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Perri finds fulfillment defending those in need

Perri finds fulfillment defending those in need

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Jeremy Perri (Staff photo by Kevin Harnack)
Jeremy Perri (Staff photo by Kevin Harnack)

For Jeremy Perri, there was never a Plan B.

“I always wanted to defend people accused of crimes, especially those who didn’t have the means to hire the best legal help,” said Perri, appellate division director for the Wisconsin State Public Defender’s Office. “I never thought about other areas of the law.”

After graduating from the University of Wisconsin Law School, he worked as a public defender in northern Wisconsin for several years before moving to the SPD office in Milwaukee about 10 years ago.

“I always found criminal law interesting and what I do feels very real and important,” Perri said. “It’s definitely never boring. My focus is on my clients and helping them.”

While the pace in appellate court is different — Perri said he spends more time working at his desk than being in court — he still enjoys it.

“There’s a lot of reading and research. It’s all post-conviction work so you may only have one hearing for a client where as in the regular public defender’s office, you’re in court multiple times with a client,” he said.

Perri said his most challenging cases – as well as most interesting – have been ones that start out looking pretty straightforward, but as he got more involved, “it was clear just how complex they were. And the opposite can happen too that you think something will be hard, but it isn’t.”

Working with other public defenders inspires Perri, who was recently named appellate division director.

“It’s a fun place to work since it really attracts people who are passionate of the mission of helping the indigent population,” he said. “There’s a lot of motivation to do well, and at the end of the day, you really feel like you are making a difference.”

Wisconsin Law Journal: What was your least-favorite class in law school?
Jeremy Perri: I loved all of law school. I wish it had never ended. Seriously.

WLJ: If you could have drinks with anyone, who would you choose?
Perri: Larry Bird, Bob Dylan and Martin Short.

WLJ: What song gets heavy rotation on your iPod?
Perri: ‘Crazy’ by Patsy Cline.

WLJ: What is your favorite season?
Perri: Winter. It’s when I’m most optimistic about the Milwaukee Brewers.

WLJ: What was the last book that you read?
Perri: ‘The Glory of Their Times’ by Lawrence Ritter

WLJ: If you could pick one super power, what would it be?
Perri: A few years ago I bought an original Nintendo. I’d like to have the power to make the game cartridges work on the first try. That or have the power to control gravity.

WLJ: What career would you have chosen if you hadn’t become an attorney?
Perri: I had no backup plan — it was lawyer or bust.

WLJ: What do you miss most about your childhood?
Perri: All of it — being a child.

WLJ: Do you have a saying or word that you tend to overuse?
Perri: ‘Delightful’

WLJ: If you could live anywhere, where would you pick?
Perri: The home in Swiss Family Robinson.

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