Hon. Neal P. Nettesheim

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As a young man, one of Neal P. Nettesheim’s proudest achievements was earning a music scholarship at Northwestern University — “Until I just about broke my mother’s heart when I told her I was going to major in political science and history, instead of music.”

Ultimately, Nettesheim opted for a career in law. Happily, he says his mom’s heart had healed quite nicely, when he earned his diploma in May 1966 from Marquette University Law School.

As for music, that became a hobby for Nettesheim, albeit one he remains passionate about. He is a long-time member of “Presumed Guilty,” a rock band whose members are all southeastern-Wisconsin jurists.

He didn’t immediately trade the piano bench for the courtroom bench. As a new lawyer, Nettesheim gravitated toward private-practice trial work in his hometown, Waukesha.

“I loved the drama and mystique of the courtroom, and I really enjoyed my clients,” he says, “But, it was taking up so much of my time. Then, one day, my wife sat me down and convinced me that the person in the courtroom who had the best job was the guy wearing the robe.”

He successfully ran for Waukesha County judge in 1975. That position later became circuit court judge after the court reorganization of the late 1970s. Then, in 1984, he ascended to the District II Court of Appeals, a job he held until last December. He was the second-longest sitting judge in Wisconsin upon his retirement.

Now, he’s right back where he started, serving as an occasional reserve judge in Waukesha County. In addition, Nettesheim has started an appellate practice consultancy, critiquing briefs and presiding over mock oral arguments.

“After 23 years of reading appellate briefs, I think I have a pretty good idea of what inspires an appellate judge, and what turns him or her off,” he observes.

During his tenure on the appellate court, appellate practice emerged as its own separate practice area. He notes that those who rarely venture into those waters, without guidance, do so at their own peril.

Further, most appeals in Wisconsin are decided on the briefs only, “So most lawyers can probably benefit from another perspective, to help identify the issues — what’s worth appealing and what isn’t — as well as with the standard of review, which is so important to the outcome of an appeal, and how to structure their arguments.”