McLeod builds on early win

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Working on his first state Supreme Court case just two years out of law school left such an impression on Nick McLeod that he still can recite the case summary, four years after the court’s ruling.

His pitch-perfect recall from Deanne Phillips v. U.S. Bank was no surprise to Alan C. Olson & Associates SC colleague Jennifer Allen.

“I think those kinds of experiences stick with you,” she said, “… especially when the court adopts it.”

And as impressive as McLeod’s involvement in the case was, Allen said, he stands out for more than preparing summary judgment, appellate court briefs and, ultimately, sitting second chair to a Wisconsin Supreme Court oral argument two years after finishing law school.

“I think he very much believes that we’re here to set our clients at ease,” she said, “help them know that someone is looking out for them and restore some of the dignity that they feel has been lost.”

That opportunity for advocacy is what drew McLeod to employment law.

“Winning as an employee rights attorney means, or can mean, prevailing,” said McLeod, who has handled primarily unemployment cases, but also some disability work, since he joined the New Berlin firm in 2008. “But that usually translates into helping someone who is struggling through employment or underemployment, often for the first time in their lives.”

Working to help people “who could really use the help” is rewarding, he said.

It’s also an area in which he shines, Allen said.

“He really can think – I think one judge described it as ‘creatively,’” she said. “These can be very fact-intensive cases. You can get buried in discovery. And he just plods right through it. He can see through the bog to a clear-cut sort of laser vision of, ‘What is this about?’ and ‘How does it boil down?’ He’ll really learn his cases and know them intricately.”

And while he likely won’t forget the details of that first high court case anytime soon, McLeod said he sees it as yet another experience that readied him to tackle a rotating roster of 20 to 30 pending cases. He also juggles pro bono work with the Volunteer Lawyers project and his duties as a father to 10-month-old Ella.

“Just having made it to the Supreme Court, I wouldn’t say that’s necessarily the pinnacle of my legal career,” McLeod said. “It’s a great start though.”