Milwaukee native expands Chicago law firm to Wisconsin

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After practicing law in Chicago for more than 16 years, Milwaukee-native Jonathan Goldman is expanding his practice to serve clients in Wisconsin.

During an interview with the Wisconsin Law Journal on Friday, Goldman said he has been paying close attention to the attorney shortage in Wisconsin and wants to help Wisconsin avoid a constitutional crisis as defendants are currently waiting days in jail before seeing a court-appointed attorney in stark conflict with the constitutional right to “a speedy trial.”

Wisconsin legal deserts have become so common that the State Bar of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Annette Ziegler recently announced the creation of the Attorney Retention & Recruitment Committee to address Wisconsin’s attorney shortage, which is particularly acute in rural counties.

Attorneys like Goldman are taking notice and taking action.

“I want to start to ease the problem of people rotting in jail waiting to see a court-appointed lawyer. It’s tough to find a good lawyer even when you have money. You could pay for what you think is a good lawyer and have a terrible experience. If you don’t have money, it’s impossible for many to have adequate representation,” he said.

Growing up in Milwaukee and now having a successful track record as an attorney in Chicago, Goldman sees as an opportunity to give the voiceless a voice and give back to the community where he grew up.

“I have loyalty to my home state of Wisconsin and have a vested interest in seeing all Wisconsinites, especially those who are disadvantaged, have a fighting chance,” said Goldman.

According to Goldman, he will be officially sworn-in as a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin on Sept. 23, 2024, but will continue to handle felony cases in Cook County, Illinois.

For more than a decade, Goldman has done criminal defense work and expungements exclusively in Illinois. His cases range from DUIs and traffic matters earlier in his career, to drug and murder cases.

“It will be nice to get a change of scenery and people,” Goldman said, noting there will be a procedural learning curve.

Goldman said he will utilize the skills and experience he has honed in Chicago as a successful criminal defense lawyer and become more comfortable with the nuances of Wisconsin’s unique laws and criminal procedure.

“In some ways, it is kind of like being a new lawyer again. Procedurally Wisconsin is way different,” Goldman said.

Different Culture, Different Laws

Overall traffic laws and laws regarding driving while under the influence vary starkly in Wisconsin versus Illinois.

Chicago also has speed cameras that trigger at 6 mph over the posted limit and red-light cameras, which, according to a Tribune investigation, found to create more rear-end collisions.

Currently, Wisconsin has neither red light cameras, or speed cameras.

In Wisconsin, a drunk driving first offense is considered a moving violation, whereas in every other state in the country, including Illinois, it is a criminal offense. As previously reported, the Wisconsin Tavern League has heavily donated to Wisconsin legislators.

“In Illinois, a first offense DUI is a criminal case, and goes on a criminal record as opposed to having just a traffic ticket in Wisconsin,” Goldman said.

According to Goldman, in Illinois a third offense DUI case is a Class 2 felony that carries a 3 to 7-year prison sentence, as opposed to Wisconsin, which is significantly more lenient.

In Illinois (like Michigan and most other states) the left lane on the interstate is legally designated as a passing lane, and motorists can be cited for driving too slowly. In Wisconsin, the left lane on the interstate is considered a travel lane, not a passing lane, which according to the Wisconsin State Patrol results in reckless driving and road rage as frustrated motorists go around the slowly traveling vehicles on Wisconsin’s interstates. 

“If you drive too slowly in the left lane down here in Illinois, it’s at your own peril,” Goldman said.

Goldman said he has been shadowing attorneys in his home state of Wisconsin to get a better sense of culture, customs and overall local procedural rules that very differently from Illinois where he has been practicing law for more than a decade.

“It’s very interesting, how it’s different,” Goldman said.

“The craziest thing, I went to court in Ozaukee County two weeks ago where I watched a defendant get sentenced for second possession of a vape pen with THC. He was sentenced to 6 months in jail with a felony conviction. I couldn’t believe it! In Illinois,  (like Michigan and Minnesota and dozens of other states) marijuana is legal.”

The Tavern League has allegedly heavily donated to Wisconsin legislators to keep marijuana illegal in Wisconsin, because it would cut into alcohol sales, according to a law enforcement source.

Goldman also noted how in Wisconsin public defender appointments are given to private attorneys, unlike Illinois.

“Wisconsin has a need for attorneys. There are so many underserved areas and defendants have the constitutional right to a speedy trial,” Goldman said.

According to Goldman, he became a lawyer “to make the world a little better place than I found it.”

“I really enjoy going to trial. I am more comfortable in the courtroom than outside,” he said.

According to Goldman, there is a lot of opportunity to help defendants in Wisconsin.

“Having the whole government against you, it’s almost hard to wrap your brain around,” Goldman said. “If I can help clients have a softer landing, it’s pretty rewarding,” Goldman said, noting he is excited to return to courtrooms in his home state.

“Being back in Wisconsin is about loyalty to the people in the state I grew up in. This is my homeland. This is my hometown. Being able to serve clients in underserved areas is a good way to continue to the betterment of the world, one case at a time,” Goldman said.