Will, Michelle

JAMES D. WICKHEM

CERTIFIED TRIAL SPECIALIST

James Wickhem was born into a "law" family in 1950. He is a trial lawyer from a family of five generations of Wisconsin lawyers which includes a Supreme Court justice, a City attorney, a Federal prosecutor, and a State Bar president. Two of Wickhem's six children are lawyers. It's in their blood and they are proud of it. The Wickhems have represented clients in Wisconsin courts for over a century, beginning in 1882.

James Wickhem, like his predecessors in the family, is Wisconsin-educated: Campion Jesuit High School in Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin (degree--1968); University of Wisconsin-Madison (B.A.--senior honors, 1972); Marquette University Law School (J.D.-- magna cum laude --1975).

After graduating from law school, Jim practiced law for a decade with his father, John C. Wickhem, a noted trial attorney now deceased.

In 1983 Wickhem formed a new firm with Jim Meier and Terry Lyons now known as Meier, Wickhem, Lyons & Schulz, S.C.

Wickhem is a trial lawyer. That's what he has done for 25 years. The National Board of Trial Advocacy has certified him as a civil trial law specialist.

Wickhem has tried many cases to juries and judges throughout Southern Wisconsin, in both state and federal courts. Some were noteworthy cases for the plaintiff victim, like the $4.7 million dollar verdict in Kenosha, Wisconsin, for a paralyzed man, hurt in a ski lift accident (Kunz. v. Borvig --Kenosha County--Judge Wilbersheid). Others were significant for the defense, such as a federal case exonerating members of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department in a high-speed chase of a drugged, dangerous juvenile on Interstate 94 (Dodge v. Stein , reported in 739 F.2d 1279 and 4 ALR 4^th 865).

Throughout his career, Wickhem has worked on both sides of cases (plaintiff and defense) but now concentrates on representing plaintiff victims of auto accidents, defective products, professional negligence, death cases, and other personal injury cases.

Over the years Wickhem has handled thousands of litigated matters. Some involved significant amounts of money, like a woman who received $5 million in a train/car accident and a youngster who received $1 million in a school bus accident. While those "headline" cases get the "ink," Wickhem regularly handles "smaller" cases in terms of money, which nonetheless are important and deserve the full attention of a qualified trial lawyer to right the harm inflicted.

Wickhem has been asked to instruct and teach other lawyers and professionals by the State Bar of Wisconsin, the Rock County Bar Association, the Wisconsin Academy of Trial Lawyers, the National Business Institute, the Supreme Court of the State of Wisconsin Judicial Education Program, UW Hospital and Clinics, and the Rock County Medical Society. In that capacity, over the last 15 years, Wickhem has presented legal papers, lectured and taught on trial law subjects at courses required for attorneys to obtain continuing legal education credit. He authored an ethics opinion which was adopted by the Wisconsin State Bar Standing Committee on Professional Ethics as a formal opinion and published in WISCONSIN LAWYER: Representing Multiple Parties in Vehicle Person Injury Accidents , E-99-2, July, 1999.

For almost a decade Wickhem has served pro bono on the Wisconsin Supreme Court's District 12 Grievance Committee (vice chairperson) as an appointee of the State Bar President. This Committee investigates, evaluates, and recommends discipline for errant lawyers in Southern Wisconsin.

Wickhem resides in Janesville, is married, has six children and four grandchildren.

The Janesville City Manager appointed him to the Janesville Police & Fire Commission where he served for five years with one year as chairman. Wickhem also served for six years on the City of Janesville Alcohol Licensing Advisory Committee. He is a past Rotarian and past director of Big Brothers-Big Sisters of Rock County.

Wickhem has a cabin up north near Tomahawk, Wisconsin, and is active in lake protection matters as a director for the Lake Nokomis Concerned Citizens.