Clerk of the court: Eskra’s background translates to success at Reinhart

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Attorney Malinda Eskra’s familiarity with the ins and outs of appellate court operations helps her clients and the other attorneys at Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren traverse the complex appellate and litigation process.

Eskra joined Reinhart in Milwaukee as a litigator after spending eight years as a law clerk. She worked for two years for Judge William Callahan in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and six years for Judge Kitty Brennan with the Wisconsin District 1 Court of Appeals. Those experiences provided her with a different viewpoint than most litigators.

“I wear my ‘court’ hat a lot,” Eskra said. “I see cases the way the court does. I know how the system works and I’ve found I can use that experience to help my clients and other attorneys navigate the appellate system.”

Eskra said a lot of the work she does is “behind the scenes,” helping with the discovery process and conducting research. Her court work honed her research and writing skills.

“I can take a complex issue and simplify it through my writing so it’s easy to understand,” Eskra said.

After spending eight years in court watching other attorneys in action, Eskra got hungry for the chance to do the same.

“I decided to take the jump and go into private practice,” she said. “Commercial litigation is a good fit for my personality. I’m very outspoken and I love to talk.”

Through her courtroom experiences, Eskra witnessed firsthand what works and what doesn’t.

“There’s so much work that goes into that finished product in the courtroom,” she said. “It takes a lot of work before attorneys even make it into the courtroom, and that’s something I don’t know if people always understand.”

Growing up on a dairy farm, Eskra said being an attorney was always on her radar screen as a possible career. As for choosing litigation, she said she enjoys helping her clients through difficult circumstances.

“As a litigator your job is to help your client when something goes wrong,” said Eskra, who is also president-elect of the Association for Women Lawyers in southeast Wisconsin. “You need to do your best while they’re going through what may be their worst time.”

Wisconsin Law Journal: What makes your work important to you?
Malinda Eskra: My clients. As a litigator my clients are often under a lot of stress and it’s my job to help take some of the weight off their shoulders. While I enjoy the process of sorting through a complicated legal issue, it’s the desire to give my clients some piece of mind that makes the work important and rewarding.

WLJ: Who is your hero in the legal field?
Eskra: The lawyer I most admire and try to emulate every day is the Honorable Kitty Brennan at the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. I can see her at her desk shaking her head at me right now. I spent six years clerking for Judge Brennan, and I learned so much from her — not just about the law and how to be a preeminent attorney — but about how to do all of that while also being a good colleague, boss, mother, wife, daughter and community member. She makes doing all of those things look easy, and we all know it’s not. But she is a constant reminder to me every day that it’s the act of trying that matters. Also important, she taught me you can almost always squeeze in a quick run or spin class over the lunch hour.

WLJ: What do you do outside of work to deal with stress from the office?
Eskra: Even on the busiest, most hectic days in the office, I try my best to get home to eat dinner with my husband and kids. I have a 4-year-old daughter and a 2-year-old son. They help put everything in perspective.

WLJ: What’s your favorite memory from law school?
Eskra: I met my husband, Dave Eskra, in law school. If I mention any memory other than that, I’ll probably get in trouble. He jokingly told me to list him as my hero, but I’ll include him here instead.