Governor Walker Appoints St. Croix County Judge and Ashland County District Attorney

MADISON – Governor Scott Walker today appointed Attorney Scott J. Nordstrand to serve as a judge on the St. Croix County Circuit Court and Attorney David Meany to the position of Ashland County District Attorney. Nordstrand will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Eric J. Lundell, and Meany will fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Kelly J. McKnight.

Attorney Scott J.  Nordstrand

“We are pleased to appoint Scott Nordstrand to the St. Croix County Circuit Court,” said Governor Walker. “Nordstrand is an accomplished attorney who has demonstrated impeccable character throughout his career. His broad experience, judicial temperament, and commitment to the rule of law give me great confidence that he will make an excellent addition the bench and expand upon his service to the St. Croix County community.”

Nordstrand practiced as a commercial litigation attorney in the state and federal courts of Alaska for 15 years. He then left private practice to accept the appointment as Deputy Attorney General for the Civil Division in the Alaska Department of Law. In this role as Chief Deputy to the Alaska Attorney General, he supervised all civil legal matters for the state and 140 attorneys.  Nordstrand also briefly served as Acting Attorney General of Alaska, supervising both the Civil and Criminal Divisions of the Department of Law. Nordstrand was later appointed as Alaska’s Commissioner for the Department of Administration—a cabinet-level position—where he supervised 1,000 employees in sixteen divisions, agencies, commissions, offices, and boards throughout the State of Alaska. Upon leaving government service, Nordstrand returned to Wisconsin, first serving as in-house counsel for SSG Corporation and presently in that same role for Solutran, Inc.

In addition to his vast legal experience, Nordstrand has been serving as a County Supervisor on the St. Croix County Board for the past year, representing the Towns of Somerset and St. Joseph. He is a member of the St. Croix County Board of Canvassers and the Board of Trustees for First Baptist Church of St. Paul. He also served as a member of the Hudson School Board when he was just 20 years old.

Sheila Harsdorf, former state senator and secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection highly recommends Nordstrand stating, “Scott’s broad range of legal experiences will serve him well on the bench. With his patient, thoughtful, common sense approach, I am confident he will apply the rules of law in a fair and honorable way.”

Wisconsin State Representative Shannon Zimmerman recommends Nordstrand stating, “his care and commitment to our community are evident in his actions. Scott is active in a wide variety of ways within our community and a person that many turn to as a voice of reason during challenging times.”

Rich O’Connor, the mayor of Hudson, spoke highly of Nordstrand stating, “he has broad, public and private sector experience as a lawyer.” O’Connor adds, “Scott has a way of communicating clearly and persuasively that will no doubt serve him well on the bench.”

Nordstrand received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of North Dakota School of Law and his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin—River Falls. He is a resident of St. Croix County and lives in Somerset.

Attorney David Meany

“We are pleased to appoint David Meany to be the next district attorney for Ashland County,” said Governor Walker. “Meany is a distinguished attorney with tremendous leadership experience and a strong commitment to the rule of law. He has demonstrated the skills, character, and commitment to justice to serve the citizens of Ashland County well.”

Meany has served since January 2015 as the Administrator for the Division of Legal Services at the Wisconsin Department of Justice. Appointed by Attorney General Brad Schimel, he has supervised approximately 100 Assistant Attorney Generals in the representation of the State of Wisconsin in criminal and civil actions throughout the State. While at the Department, Meany has argued in front of the Wisconsin Supreme Court and Circuit Courts. He has practiced law in Wisconsin for more than 35 years. He served as Chief Legal Counsel at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection from November 2011 through December 2014. Previously, Meany was a partner at two Wisconsin law firms, Michael, Best & Friedrich and DeWitt, Ross and Stevens, where he focused on complex litigation.  Before and during law school, he was a research analyst in the Civil Rights Division at the United States Department of Justice.

Attorney General Brad Schimel spoke highly of Meany stating, “Law enforcement, crime victims and all of the citizens of Ashland County are very fortunate to have such a highly experienced and capable attorney appointed as their district attorney. Dave Meany will be a great leader to follow in the footsteps of Kelly McKnight, the outstanding former Ashland County DA.”

Meany received his Juris Doctor degree, cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center and his undergraduate degree from Antioch College.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.