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Chris Donahoe, wearing a  navy dress sitting in an orange chair against a blue wall, smiling.

Chris Donahoe

Staff Counsel

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Chris (she/her) comes to Law Forward with a decade of litigation experience, fighting unjust systems that entrench poverty, inequity, and discrimination. She has been inspired by the role that lawyers can play in protecting the most vulnerable people and the most fundamental tenants of democracy. She first came to Wisconsin at 18 years old and has lived here most of the time since. Her time away only made her love the Badger State more. She lives near the shores of Lake Michigan and likes to spend summer weekends at the beach, pretending to be a scuba diver with her kids.

TR Edwards sitting in a navy suit against a blue background smiling

TR Edwards

Staff Counsel

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Before Law Forward, TR (he/him) spent more than a decade working in labor, community and political organizing. He is a zealous advocate for strong communities, family-supporting jobs, and equity. In addition to his work at Law Forward, he is active in pro bono and currently serves as the Community Outreach Chair for the Wisconsin Association of African American Lawyers. TR is a huge movie buff, and as a former collegiate athlete, he enjoys training and finding new ways to compete. TR is a Milwaukee native, and as Law Forward’s only Marquette lawyer, he makes an effort to wear something blue every day.

Portrait of Madison Edwards wearing brown blazer sitting in an orange chair against a blue background smiling.

Madison Edwards

Operations and Comms Assistant

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Although a recent transplant to Wisconsin, Madison (they/them) has quickly grown fond of its unique charm and humble resilience and is therefore proud to be part of the Law Forward team, working tirelessly to advocate for Wisconsinites and to protect the democratic values they hold dear. Outside of the office, you’d find them partaking in Wisconsin’s rich rock-climbing tradition at Devil’s Lake State Park.

headshot of Dan Lenz, wearing blue suit and tie and standing against white background

Dan Lenz

Staff Counsel

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Dan (he/him) comes to Law Forward with over a decade of litigation experience, including past work involving election administration. He’s honored to be at Law Forward, working on behalf of voters and democratic institutions. Dan has lived in Wisconsin for almost 20 years and during his career, has represented clients all over the state. He has a deep love for the Northwoods and, in his free time, enjoys volunteering in his neighborhood on the east side of Madison.

Katrina Morrison wearing a brown shirt and pants, sitting in an orange chair against a blue wall, smiling.

Katrina Morrison

Legal Fellow

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Headshot of Elizabeth Pierson wearing a blue suit sitting against a white background

Elizabeth Pierson

Legal Fellow

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Elizabeth (she/her) grew up in the Milwaukee area and worked there in direct legal services before coming to Law Forward. She firmly believes that the stronger our democracy is, the better our laws and government will serve all Wisconsinites. On weekends, you can usually find Elizabeth and her dog exploring a state park or hiking the Ice Age Trail.

Nicole Safar wears a black dress and sits on a stone ledge, smiling outside.

Nicole Safar

Executive Director

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Nicole (she/her) arrived at democracy work after spending 16 years working in the reproductive freedom and public health spaces. She believes we cannot have a healthy democracy without racial justice and bodily autonomy, and we must fight for free and fair elections and other democratic practices that make political equality possible. When not leading the Law Forward team, Nicole, an avid runner, enjoys the long trails and beautiful scenery Wisconsin has to offer.

headshot of Scott Thompson, wearing a gray suit with a blue shirt, sitting in an orange chair against a blue wall, smiling.

Scott Thompson

Staff Counsel

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Scott (he/him) joined Law Forward after spending years litigating civil rights disputes against both private and government entities. Driven to eliminate the inequity that follows a declining democracy, he leads litigation and public education at Law Forward concerned with voting rights and ballot access. Beyond his legal work, Scott is most often found checking the box score of the last Milwaukee Bucks game, and convincing himself that this is the year he will finally run another half-marathon.

Board of Directors

Andrew Disch

Director

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Andrew serves as the Wisconsin Political Director for the North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters representing nearly 11,000 carpenters throughout Wisconsin belonging to 19 different local unions. Prior to joining the Carpenters in 2018, Andrew lobbied for other trade associations and founded an issue advocacy organization and serving as its Executive Director. A native of Verona, he is a graduate of UW-La Crosse and William Mitchell College of Law.

Sarah Godlewski

Director

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Sarah Godlewski is a fifth generation Wisconsinite from Eau Claire. She is a forward-looking leader who has excelled in both government and business. Appointed by Governor Evers as the 29th Secretary of State of Wisconsin, Sarah has made history by becoming only the third woman to hold this esteemed position. Sarah loves spending time outdoors with her husband Max, son Hartley, and their rescue dog Tanner. In addition, Sarah enjoys cheering on Wisconsin sports teams and is a proud Packers shareholder.

Jeff Mandell

Board President

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Jeff has always believed in viewing government as the things we choose to do together, as a society. This belief has inspired his years of extensive litigation work advancing democracy and protecting voting rights. In starting Law Forward, Jeff sought to build an organization that would strive to make government work for everyone, through broad access and participation. He and his family have happily been Wisconsinites for more than 7 years, and they look forward to many more.

John W. Miller

Director

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John is Founder and Principal at Arenberg Holdings, a Venture Capital fund established in 2015 to make investments in early stage companies, with an emphasis on companies located in the Midwest. John began his career as a congressional staffer, serving as chief tax and budget policy advisor for a Congressman serving on the Committee on Ways and Means and the Committee on the Budget. John has also run congressional campaigns, advised gubernatorial and senate candidates, and served on numerous presidential finance committees. Most recently, he chaired the Board of Directors of the Milwaukee 2020 Host Committee. In 2006, John joined Miller-St. Nazianz, Inc., his family’s farm equipment manufacturing business and became the 5th generation of his family to lead the company as President & CEO. In late-2014, he sold his company to CNH Industrial (NYSE: CNHI), its largest customer. John serves on many local charitable boards including Discovery World, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Foundation, Public Policy Forum and United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County (past member). He holds a B.A. from Marquette University, a M.A. from Georgetown University and a J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School.

Christine Bremer Muggli

Director

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Christine Bremer Muggli is the owner of Bremer & Trollop Law Offices, S.C. based in Wausau, WI. She and her husband Paul have five adult children, two granddaughters, and one grandson. Christine practices primarily personal injury law, representing the injured. She also co-chairs Governor Evers’s Judicial Selection Advisory Committee.

Judy Ziewacz

Secretary/Treasurer

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A Wisconsin native and UW-Madison graduate, Judy has over forty years of public policy experience at the state and federal levels ranging from her service as Chief of Staff for a Wisconsin Member of Congress to Deputy Secretary of a Wisconsin state agency. For a decade, Judy was head of a national Foundation based in Washington, DC. She retired in 2018 as President and Chief Executive Officer of an Association that represented the nation’s 90-million members of cooperatives and credit unions.