Oct. 1, 2014 – Madison attorney Stephen P. Hurley will receive the Wisconsin Law Foundation (WLF) Charles L. Goldberg Distinguished Service Award. The award is given for a lifetime of service to the profession and the community. The award will be presented at the 2014 Fellows of the Wisconsin Law Foundation Annual Recognition Dinner in Milwaukee on Oct. 8.
Hurley is a shareholder with Hurley, Burish and Stanton S.C. He concentrates his practice on business and criminal litigation. A member of the University of Wisconsin Law School adjunct faculty since 1989; Hurley is also a frequent lecturer at legal education programs.
In their letters of nomination Hurley is singled out by colleagues for being a great litigator with keen sense of context and impeccable judgment who finds time to give back to the community and the profession.
Frank Gimbel, Milwaukee, said, “Our interaction in the courtroom gave me an opportunity to observe Steve’s intellect, judgment, sense of justice, and street smarts. In every category, Steve Hurley would receive an A+, if he were to be graded in competition with others undertaking the same or similar responsibilities in contested/litigated matters.”
Patrick J. Fiedler, Madison, who has known Hurley as opposing counsel, as a lawyer appearing before him when he [Fiedler] was a judge, and as a U.W. Law School professor, said, “Steve exemplifies the complete lawyer – he contributes his time and expertise to his family, his clients, his community, and his profession.”
Stephen J. Meyer, Madison, noted Hurley’s longtime work on behalf of the African-American community of Dane County, “Time and again, whether in the context of a legal proceeding or community activity, Steve strove to correct the racial imbalances that exist. While others look for accolades for their community service, Steve has worked quietly, content in knowing that he has done and is doing the right thing. The legal profession has been enriched by Steve, and Dane County is a better place to live because of him.”
Dane County Circuit Court Judge C. William Foust recalled, “As chief judge, I turned to Steve to solve a difficult problem occasioned by the untimely passing of a local lawyer. He performed admirably, without charge or complaint. He serves not just his clients, but the bar and the system of justice, as well.”
U.W. Law School Associate Dean Kevin M. Kelly noted Hurley’s 25-year teaching record as adjunct professor “is extraordinary and his students consistently praise him” for his dedication to teaching evidence and trial advocacy courses.
Former Wisconsin State Public Defender Nickolas L. Chiarkas recalled Hurley’s “keen sense of context and impeccable judgment. He consistently performs with excellence, diligence, and imagination. He also functions flawlessly, and with ease, as a team leader and in collaboration with team members.”
Chiarkas noted that Hurley helped the agency numerous times with pro bono service as well.
Hurley is a longtime board member and former chair of Federal Defender Services of Wisconsin, a charitable, nonprofit Wisconsin corporation dedicated to serving clients who cannot afford to hire a lawyer in a federal criminal case. He is a former Wisconsin Innocence Project Advisory board member and a member of the Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers since 1991.
Hurley has served as president, vice president, and board member for the Madison Opera.
Former governor Tommy Thompson summed it up in his letter of nomination: “Steve is just like E.F. Hutton – ‘when he speaks everyone listens.’ He is a very intelligent, articulate, and on-point individual who loves the law, practices it, and teaches it. He possesses a manner that is outstanding and is able to project his passion and wisdom.”
The Wisconsin Law Foundation is a charitable and educational organization that serves to promote public understanding of the law, improvement of the administration of justice and other law-related public service through funding of innovative and creative programs that improve the vision of the American justice system.
In memory of longtime State Bar of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Law Foundation leader, G. Lane Ware, Ruder Ware is honored to provide underwriting support to defray a portion of the costs for the Fellows reception and dinner.
