For Immediate Release
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CONTACT: Jason Westphal
State Bar of Wisconsin
(800) 444-9404, ext. 6077
jwestphal@wisbar.org |
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Candidates for 2003 State Bar elections announced
MADISON, January 24, 2003 - Attys. Michelle
Behnke and Earl Munson, both of Madison, have
officially been named candidates for the office of president-elect of
the State Bar of Wisconsin. The nominees were recently selected by the
Bar's Nominating Committee, which is chaired by the current
president-elect, George Burnett.
Michelle Behnke received her undergraduate degree in
economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1983 and her law
degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1988. A sole
practitioner, her practice focuses on formation, sale and acquisition of
businesses, commercial and residential real estate and estate planning.
Michelle is a past chair of the State Bar's Board of Governors and was
previously elected to serve as treasurer of the State Bar from 1995-97.
She has served on a number of Bar committees, is a member of the Board
of Visitors for the University of Wisconsin Law School and acts as the
current chair of the Supreme Court's Appointment Selection Committee.
Michelle serves her community by serving on the St. Mary's Hospital and
Care Center Foundation Board and the Board of Trustees of Edgewood High
School.
Earl Munson is a partner in the Madison firm of
Boardman, Suhr, Curry & Field LLP. He received both his bachelor's
degree and J.D. from the University of Wisconsin. Earl is a Fellow of
the American College of Trail Lawyers and is listed among The Best
Lawyers in America for business litigation. A member of the State
Bar's Board of Governors, he also recently served on the Bar's Executive
Committee (2001-02) and Multidisciplinary Practice (MDP) Commission.
Earl is a former special prosecutor for the Wisconsin Department of
Justice, was a Dane County assistant district attorney and served as a
lieutenant commander in the United States Navy. He currently serves as
president of the Dane County Legal Services Center Board of
Directors.
The Nominating Committee also announced the two nominees for
treasurer: Dean Dietrich of Wausau and Grant
Langley of Milwaukee.
Dean Dietrich, of Wausau's Ruder, Ware & Michler
LLC, graduated from Marquette University Law School in 1977. He
currently serves as the State Bar's treasurer and has long been active
in association matters. A member of the Bar's Board of Governors for the
majority of the past decade, Dean has also served as chair of the
Professional Ethics Committee (2000 02) and Finance Committee
(2001-present). He is a current member of the Professionalism Committee
and a former director/president of the Young Lawyers Division. Back
home, Dean gives back to his community as vice chair of the Community
Health Care - Wausau Hospital Board of Directors, as a member of the
Wausau Area Catholic Schools Finance Committee, as president of the
Wausau Early Bird Rotary Club and as president of the Marathon County
Youth Hockey Association.
Grant Langley was first elected Milwaukee city
attorney in 1984. Prior to his election, he served as an assistant city
attorney for 13 years. Langley is the past president of the State Bar's
Government Lawyers Division and a former member of the Bar's
Administrative & Local Government Law Section. He is currently a
member of the Board of Governors and serves as the liaison to the State
Bar's Professional Ethics Committee. Langley is also a member of the
International Municipal Lawyers Association and is a past member of the
District II Board of Attorneys Professional Responsibility (BAPR)
Committee. He has served on the Supreme Court's Appointment Selection
Committee since 2001. Langley holds a J.D. from Marquette University Law
School.
The 2003 State Bar elections will be held in April. Those elected
will be sworn in during the State Bar's Annual Convention in May, and
will officially take office July 1. The president-elect will serve a
one-year term before becoming president, while the treasurer will serve
for two years.
The State Bar of Wisconsin is the mandatory professional association,
created by the Wisconsin Supreme Court, for attorneys who hold a law
license in Wisconsin. With more than 20,000 members, the State Bar aids
the courts in improving the administration of justice, provides
continuing legal education for its members, and assists Wisconsin
lawyers in carrying out initiatives to educate the public about the
legal system.
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