been my privilege to represent Dane County for the past two years on the Board of Governors, and I feel that reelection for another two-year term would help me to complete some of the projects I began during my current term. In particular, I have been working on proposed Bylaw and statutory changes which are intended to have a positive impact on the State Bar Board of Governors’ operations. These changes are intended to make the Board of Governors a more nimble organization with the freedom to expand and contract its committees and divisions without having to make statutory modifications or petitions to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. These changes are in part a reaction to a recent review of the State Bar’s organizational structure, which recommended that the State Bar work towards developing an organizational structure that allows it to react to the demands of its members.

During my current term on the Board of Governors I have been impressed with the organization’s efforts to keep dues increases down by raising funds through fee-for-services programs such as PINNACLE. My hope is that during a second term I would be able to see these Bylaw and rule changes come into effect and assist the State Bar in meeting its members’ needs.

Jeff A. Goldman of Madison. University of Wisconsin, J.D. cum laude, 2002. Shareholder and chair of the Estate and Trust Practice Group at DeWitt, Ross & Stevens S.C. Licensed to practice and a member of the bar associations of Wisconsin, New York, and Washington State. Adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School. Current president of the Madison Estate Council. Board member of Breast Cancer Recovery Foundation, Inc.

Jeff A. Goldman Campaign Statement

I look forward to the opportunity to serve on the Board of Governors. In my career I have practiced in three distinctly different settings: a small firm with nine attorneys, a mid-size firm, and a firm with 150+ attorneys. In addition, prior to returning to Wisconsin in 2006, I practiced in two other states – New York and Washington State – each of which have bar associations that differ in a variety of ways from Wisconsin. For those reasons, I believe that I can contribute valuable perspective and insight representing the interests of District 9 and the State Bar membership as a whole. I would appreciate your vote. Thank you.

Howard Bichler received a BA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a JD from Marquette University Law School. Howard has devoted his professional career in the representation of Native American Indian Tribes and Tribal members. He currently is the Tribal Attorney for the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin located in Northwest Wisconsin, with an office in Hertel. He previously was employed as a staff attorney with Wisconsin Judicare and as a tribal attorney with the Stockbridge Munsee Mohican Community and the Forest County Potawatomi Community.

Howard has extensive experience with State Bar governance having been a member of the Board of Governors for two terms representing District 11. In addition he served as Chairman of the Board of Governors. He was also appointed to serve on that Board's Finance and Executive Committees.

Howard currently serves on the Wisconsin Access to Justice Commission as a State Bar appointee to that commission. In addition, he was recently appointed to the Board of the Wisconsin Law Foundation. He has also been a long time member of the Board of Directors of Wisconsin Judicare, Inc., representing Barron, Rusk and Sawyer counties.

Benjamin Lane of Chippewa Falls. University of Wisconsin, Madison, J.D., 2010. Wiley Law, S.C., Chippewa Falls. Member State Bar of Wisconsin, Chippewa County Bar Association (president 2011-present). State Bar of Wisconsin Young Lawyers Division Board of Directors (2013-present) (YLD Nominations and Elections Committee Chair, 2013-2014, YLD State Bar of Wisconsin Annual Conference CLE Program Committee Chair, 2014-2015), Chippewa County Free Legal Clinic Coordinator (2012-present), Wisconsin DNR-Chippewa County Deer Advisory Council (2014-present), Chippewa Falls Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors (2012- present, Chair, 2014-present), Chippewa Rod and Gun Club (2010-present).

Benjamin Lane Campaign Statement

In 2013, I was appointed to the State Bar of Wisconsin Young Lawyers Division (YLD) Board of Directors. I was reelected in 2014. I served as Chair of the YLD Nominations and Elections Committee, which has the responsibility of coordinating nominations for the YLD of the year award, and nominations for YLD elections. I currently chair the State Bar of Wisconsin Annual Conference CLE Program Committee for the YLD. In 2011, I was elected to be the president of the Chippewa County Bar Association and serve as the coordinator of the Chippewa County Free Legal Clinic. I believe my leadership experience and background would be an asset for serving on the Board of Governors. My familiarity with State Bar staff and State Bar leadership would also be helpful to eliminate the learning curve and introductions necessary after being elected. I hope to apply my leadership experience gained from the YLD and my local bar association to my term on the Board of Governors. The location of District 11 in northern Wisconsin means that there are unique issues that need to be expressed to the State Bar. Attorneys in our district experience different legal issues, economic backgrounds of clients, and professional needs that are different than other locations in the State. I would be honored to be your voice to express your concerns and values with the Board of Governors. Thank you for your consideration.

Robert G. Barrington of Beaver Dam. University of Wisconsin Law School, J.D., 2007. Managing Attorney, Dodge County District Attorney’s Office, Juneau. Member, State Bar of Wisconsin, Dodge County Bar Association, Wisconsin District Attorney Association WDAA) (2007 to present), WDAA IT Committee (2009 to present), Department of Transportation Uniform Citation Council (2010-2014), Dodge County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.

Kelly L. Mould of Racine. University of Wisconsin, J.D., 2011. Kelly is currently Vice President, Wealth Fiduciary Advisor for Johnson Bank Racine. She is a Member of the State Bar of Wisconsin and the Racine County Bar Association. From 2012 to 2014 she was an associate with Hostak, Henzl & Bichler S.C. with a focus on family law matters and estate planning. In 2012 Kelly also received a Judicial Appointment as Guardian Ad Litem in Racine County serving on family custody and placement, guardianship and juvenile court matters.

Kelly was previously an executive in the telecommunications industry with over twenty years of experience and a reputation for exceptional management of people, products and technology. She was skilled at identifying areas of improvement in processes and procedures across multiple areas of operation. Her last role before embarking on a career in law was as Vice President of Customer Care for Time Warner Cable, Southeastern Wisconsin.

Kelly has a diverse professional background which includes extensive business experience and legal experience. As a business leader and as an attorney she has consistently demonstrated an ability to build relationships, identify opportunities, develop strategic and creative solutions, facilitate negotiation and accomplish goals.​​​​​​​​​​​