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President’s Message: New Horizons As I write this final column as WDC President, I am both grateful for the opportunity to serve this wonderful organization in this capacity over the last year and optimistic about the direction in which it is headed. Like many of you, I have served in leadership capacities of a number of local and statewide nonprofit organizations. My time as WDC President has exceeded my experience with other organizations. I am heartened by the energy and commitment of our Board, our committees, our staff, and all of you, to the organization and to our profession. Each of you continues to educate and drive me to be a better trial attorney and person. If you choose to get more involved in our organization in any capacity, I am confident you will wish you had done so sooner. So, what is on the horizon for WDC, and how can you be a part of it? I. Training in the Forefront of Litigation Tactics Striving to ensure equal access to justice for all defendants is at the heart of WDC’s mission. We are best positioned to prepare civil defense counsel throughout the state in dealing with potentially unjust tactics that deprive our clients of fair adjudication of the claims made against them. WDC must remain committed to being on the forefront of recognizing these tactics and preparing our members to anticipate and defuse them. If you encounter or learn of novel tactics by plaintiffs’ counsel, let us know. Let’s guarantee that our members are uniquely equipped to ensure that any claims brought against our clients are about the facts and the law, not gamesmanship. II. New Attorney Recruitment, Training, and Mentorship New and engaged members are the key to the success and longevity of our organization. In talking to so many law firm and insurer leaders over the last year, I know we are all also struggling with recruiting and retaining new legal talent in our organizations. The WDC Board is taking a renewed interest in formal mentoring programs and ways to attract more and diverse talent to our organization and our firms. The Litigation Skills and Young Lawyers Committees will continue to provide hands-on workshops and seminars for our newer attorneys to give them the skills and confidence that both they and our clients demand. But it takes all of us. No matter how long you have practiced, you can help lead this effort. Whether it is by attending a seminar or workshop, volunteering as a presenter or mock witness, or taking a more hands-on mentorship role, we have a need for you. Please answer the call. III. Exclusive Networking and Relationship Building WDC is solely responsible for some of the best business relationships and friendships I have gained in my career. Among all of the other reasons I have to thank him, I would be remiss if I did not semi-publicly thank my law partner and mentor Wayne Maffei for not only introducing me to WDC, but integrating and involving me with his friends and colleagues in this organization. It has made such an impact on me and a difference in my career and I can only hope to provide the same to someone else in our organization. Through our strategic plan and beyond, our Board is focusing on increasing inclusivity and involvement so that each member can be as active as desired and reap the same benefits for which I am so grateful. You can expect increased opportunities to network and build these connections that, I hope, will positively define your career. IV. Legislative Involvement Our team at Hamilton Consulting keeps us updated on any legislative activity that may impact our members or our practice. We do not have the financial resources to compete with our plaintiff counterparts when it comes to lobbying, but we are able to get involved when it counts most. Your WDC Board remains engaged in drafting legislation to help codify civil law as it should be and to provide a counterpoint to efforts to tip the scales of justice unfavorably against our clients. If you have any interest in legislative activity, or ideas for commonsense legislation, we would love to hear from you. V. Continued Progress Toward Diversity and Inclusivity Our organization has accomplished a lot in the last 12 months. By far the closest to my heart is our efforts toward diversity and inclusion. I am most proud of WDC’s sincere commitment to this effort, not just in formal committees and vision statements, but in the day to day management of our organization. We understand that diversity, equity, and inclusion is so much more than race, sex and gender identity. We are working hard to uphold our commitment to being an inclusive environment for all members. A couple executive committee members and I had the opportunity to participate in a workshop focusing on intergenerational communication at last year’s DRI Annual Conference. It opened our eyes to new ways of doing things here at WDC. If you have a suggestion or idea about how we can make our organization and its events more modern and inclusive, please let us know. We don’t know what we don’t know, and we want to hear from you! As I transition to the role of Immediate Past President, I hope to serve as a resource for any WDC member who is interested in getting more involved in, and reaping more rewards from, our organization. I invite you to contact me at [email protected] or (608) 402-8009 if I can assist in any way. Thank you for a fantastic year! Author Biography: Nicole Marklein is a partner with the Baraboo firm of Cross Jenks Mercer & Maffei LLP, Sauk County’s longest-running law firm. She specializes in the areas of employment law and insurance defense litigation, including coverage issues. She is a frequent presenter on employment law and defense litigation topics. |