Appellate Attorney Division Director
State of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
Position Summary
The Appellate Division Director is responsible for long‑range and strategic planning for the division, including fiscal, budget, and personnel.
The Director will make recommendations for changes and improvements to ensure the delivery of high quality legal services to clients while working closely with the Assigned Counsel and Trial Division Directors.
The Director is also responsible for overall coordination of daily operations of the Madison and Milwaukee offices of the Appellate Division, including the establishment and implementation of internal program policies and operations.
The Director is a member of the Agency Leadership Team.
This position is required to travel statewide at least 25% of the time.
Details regarding travel expectations will be discussed during the interview stage.
The starting salary will be between $37.83 to $72.50 per hour ($78,686.40 to $150,000 annually) depending on qualifications as well as a $2.75/hr supervisory add‑on and great benefits.
The position is unclassified and in pay schedule/range 71‑00.
Pay for current state employees will be set in accordance with the Wisconsin State Compensation Plan.
Final selected candidates may be eligible for moving expense reimbursement to relocate to the place of employment.
Background Check : We consider all qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law.
A criminal background check will be done prior to an offer of employment.
Eligibility to work in the US : The SPD does not sponsor work visas at the time of hire or anytime during employment.
All persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and complete the required Employment Eligibility Form I‑9.
State Bar Admission : Successful candidates must be admitted to practice law by the Wisconsin Supreme Court prior to their start date.
If you are in the process of being admitted, an appointment date would be set after being admitted to the Wisconsin Bar.
See the Wisconsin State Bar for admission requirements.
Equal Opportunity Employer : The State of Wisconsin is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer.
We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants from all backgrounds.
We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.
Veterans : The State of Wisconsin salutes veterans and is grateful for their service to our country.
We are committed to helping veterans find employment, and offer a special program for qualified veterans with a 30% or greater service‑connected disability through the Veteran's Non‑Competitive Appointment process.
Where We're Located The SPD has two Appellate offices.
Our Madison Appellate Office is located at 17 S Fairchild St, Floor 3, Madison, WI 53703, and our Milwaukee Appellate Office is located at 735 N Water St, Ste 912, Milwaukee, WI 53202.
This position can be headquartered out of either office but is expected to travel to Madison at least once a week.
For more information on office locations, please visit our website.
You will be asked during the application process to select the location(s) you are interested in.
Qualifications LETTER OF QUALIFICATIONS, RESUME, & WRITING SAMPLE:
You must submit
all
documents in order to be considered.
It is important that you clearly explain and elaborate on your experience and/or training in your letter of qualifications and/or resume.
All applicants must be licensed to practice law in the State of Wisconsin prior to their start date.
Qualified applicants will have education/training or experience in the following:
Complex appellate litigation skills including identifying, investigating, and litigating post‑conviction claims, as well as preparing briefs.
Considerable knowledge of the principles of conflict resolution and techniques required to work with a wide range of people representing many different classifications and thorough knowledge of supervisory practices (e.g., hiring, discipline, performance evaluation, training, etc.).
Supervision and/or leadership experience in directing and developing attorneys and support staff in a criminal law setting (e.g., various practice areas, complex motion & trial litigation, understanding of ethical concerns related to client representation, etc.).
In addition, well‑qualified applicants will have experience in the following:
Working with external criminal legal systems actors (e.g., courts, prosecutors, private bar attorneys, treatment courts, law enforcement, community groups, etc.).
Experience with resolving employee relations issues.
How To Apply To apply, click "Apply for Job" to start the application process.
That will prompt you to access your existing account or create a new account.
You will be asked to attach a resume and a cover letter as part of the application process.
It is important that these materials clearly illustrate how your qualifications relate to the qualifications of this job.
If you encounter issues submitting your online application (e.g. signing in or uploading a resume), please contact the Wisc.Jobs Help Desk at (608) 267‑1012 or wiscjobs@wisconsin.gov (Monday ‑ Friday, 7:45am ‑ 4:30pm).
Your letter of qualifications, resume, and writing sample are very important parts of your application and are used during our evaluation process to determine your qualifications as they relate to the job.
If all of these documents are not submitted, you will not be eligible for consideration.
Application materials will not be accepted if received in an email, as a hard copy or a fax.
Materials submitted by all applicants will be evaluated by one or more job experts.
Candidates that are deemed eligible will be invited to participate in the next step of the selection process.
