Lewandowski proves he can take the heat

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A paralegal and legal assistant at Meissner Tierney Fisher & Nichols in Milwaukee, Lewandowski works directly for the firm shareholder Mark Malloy. Lewandowski’s colleague, Jan Szczepanski, said Malloy may very well be the hardest-driving lawyer at the firm.

How does she know? Before Lewandowski moved into his current position, Szczepanski had the exact same job.

Just as he did before her, Malloy keeps Lewandowski jumping.

“He does a lot of writing, a lot of emailing, keeps his calendar, keeps him organized,” Szczepanski said. “It’s a big job, just trying to keep track of him. He also does some legal research.”

Lewandowski brings some extraordinary qualifications to his work. He holds a degree from the Seattle University School of Law and even ran his own firm for a time in Seattle.

When he moved back to Wisconsin, he decided he wanted to try something else. He applied for an open paralegal and legal-secretary position at Meissner Tierney and was hired in April 2015.

Szczepanski, now a legal secretary and IT assistant, said Lewandowski’s knowledge of the law is a great asset at the firm.

“He practiced a different kind of law but the background of things you need to know, he does know,” she said. “Of course, he had to learn a bunch of different ideas because Wisconsin law is different. But he knows a heck of a lot more than I do.”

As much for his legal knowledge and willingness to take on a tough job, Szczepanski and others at the firm admire Lewandowski for his ability to bear up under pressure.

“He is good at rolling with the punches and kind of remaining upbeat about it,” she said. “He obviously does get stressed but he is very good at not showing it.”