State Bar announces two candidates for president

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The State Bar of Wisconsin announced two candidates Friday for 2012 president-elect.

The bar’s Nominating Committee chose attorney William White of Michael Best & Friedrich LLP in Madison and Patrick Fiedler of Axley Brynelson LLP in Madison.

White, 61, is a partner with Michael Best and a member of the firm’s Land and Resources Practice Group. He joined the firm in 1982 and his practice focuses on real estate development, land use and general corporate issues in the construction industry.

White said he favors the current structure of the bar as a mandatory organization.

“I think the way things  are set up now is the best way to do it,” he said.

Fiedler, 58, joined Axley as a partner in October after 18 years as a circuit court judge in Dane County.

He is a member of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group and handles general civil litigation, commercial litigation, personal injury, family and divorce, criminal defense, and mediation and arbitration.

Fiedler said his interest in running is to promote accessibility to the bar, rather than dwell on the past.

“I think time for debating whether the organization should be mandatory or voluntary is long past,” he said. “The Supreme Court has determined it to be mandatory. Get used to it and let’s move on from there and make it best bar it can be.”

The president-elect serves a one-year term before becoming president for one year. Election ballots will be mailed to attorneys in April and the president-elect will take office July 1.

The State Bar also announced the following nominees for the Judicial Council:

• Christine Rew Barden of Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren SC in Madison,
• Tom Bertz of Anderson, O’Brien, Bertz, Skrenes & Golla in Stevens Point and
• Nicholas Vivian of Eckberg, Lammers, Briggs, Wolff & Vierling PLLP in Hudson.

Nominees for State Bar secretary are Marcia Lucas, an attorney with Northern Trusty Co., Chicago, and Jennifer Stuber, an attorney with Hogan & Melms LLP, Rhinelander.