“Ultimately it’s about doing right by my client and making sure they get the best result possible.” – Scott Butler, 2015 Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year.
March 18, 2015 – In just four years, Scott Butler has already made an impact both in his community in La Crosse and within the legal profession.
Butler has been named as the 2015 Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year.
“It’s a great honor,” Butler said. “It’s humbling.”
The sixth annual award is given by the Young Lawyers Division, and pays tribute to a young lawyer who has made an impact in his or her practice area, in service to the State Bar of Wisconsin, and in service to the community. To be nominated, lawyers must be under age 36 or in practice for less than five years, and must be a member in good standing with the State Bar for more than 12 months.
Butler was chosen from 15 qualified and impressive young attorneys that were nominated, said Richard Orton, chairman of the award’s selection committee.
“Scott was chosen because he excelled in all of the areas we look at when considering nominees: service to clients, the bar and the community. In particular, Scott was not only involved in serving the bar and his community, but in several instances took a leadership role in his service activities,” Orton said. “Since one of the focuses of the YLD is to encourage young lawyers to be leaders in the profession and their communities, and since the award is given at the annual Young Lawyers Leadership Conference, Scott’s leadership in these areas made him well deserving of the award.”
An associate attorney with Fitzpatrick, Skemp and Associates in La Crosse, Butler primarily practices in the areas of personal injury, automobile accidents, premise liability, and worker’s compensation, where he is a promising young civil litigator. Within his first year of practice, Butler won two jury trials with verdicts totaling more than $100,000.
After moving from Milwaukee to La Crosse, Butler worked as the La Crosse County Circuit Court Law Clerk and Small Claims Mediator for a year and then went back into civil litigation with Fitzpatrick, Skemp and Associates.
Those who know him say Butler truly goes above-and-beyond for his clients, taking the time he needs to listen to his clients and answer their questions.
“Ultimately it’s about doing right by my client and making sure they get the best result possible,” Butler said.
In addition to serving his clients at his firm, Butler is active within the legal community. He is an active member of Wisconsin Association for Justice and the La Crosse County Bar Association, and has given numerous presentations at conferences on such topics as litigation and land use issues.
He volunteers his legal skills to New Horizons Shelter and Outreach Center – an organization that serves individuals and families who are experiencing domestic violence – and assisting with landlord/tenant cases with Legal Action of La Crosse.
“I’ve taken a few pro bono cases with them,” Butler said. “I find it very rewarding helping people.”
Butler also serves his community by sitting on the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Alumni Association Board of Directors, volunteering with La Crosse Rotary East, and serving as a board member for Delta Sigma Phi Alumni Corporation Board.
Outside of the legal community, Butler opens his home to homeless pets by serving as a foster home for dogs through Playing Again Sams, a Wisconsin Samoyed dog rescue.
Attend the Young Lawyers Leadership Conference
Butler will receive the award at the Sixth Annual Young Lawyers Leadership Conference in Milwaukee on March 20.
The half-day event is free for all new lawyers regardless of age and offers free CLE credit, as well as great prizes from State Bar of Wisconsin PINNACLE®, and opportunities to socialize with other members of the Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar.
The afternoon program focuses on fostering the knowledge, skills, and motivation new lawyers need to become active members in the State Bar, local bar associations, and other public service organizations.
The conference begins with a joint luncheon with attendees of the morning’s Leadership Development Summit. The keynote speaker is American Bar Association President William C. Hubbard, and the event features a session with George Hofheimer, chief knowledge officer at the Filene Research Institute in Madison. Coming from the highly regulated financial field and one of the only think tanks in Wisconsin, he will offer perspectives that can apply to the legal profession.
The afternoon also includes panel presentations on innovation, leadership, and ethics. The conference ends with a networking reception.
To Register
Program information.
Sixth Annual Young Lawyers Division Leadership Conference: Leading a Profession
Italian Conference Center
631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee
12 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 20. Registration opens at 11:30 a.m.
