Posnanski acts on childhood inspiration

Listen to this article

Timothy Posnanski, a litigator at Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek SC, grew up on tales of the courtroom.

His grandfather, Thomas Howe, was a lawyer in St. Louis for more than 50 years, working as a prosecutor and then a defense attorney.

“At every family gathering he always tended to talk about whatever case he was handling,” Posnanski said, “and he had such enthusiasm.”

From early on these tales instilled in Posnanski a desire to pursue a career in law. After graduating in 2005 from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, Posnanski set out on his career with the desire to benefit the greater good.

He found success in his representation of an inmate that was mistreated at Waupun Correctional Institute.

The inmate, a wheelchair-bound paraplegic on suicide watch, had been stripped of his clothing, catheter and wheelchair. He was then left to drag himself around his cell.

The case was challenging due to the obstacles of working with a client behind bars, Posnanski said.

“When you’re dealing with an incarcerated person,” he said, “trying to build that relationship is kind of tough.”

The case settled without going to trial. In making his client happy, Posnanski found job satisfaction similar to the stories he’d heard as a child.

“The most rewarding part about it,” he said, “was how pleased and how happy [the inmate] ended up being at the end of the day.”

What is the best part of your job?

Winning. Nothing beats the feeling when the judge or jury rules in your client’s favor, or when the judge or appellate court follows the exact arguments articulated in your brief.

What is the hardest part of your job?

Handling several matters at once

If you hadn’t become a lawyer, what would you have done?

Gone to school to get an M.F.A. and become a fiction writer

What is your most prized possession?

My wedding ring or my snowblower

How would your mother describe you in one word?

Observant

What famous person you would most like to have a drink with?

Ricky Gervais

What is your favorite thing to do in Wisconsin?

Go to Marquette basketball and Packers games