Deadline to Apply If you have any questions on this recruitment or how to apply; please contact Maggie Wild at wildm@opd.wi.gov
The deadline to apply is 11:59 pm on Thursday, March 19, 2026.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
The Director will make recommendations for changes and improvements to ensure the delivery of high quality legal services to clients while working closely with the Assigned Counsel and Trial Division Directors.
The Director is also responsible for overall coordination of daily operations of the Madison and Milwaukee offices of the Appellate Division, including the establishment and implementation of internal program policies and operations.
The Director is a member of the Agency Leadership Team.
This position is required to travel statewide at least 25% of the time.
Details regarding travel expectations will be discussed during the interview stage.
The starting salary will be between $37.83 to $72.50 per hour ($78,686.40 to $150,000 annually) depending on qualifications as well as a $2.75/hr supervisory add‑on and great benefits.
The position is unclassified and in pay schedule/range 71‑00.
Pay for current state employees will be set in accordance with the Wisconsin State Compensation Plan.
Final selected candidates may be eligible for moving expense reimbursement to relocate to the place of employment.
Background Check : We consider all qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law.
A criminal background check will be done prior to an offer of employment.
Eligibility to work in the US : The SPD does not sponsor work visas at the time of hire or anytime during employment.
All persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and complete the required Employment Eligibility Form I‑9.
State Bar Admission : Successful candidates must be admitted to practice law by the Wisconsin Supreme Court prior to their start date.
If you are in the process of being admitted, an appointment date would be set after being admitted to the Wisconsin Bar.
See the Wisconsin State Bar for admission requirements.
Equal Opportunity Employer : The State of Wisconsin is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer.
We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants from all backgrounds.
We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.
Veterans : The State of Wisconsin salutes veterans and is grateful for their service to our country.
We are committed to helping veterans find employment, and offer a special program for qualified veterans with a 30% or greater service‑connected disability through the Veteran's Non‑Competitive Appointment process.
Where We're Located The SPD has two Appellate offices.
Our Madison Appellate Office is located at 17 S Fairchild St, Floor 3, Madison, WI 53703, and our Milwaukee Appellate Office is located at 735 N Water St, Ste 912, Milwaukee, WI 53202.
This position can be headquartered out of either office but is expected to travel to Madison at least once a week.
For more information on office locations, please visit our website.
You will be asked during the application process to select the location(s) you are interested in.
Qualifications LETTER OF QUALIFICATIONS, RESUME, & WRITING SAMPLE:
You must submit
all
documents in order to be considered.
It is important that you clearly explain and elaborate on your experience and/or training in your letter of qualifications and/or resume.
All applicants must be licensed to practice law in the State of Wisconsin prior to their start date.
Qualified applicants will have education/training or experience in the following:
Complex appellate litigation skills including identifying, investigating, and litigating post‑conviction claims, as well as preparing briefs.
Considerable knowledge of the principles of conflict resolution and techniques required to work with a wide range of people representing many different classifications and thorough knowledge of supervisory practices (e.g., hiring, discipline, performance evaluation, training, etc.).
Supervision and/or leadership experience in directing and developing attorneys and support staff in a criminal law setting (e.g., various practice areas, complex motion & trial litigation, understanding of ethical concerns related to client representation, etc.).
In addition, well‑qualified applicants will have experience in the following:
Working with external criminal legal systems actors (e.g., courts, prosecutors, private bar attorneys, treatment courts, law enforcement, community groups, etc.).
Experience with resolving employee relations issues.
How To Apply To apply, click "Apply for Job" to start the application process.
That will prompt you to access your existing account or create a new account.
You will be asked to attach a resume and a cover letter as part of the application process.
It is important that these materials clearly illustrate how your qualifications relate to the qualifications of this job.
If you encounter issues submitting your online application (e.g. signing in or uploading a resume), please contact the Wisc.Jobs Help Desk at (608) 267‑1012 or wiscjobs@wisconsin.gov (Monday ‑ Friday, 7:45am ‑ 4:30pm).
Your letter of qualifications, resume, and writing sample are very important parts of your application and are used during our evaluation process to determine your qualifications as they relate to the job.
If all of these documents are not submitted, you will not be eligible for consideration.
Application materials will not be accepted if received in an email, as a hard copy or a fax.
Materials submitted by all applicants will be evaluated by one or more job experts.
Candidates that are deemed eligible will be invited to participate in the next step of the selection process.
Deadline to Apply If you have any questions on this recruitment or how to apply; please contact Maggie Wild at wildm@opd.wi.gov
The deadline to apply is 11:59 pm on Thursday, March 19, 2026.
#J-18808-Ljbffr