Peterson new DCBA president

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“Everyone’s practice is going to be affected because there will be different offices for filing papers, different rules and procedures that will be implemented. Every judge will have new chambers.” H. Dale Peterson, Stroud, Willink & Howard, LLC On Dane County’s new courthouse

The incoming Dane County Bar Association president said he hit the mark with his first job out of college and his first job out of law school. The former fueled his interest in practicing law and the latter has been his professional home during the 26 year following his graduation.

Since graduating from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1978, H. Dale Peterson has practiced commercial litigation and business law at Stroud, Willink & Howard LLC in Madison. During a recent interview, Peterson said that scenario is typical for the firm.

“That’s common for many of my partners; many of us have had only one job,” he explained. “Our firm has always taken pride in being selective in who it hires and hoping that everyone who we hire becomes a partner.”

Peterson’s practice focuses on contract claims, business torts and disputes involving dealerships, business sales, software performance and environmental contamination. However, prior to law school, he had not intended to practice commercial litigation and business law.

After graduating college, Peterson went to work as a research analyst for the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division where he helped facilitate school desegregation plans. For two years, he worked with a team of people helping prepare cases for court, presenting courtroom testimony and developing desegregation plans for school districts in California, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi that remained segregated.

The job involved a great deal of travel and excitement, working on an important civil rights issue in the 1970s, Peterson recalled. He was proud to have worked on a variety of cases including Pasadena City Board of Education v. Spangler, which is still cited today.

“We had high ideals as a group and worked hard,” Peterson said. “It was a perfect first job for somebody out of college.”

Working on those cases and with the lawyers on his team, sparked Peter-son’s interest in practicing law. He went to the UW Law School expecting to return to Washington D.C. to practice civil rights law. Along the way, he found another area of law that sparked his interest.

“To my surprise, I really enjoyed and excelled in business law courses and I took every tax course and business law course that there was,” Peterson said. “I also enjoyed contract law, so I decided that once I finished, I wanted to be in private practice in Wisconsin.”

Although he is proud of the work that he did with the U.S. DOJ, Peterson said, he is delighted to have spent his legal career in Madison. During his time in Dane County, he’s also proud to have been involved with the DCBA. The new president noted that he has had two active stints with the organization.

About 12 years ago, he first became actively involved with DCBA. At that time, he chaired the Finance Committee. Eventually, he was elected treasurer, a position he served for half a dozen years. During that time, he implemented some formal accounting practices and established some other good business practices for the organization.

Work on several cases that spanned several years and required a great deal of time away from Madison affected his ability to remain actively involved with the DCBA. Then more than a year ago when someone asked Peterson if he’d be interested in running for president-elect, he jumped at the chance to renew his involvement.

“I missed some of the activities that I’d been involved in and the people who I’d interacted with in the bar association,” Peterson explained. “The Dane County Bar Association is really unique in that there’s something for everyone as a practicing lawyer, whether it’s public service, whether it’s social, whether it’s working on committees or sections with people who have the same type of practice.”

Peterson highlighted several areas where the DCBA has been active including its Delivery of Legal Services Committee, the Dane County Courthouse Committee and the group’s mediation program.

“The Dane County Bar has a strong reputation of community service,” Peter-son observed. “Our Delivery of Legal Services Committee has a long history of coming up with projects that help pro se litigants, people who don’t speak English, people who are unfamiliar with court system, and people who are unfamiliar with the judicial process.”

DCBA also has been involved with plans for the new courthouse, which is expected to open next spring. Along the way they have worked closely with the chief judge and the county. He noted that the bar association will have a role in helping lawyers transition between the old and the new courthouse.

“That’s going to impact everyone’s practice in Dane County, whether a person is writing wills or probating estates, handling criminal or civil litigation, family law, juvenile law, small claims, or landlord-tenant issues, Peterson said. “Everyone’s practice is going to be affected because there will be different offices for filing papers, different rules and procedures that will be implemented. Every judge will have new chambers. There will be new courtrooms and new procedures for assigning courtrooms.”

Trial lawyers will find that the new courtrooms will be able to accommodate current trial presentation technology. That means litigators will have to adjust to a different environment when presenting cases to judges or juiesy, he said
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Peterson also is proud of the success of the DCBA’s Case Mediation Program. Volunteers mediate civil or family law cases from Dane County at a cost of $50 per participant.

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“It’s hands down the most successful, user-friendly and affordable ADR that’s available,” Peterson said. “We have a wonderful group of respected mediators who volunteer their services in evaluating cases and mediating the disputes.”

He noted that bar associations from some neighboring counties have begun to show an interest in the program.

“That’s something I would like to pursue,” he said. “I think the talented and skilled lawyers that we have in Dane County would be a valuable asset to other county bar associations in resolving their disputes.”

During his year as president, Peterson explained that he wants to continue supporting the successful activities the association has in place. He also wants to encourage more involvement from Dane County lawyers. That plan includes developing contacts within local firms to promote bar activities.

“I think they’ll find involvement in the Dane County Bar is rewarding to them professionally,” he said. “They will meet a lot of interesting lawyers with diverse backgrounds, diverse interests and diverse practices.”

Tony Anderson can be reached by email.