Candidate for Secretary
Kristen Hardy
Briggs & Stratton Corp., Wauwatosa
Email: hardy.kristen@basco.com
Platform Statement
It is an honor to accept the nomination as a candidate for State Bar Secretary position. I am proud of the Bar’s recent efforts to diversify leadership, programming, and opportunities to benefit members who represent the minority of Wisconsin attorneys, including those in rural areas. But this work is far from complete. If elected to this position, I will continue my commitment to promoting and bolstering fresh, diverse, and innovative perspectives that accurately reflect the voices of the Bar’s ever-changing membership.
Although relatively young in practice, I am no stranger to serving the State Bar, as well as other community organizations. In 2017, I served as a member of the State Bar’s Nominating Committee. As a board member for Young Lawyers Division (YLD), I served as a two-time co-chair to the YLD’s Young Lawyers Conference. This afforded me the opportunity to work with lawyers throughout Wisconsin to develop a day-long conference tailored to the needs of young lawyers. One of our notable presentations included a panel of diverse judges speaking candidly about their respective paths, as well as the importance of a diversified bench.
Additionally, I am the immediate past-president of the Wisconsin Association of African-American Lawyers, and serve as a board member for the Milwaukee Bar Association, LOTUS Legal Clinic, Milwaukee Debate League, and the Alumni Diversity Committee at Marquette University Law School.
I am eager to bring my perspective and leadership experience to the Bar. I would be honored to have your vote.
Biography
I am currently Counsel at Briggs & Stratton Corporation, the world’s largest producer of gasoline engines for outdoor power equipment, servicing customers in over 100 countries. Prior to this role, I was Counsel at Rockwell Automation in Milwaukee. My practice includes legal compliance, anti-bribery/anti-corruption, and international trade and sanctions. Additionally, I am skilled in the areas of internal investigations and the development and execution of international corporate compliance programs. I am also an adjunct professor at Marquette University Law School, where I teach a Corporate Compliance workshop.
Outside of work, I am heavily involved with my community and committed to working with others to enact change in a variety of ways, as outlined in my personal statement. In my spare time I enjoy reading, HIIT workouts, and hosting weekend brunches with my organization, Brunch of Professionals.
Education
- B.A., Seton Hall University, 2011
- J.D., Marquette University Law School, 2014
Honors and Distinctions
- Milwaukee Time’s Black Excellence Special Honoree (Legal), 2020
- Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 Under 40, 2019
- Milwaukee Business Journal’s Top Corporate Counsel: Rising Star, 2019
- Milwaukee Business Journal’s Young Power Brokers, 2019
- Wisconsin Law Journal’s Up and Coming Lawyers, 2019
- Wisconsin’s 49 Most Influential Black Leaders, 2019
- Black Women Lawyers Association (BWLA) Emerging Leader Award, 2017
Community Leadership
- LOTUS Legal Clinic, Board Member at Large (Present)
- Milwaukee Debate League, Director (2018-Present)
- Marquette Law School & Eastern District of Wisconsin Bar Association Summer Youth Institute, Mentor (2018-2019)
Professional Leadership and Membership
- Appointed Member, Judicial Selection Advisory Committee (Present)
- Appointed Member, Wisconsin Lawyer Regulation System’s Preliminary Review Committee (Present)
- Wisconsin Association of African American Lawyers, President (2018-2019 – current Past-President)
- Marquette University Law School Alumni Association, Diversity Recruitment Committee (2018-Present)
- Milwaukee Bar Association, Director (Present)
- American Bar Association (ABA), Member (Present)
- Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC), Member (Present)
- State Bar of Wisconsin, Nominating Committee (2017)
- State Bar of Wisconsin, Young Lawyers Division, Director (2017-2019)
- Selected for participation in the inaugural class of the G. Lane Ware Leadership Academy through the State Bar of Wisconsin (2016)
