Griffith, William C.

Mike is a native of Waupaca, Wisconsin. He attended the University of Wisconsin - Madison, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree - triple-majoring in political science, history and international relations.

Mike attended Marquette University Law School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, obtaining a Juris Doctor degree in 1994. While at Marquette, he served as a member of the Marquette Law Review; first as an associate and then as an executive editor. He also worked as a law clerk with a Milwaukee criminal defense firm and then served in a year-long clinical program with the Milwaukee County District Attorneys office.

After law school, Mike served as a law clerk with the Wisconsin Court of Appeals - District I, located in Milwaukee, working first for the Honorable Michael T. Sullivan, and then later the Honorable Patricia S. Curley. As a law clerk, he gained significant experience in appellate procedure and practice, and he obtained valuable knowledge in effective legal argument and appellate advocacy.

Mike returned to central Wisconsin to join the newly-formed Wausau law firm of Sandfort, Zalewski & Klinner, LLP, as a civil litigation attorney. That firm continues today as Zalewski, Klinner & Kramer, LLP, where Mike primarily defends municipalities, municipal insurers, and other liability insurers and their policy holders in a variety of civil litigation matters in Wisconsin state courts, administrative agencies and the federal courts in Wisconsin. He has successfully defended and advised municipalities, law enforcement agencies, individual policy holders and their insurers in a variety of cases and lawsuits including: civil rights claims, employment termination and discrimination claims, wrongful arrest and excessive use of force claims, religious zoning claims, federal Drivers Privacy Protection Act and Telecommunications Act claims, First Amendment/Adult Business ordinance claims, state open meetings and public records claims, as well as insurance coverage issues and general property damage and personal injury claims.

Mike has also developed a significant appellate practice, writing briefs and appearing in nearly 40 appeals in both the state and federal appellate courts; and successfully arguing before both the Wisconsin Supreme Court and Wisconsin Court of Appeals.