Board of Governors chooses ABA reps, approves appointments (UPDATE)

Listen to this article

Wisconsin’s mandatory bar on Wednesday chose attorneys who will represent it in a national organization and approved various other appointments, including some to a board that makes grants to help low-income clients pay for legal services.

The bar’s board elected three of its members to represent the State Bar at the American Bar Association’s House of Delegates. The American Bar Association is a national, voluntary organization of attorneys that accredits law schools and establishes model ethics rules.

The three chosen were: Jill Kastner, outgoing chairperson of the Board of Governors; Grant Killoran, an attorney out of Milwaukee; and John Skilton, an attorney out of Madison. Each of them nominated themselves for the positions. Kastner and Killoran were previously the bar’s representatives in the house of delegates.

The board also approved appointments and reappointments to the Wisconsin Trust Account Foundation Board. WisTAF was established by the state Supreme Court in 1986 and provides money to help the indigent obtain legal services.

Meghan Teigen, an attorney at WisPACT Inc., Madison, and the retired financial adviser Robert Zellers, of Madison, were reappointed. President Ralph Cagle requested that the board approve the appointments of Eric Andrews of Crivello Carlson, Milwaukee; Ben Lane of Wiley Law, Chippewa Falls; and Tim Radelet, an attorney and executive director of Madison-based Movin’ Out, which provides housing for adults and children with disabilities.

The Board of Governors also approved appointments to a committee charged with vetting candidates to replace the bar’s executive director, George Brown, who recently announced that he would retire next year.

The governors appointed outgoing Governor John Danner, a Minocqua family attorney, to replace Paul Swanson as State Bar Treasurer. Swanson recently won the seat of president-elect. Danner will complete the remaining year of Swanson’s term and serve as a member of the State Bar Finance Committee. Swanson nominated Danner to take his place.

“We became good friends on the campaign trail,” said Swanson at Wednesday’s meeting. “He’s just a great guy, and it’s a way to keep him on the Board of Governors for at least another year.”

The board on Wednesday also appointed  Governor Amy Wochos as chairperson of the board. The board then approved John Birdsall, a Milwaukee lawyer, to serve the remainder of Wochos’ term as governor for District 2.

The governors also appointed two other governors at the meeting, one for District 13 and one for District 2. The board appointed Milwaukee attorney Erik Andrews of Crivello Carlson to take the place of Hannah Dugan. Dugan, governor for District 2, was elected to the Milwaukee County Circuit Court in April, and state Supreme Court Rules prohibit her from serving on the board while working as a judge.

The board also approved the appointment of Ozaukee County District Attorney Adam Gerol to replace District 13 Governor Robert Barrington, who will be resigning his post at the end of June to be the Government Lawyers Division president-elect. Barrington had recommended that Gerol take his place.