Oct. 1, 2025 – When Cheryl Daniels as a young child visited a neighbor who used a wheelchair, she discovered the joy of connection and service. Decades later, after a career in government law and leadership at every level of the State Bar of Wisconsin​, Daniels is honored with the 2025 Charles L. Goldberg Distinguished Service Award for a career dedicated to connection and service.

Daniels is the 2025 recipient of the award from the Wisconsin Law Foundation, the charitable arm of the State Bar. The award is among the State Bar of Wisconsin’s highest honors, recognizing a lifetime of professional achievement and dedication to the law.

Daniels will receive the award at the Law Foundation’s Fellows Dinner on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, at the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center in Madison.

“I am so humbled by receiving this award,” Daniels said. “Having been involved with the Law Foundation for so long, I have personally known most of those who have received the Goldberg award. They are such a stellar group, truly amongst the best of the best of Wisconsin lawyers.”

Daniels was in the inaugural class of lawyers inducted into the Wisconsin Foundation Fellows in 2000. “That inaugural class included many luminaries, and Cheryl is certainly one of them,” said American Bar Association President Michelle Behnke, who supported Daniels’ nomination for the award.

Becoming a Lawyer

A “colorful remark” by her father put Daniels on the path to law. “He said that I talked too much, and therefore I couldn’t possibly be anything other than a lawyer.” That idea “stuck with me,” said Daniels, who grew up in upstate New York.

Daniels’ journey into the law was shaped by her love of learning, reading, and interacting with people. Her earliest volunteer experiences included visiting a neighbor in a wheelchair and helping organize a carnival to raise funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. These experiences sparked a lifelong dedication to service.

Her interest in government service grew during college, when she worked a summer job in Erie County, New York, supervising high school students in their first jobs. “I found I enjoyed seeing all the different jobs in government,” she said.

Daniels came to Madison for law school in the early 1980s, and she never left.

Government Career Inspired Her Connection with the State Bar

Daniels spent much of her career with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP). There, her focus was on helping the public understand and navigate complex statutes and rules.

“I think that every time I was able to assist in figuring out how to use the statutes and rules to assist public members in their interactions with the agency, those were real victories,” she said.

“Not only did it help to make the continuing relationship better, but these were concrete examples to those public members that the state government actually cared about those relationships.”

It was during a DATCP farm crisis that Daniels, at the time a member of the State Bar's Young Lawyers Division (YLD), made a connection with the State Bar.

That connection helped her deal with the crisis. She learned the State Bar is a resource for her work. “I gave back by volunteering, including stints in YLD and GLD (Government Lawyers Division) leadership, and with the Law Foundation,” she said.

She served two terms as Law Foundation president (2002-04 and 2016-18), serving on and off the Law Foundation Board between 1992 and 2020. She also served on numerous State Bar committees, starting in 1991.

In 2021, she became president of the State Bar, just as the world was coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more about Daniels in the July 2021 Wisconsin Lawyer profile.

“I ran because I was at the right time of my career to be able to be a government lawyer and State Bar president,” she said. “I had enough end-of-career flexibility to wind down my work as I assumed the State Bar presidency.”

“I did feel it was important for government attorneys to see ‘one of their own’ as State Bar president,” said Daniels.

“Cheryl found ways to serve the legal profession and draw other government lawyers into the State Bar,” said Behnke. As a young lawyer, Behnke saw Daniels’ leadership in action. “She welcomed me in, engaged me in the work of the division – and we became friends.”

State Bar past presidents Cheryl Daniels (center), with Margaret Hickey (left, 2022-23) and Kathleen Brost (right, 2020-21).

President During COVID

Her presidency came during a particularly challenging moment, as the organization navigated the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Some members were vocal and angry that we weren't moving more quickly to open up,” Daniels recalled. “I think it surprised them how cautious many members were returning to in-person gatherings. Large organizations, just like the government, are filled with people having very different opinions and tolerance of risk.”

Having worked in government for all her career, she said in 2021, “I have had to balance all kinds of pressures from a number of different parties – people who are coming at issues from the political side, the policy side, individuals affected by what we do. I feel this experience helps set the idea that anything I do, I can bring people together.”

For Daniels, it was also important to demonstrate that government attorneys could serve at the highest levels of the State Bar. Her leadership not only bridged divides among members but also underscored the value of government lawyers in professional leadership roles.

Dedicated Service to the Law Foundation

At the State Bar, “you have seen first-hand and been the recipient of some of the many hours Cheryl has selflessly donated to the Bar and the Community,” ​Charles “Chuttie” Senn, who has worked with Cheryl on various committees over the years, noted in his nomination letter. “I wonder if Cheryl has ever said ‘No’ to a worthwhile request for assistance – I suspect not.”

Daniels is also a dedicated supporter of the Wisconsin Law Foundation, serving for many years. “My Law Foundation service was really an accident. I don't generally believe in lengthy tenures on boards.” She agreed “very reluctantly” to serve a second term as Law Foundation president.

“There were a couple of different times when the Law Foundation was making significant changes. … I happened to be the ‘institutional memory’ of why these changes were being made and was asked to stay on to help navigate those changes,” she said. “However, I would never recommend it except under such circumstances.”

Her continued involvement provided stability during times of transition, and her influence emphasized the importance of lawyer well-being. “I think lawyers need to have as much physical, mental, and emotional reserves as possible to serve the best for their clients and the public, and not put themselves into a deficit. So, by extension, a Bar leader must be concerned with the whole lawyer,” Daniels explained.

A Legacy of Service

Daniels’ commitment to service extends far beyond her professional work. Retired from practice, Daniels continues to give back through volunteer work at clinics, election service, and international projects.

She served as a chief inspector for elections in Madison, participated in community service organizations like Altrusa, and even traveled internationally to assist with medical efforts in Guatemala. “It felt right to be able to also do something to help plan, organize and carry out,” she said.

At home, Daniels and her husband Michael Rosenberg find joy in gardening and environmental stewardship. They have transformed their yard into native perennial gardens that attract birds, bees, and butterflies. She also treasures her time with family.

She considers it “a true honor” to be in the company of past Goldberg Award recipients that include Lane Ware, Dean Dietrich, Michelle Behnke, Marsha Mansfield, and Hon. Mary Triggiano. "I hope to continue to live up to its ideals,” she said.​

Come Celebrate with Cheryl Daniels

Want to join Cheryl Daniels and other fellows at the Wisconsin Law Foundation Dinner on Oct. 16, 2025 at the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center in Madison? Contact Beth Drake at the State Bar for more information.