NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JUNE 18, 2012

CONTACT:
Andrea Gage, J.D.
State Bar of Wisconsin
(608) 250-6025
(608) 630-0432 (cell)
(800) 444-9404, ext. 6025
agage@wisbar.org

Kelli Thompson Named Chair of State Bar Board of Governors

Madison, WI – Attorney Kelli S. Thompson was elected 2013 chair of the State Bar of Wisconsin Board of Governors during the board’s annual meeting last week in the Wisconsin Dells. Thompson succeeds Attorney Patricia Struck of Madison as board chair.

Thompson, the Wisconsin State Public Defender, has served in a number of leadership roles at the State Bar, including chair of the Bench Bar Committee and member of the Access to Justice Commission.

Thompson is committed to securing appropriate funding for the criminal justice system, educating the public on the legal system, and improving services and resources for new lawyers.

“I am honored to be selected chair, and I look forward to working with the Board of Governors as they address timely and important topics in the coming year,” said Thompson. “As Wisconsin's State Public Defender, I see the value of collaboration and effective communication and am hopeful the same approaches help to advance our profession.”

Thompson is also a member of the National Legal Aid and Defender Association Board of Directors, and the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s Planning and Policy Advisory Committee. Thompson is also very active in her community, serving as president of Wisconsin Women in Government, past-president of the Wisconsin Literacy Council, and volunteer for the Wisconsin Women's Health Foundation.

Thompson received her undergraduate degree in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1993, and her law degree from Marquette University in 1996.

The State Bar of Wisconsin is the mandatory professional association, created by the Wisconsin Supreme Court, for attorneys who hold a Wisconsin law license. With more than 23,000 members, the State Bar aids the courts in improving the administration of justice, provides continuing legal education for its members to help them maintain their expertise, and assists Wisconsin lawyers in carrying out community service initiatives to educate the public about the legal system and the value of lawyers. For more information, visit www.wisbar.org.