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Sheeran blazes law trail for women

Sheeran blazes law trail for women

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Susan Sheeran, Melli Law
Susan Sheeran, Melli Law (Staff Photo by Kevin Harnack)

When Susan Sheeran began working as an attorney focused on construction, labor and employment laws, she often found herself the only woman in the room.

But Sheeran — who worked in employee relations before earning her degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School — said she didn’t feel out of place.

“It was never really a hurdle working so much with men,” said Sheeran, an attorney of counsel with Melli Law S.C. in Madison. “With my background in personnel issues, I learned to give everyone a chance and I’ve found that if you give other people a chance, they’ll give you a chance.”

Sheeran appreciates the preventative nature of the work she does with businesses. “I’m helping companies comply with various rules and regulations. It’s really satisfying to prevent problems before they happen and help reduce overall risk,” she said.

Through her practice, Sheeran has developed long-term relationships with some of her clients.

“It has been a wonderfully satisfying career,” she said. “I’ve really enjoyed the people I’ve worked with.”

Sheeran is a firm believer in coaching, working with numerous younger attorneys.

“These people are going to be your colleagues and you’ll have to rely on them, so why not help them out? I’ve been so fortunate in my life to have had so many people that helped me and I want to pay some of that back,” she said. “ … I’ve been fortunate in all of my positions that I have had, so I want to give back. Mentoring others is one way to do that.”

One of the attorneys Sheeran mentored — Dana Erlandsen — appreciated the “trail she blazed” at the law firm.

“Her reputation for thorough fact-finding and legal analysis had already eliminated many preconceptions and prejudices many male attorneys might have about a woman’s ability to practice law,” said Erlandsen, who eventually moved on to a position with the Wisconsin Department of Revenue. “Sue is a superb counselor who believes strongly that lawyers should help prevent legal problems as well as react to them.”

Outside of work, Sheeran takes part in professional and community activities, such as editing a labor and employment law newsletter in Wisconsin, serving on the State Bar Labor and Employment Law Section Board and the Rainbow Project, a non-profit that provides services to families and children in the Madison area.

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