Wisconsin’s Legal Community

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Welcome to the Wisconsin Law Journal’s first Best Of section. I realize that when we toss the word “best” around we are making a bold statement about something that is very subjective.

We freely acknowledge that this is not, nor was it intended to be, a statistically valid review of the best our state’s legal community has to offer.

Instead, what we sought to do was to give our readers and other attorneys around the state an opportunity to voice their opinions in a variety of different areas. We received responses from lawyers, judges, and paralegals.

The categories that drew the greatest response were Best Mediator, Best Supreme Court Justice, Best Circuit Court Judge and Best Courthouse. In addition to some of those serious topics, we also sought responses to some lighter categories, such as Best Lawyer to Round out a Foursome in Golf or Best Lawyer to Sit Next to at a Legal Event.

Some respondents missed the spirit of fun surrounding our best dressed category. One respondent indicated, “I protest this question because it is silly.”

With the greatest concentration of lawyers located in southeastern Wisconsin, it was not too surprising that many of the restaurants indicated as the best place to take a client were located in the Milwaukee area. However, it’s important to note that the winners in our Best U.S. District Court Judge, Best Dressed Female Lawyer, Best Lawyer to Round out a Foursome in Golf, and Best In-State Off-Site Retreat Spot categories were outside southeastern Wisconsin.

This venture provided an opportunity for voters to give some due credit to judges and other individuals in Wisconsin’s legal community. It was also the opportunity to potentially win an iPod (which, incidentally, went to Elizabeth Rich, in Plymouth).

The state’s largest law firm, Foley & Lardner, popped up in a few categories, but small firm attorneys held their own in a number of other areas.

I hope you enjoy reading this section and learning a bit more about those identified as the best in Wisconsin.

If you disagree with the results, make sure you take the time to cast your own votes next year.

Tony Anderson, Managing Editor, Wisconsin Law Journal