2025 Women in the Law – Laura Schulteis Kwaterski – U.S. Attorney’s Office

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A summer internship with the U.S. Attorney‘s office helped Laura Schulteis Kwaterski pinpoint the type of lawyer she wanted to be — a federal prosecutor.

In addition to working in the U.S. Attorney’s office as an intern, she also clerked for Magistrate Judge William E. Callahan in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin for two years after graduating from the University of Wisconsin Law School.

“(Callahan) always spoke proudly and fondly of his own time in the United States Attorney’s Office. … I knew I wanted to follow in his footsteps and go into public service as an assistant U.S. attorney,” Kwaterski said.

After interning with Callahan, she worked at Foley & Lardner for six years before getting an opportunity to switch to the U.S. Attorney’s office. Twelve years later, a full array of cases cross Kwaterski’s desk in the criminal division, including narcotics, violent crime, Social Security fraud, ID theft and money laundering. She divides her time between sentencing hearings and working in the office where she collaborates with law enforcement to gather information for cases.

“I enjoy the personal satisfaction that comes from working on significant cases that both protect the public and provide justice to victims,” Kwaterski said. “I truly enjoy working alongside law enforcement on proactive investigations of violent gangs, drug traffickers and sex traffickers. My most memorable cases are prosecuting gang members, prolific sex traffickers and former medical professionals who illegally distributed opioids into our community.”