2022 Young Lawyer Award

Charles E. Polk III, Crivello Carlson S.C.

Congratulations to Charles Polk III for being selected by the WDC Board of Directors as the recipient of the 2022 Young Lawyer Award! The Young Lawyer Award recognizes a young lawyer (up to 10 years past their first bar admission date) who has shown not only excellence in their work and achievements in their career to date, but also a commitment to professional and ethical standards, as well as a commitment to the larger community.

Charles is an associate at Crivello Carlson S.C. in Milwaukee. He earned his undergraduate degree from Colgate University in 2016 and graduated from Marquette University Law School in 2019. His practice areas include civil rights litigation, insurance defense, asbestos litigation, and municipal law. Charles is the Chairman of his firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee, and a member of the Wisconsin Association of African American Lawyers, the Milwaukee Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and Wisconsin Defense Counsel. Recently, he has been featured in the Wisconsin Law Journal and was selected as a top volunteer amongst Sojourner advocates against domestic violence.

While in law school, Charles focused on growing his passion for litigation – competing in moot court, mock trial, and a host of litigation-based classes, including being on the board of a law review journal. Additionally, Charles focused on growing connections with his fellow peers and was elected class representative for all six semesters he attended law school. During his time outside of class, Charles focused on serving others. He was inducted into the Pro Bono Honors Society for his service work with domestic violence victims, the Milwaukee Police Department, and the Sojourner Truth House. Charles also loves staying active – playing basketball at the Marquette Recreational Center, going kayaking in the Milwaukee Bay, and going running with his friends.

Charles is the Chair of WDC’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. He participated in a WDC panel presentation to students at the UW Law School about what it means to be a defense lawyer. He also organized and moderated a panel at the WDC Spring Conference entitled “Navigating Through Cancel Culture, Inclusion and Work Life.” 

Dedication, punctuality, hard work, and willingness to learn are the qualities of a good attorney in the early years of practice. Charles has all these attributes which, along with his volunteer and community activities, make him a real asset to the profession and his clients. He has been a welcome infusion of energy and action into the organization. Charles is a very deserving recipient of the WDC Young Lawyer Award.

Nominated By: Megan L. McKenzie, American Family Mutual Insurance Company; Heather L. Nelson, Everson, Whitney, Everson & Brehm, S.C.; and Patrick W. Brennan, Crivello Carlson, S.C.