Longtime staffer to take the reins at Legal Action

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A longtime managing attorney of Legal Action of Wisconsin Inc. will take over as executive director next week.

David Pifer, a managing attorney for the indigent legal services firm, was chosen by Legal Action’s board of directors in April, board President Roger Klopp said. John Ebbott, who has been executive director since 1990, plans to leave the firm at the end of the month, but will use some remaining vacation time before that. He said he will “pass the baton” to Pifer on May 9.

Pifer has been with Legal Action for about 20 years, Klopp said, and currently serves as the managing attorney for the firm’s Milwaukee office.

“David’s length of experience, as far as what he’s done for the low-income community, even before he was an attorney … were the main reasons we selected him,” Klopp said.

Ebbott said he thinks Pifer will be a worthy successor.

Pifer is at a conference this week and could not immediately be reached for comment.

Ebbott started with one of Legal Action’s predecessors in 1970. He has said he plans to spend his retirement writing a book on Legal Action’s history, as well as working on a novel about Chief Black Hawk. Follow @eheisigWLJ