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State Bar candidate Gagan builds on business experience

By: JESSICA STEPHEN//March 1, 2013//

State Bar candidate Gagan builds on business experience

By: JESSICA STEPHEN//March 1, 2013//

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Editor’s note: Attorneys Bob Gagan and Chuck Hanson are candidates for president-elect in the upcoming Wisconsin State Bar Board of Governors election. Ballots will be out by April 12. Active members of the bar association can vote until April 26. The winner will become president-elect July 1, followed by one-year terms as president in July 2014 and past president in July 2015.

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Bob Gagan (Staff photo by Kevin Harnack)

Bob Gagan’s path to Calewarts, Duffy & Gagan in Green Bay was not typical.

Gagan didn’t go to law school until age 31. Before that, he worked with the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland and later at a branch in Minneapolis before becoming a sales representative for a commercial flooring firm. The company paid for his MBA studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and put him on a trajectory to complete law school by age 35.

“I was older than most. Looking back, I’m glad I did it but I’m glad it’s over,” said Gagan, who has been married to wife, Jennifer, for 10 years, and has two children, 6 and 8.

At age 47, Gagan now runs a general practice that includes civil litigation and guardianship cases, but focuses primarily on municipal law, advising communities throughout the Green Bay area.

“Your experiences in life build upon each other and help you become a better person,” he said. “Having the business background, having worked as a bank examiner and in sales helps me today understanding business clients, what they’re going through.”

In April, Gagan, will compete with fellow candidate Chuck Hanson (who will be featured next week on wislawjournal.com) in the election for president-elect of the State Bar of Wisconsin. The nomination experience has been humbling, he said.

The opportunity to practice his craft and serve others is one that is important to Gagan. It’s something that has driven him for years, he said, from his involvement on a local Salvation Army advisory board and YMCA business committee to his work as co-founder of a legal clinic at local church and his terms as secretary, vice president and president of the Brown County Bar Association.

“When I went to law school,” Gagan said, “I always thought I could take my degree and use it to help.”

Wisconsin Law Journal: What is the best part of being an attorney?
Bob Gagan: Socializing with other lawyers after work over drinks and talking shop.

WLJ: If you could trade places with someone for a day, who would it be?
Gagan: Hank Aaron. What a life to be able to look back upon. Civil rights, the 1957 World Series, Ruth’s record, Wisconsin’s own Jackie Robinson. I would spend that day downloading his memories into mine.

WLJ: What was your most useful law school course?
Gagan: Constitutional law. Coming from somewhat of a business background, Constitutional Law gave me a real appreciation and sense of pride for a lawyer’s important role in society.

WLJ: What was your least-favorite course in law school?
Gagan: Tax law. I knew I would probably never use it and, for me, it was really tough.

WLJ: If you could develop one CLE course for credit, what would it be about?
Gagan: Municipal law. Most lawyers are fairly unfamiliar with it, yet in Wisconsin many important decisions are still often made locally through direct legislation, home rule and our expansive state Constitution.

WLJ: What do you consider your biggest achievement to date?
Gagan: Being happy and healthy at the mid-point (hopefully) of my life.

WLJ: What is the one luxury item you cannot live without?
Gagan: I could live without any of them, but I would really miss skiing.

WLJ: What do you miss most about your childhood?
Gagan: My dad grew up in the Irish section of town located on the northwest side of Green Bay, near the railroad yards. My seven older siblings and I grew up nearby. My dad was a freight train conductor and my mother was a hospital nurse. My best childhood memories involve the excitement of him returning home after being gone on the train for several days.

WLJ: What is the first concert you attended?
Gagan: Journey at Alpine Valley.

WLJ: Finish this sentence: Happiness is …
Gagan: I once read somewhere that a parent is only as happy as his or her unhappiest child. I guess happiness is when Jenny and the kids are feeling happy and secure.

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