Brenda Lewison

(BA, UW-Madison, 1981; JD, UW-Madison, 1995)

Ms. Lewison has an undergraduate degree is in History, with a certificate in Women's Studies. Among other things, she was a union staff representative for United Professionals for Quality Health Care/Service International Employee's Union (UP/SEIU). During law school, she was student law clerk for the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC) and, later, a union organizer with the American Federation of Teachers. She also worked as a student intern for the National Labor Relations Board (Region 30) and the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Throughout law school, she also represented individuals in unemployment appeals through the National Lawyers Guild Unemployment Compensation Clinic.

Upon graduation from law school, Ms. Lewison opened her own practice, which she operated for ten years. She closed her practice in early 2005 and worked for Knight & Associates for one year. She now works for the Law Office of Arthur Heitzer.

Ms. Lewison has litigated employment cases in the following federal forums:

Eastern District of Wisconsin
District of Minnesota
Western District of Michigan
Northern District of Illinois
Northern District of New York
Federal Court of Claims
Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals

In addition, Ms. Lewison has litigated before the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Wisconsin Equal Rights Division, the Wisconsin Unemployment Insurance Division, the Wisconsin Department of Regulation and Licensing, and various state circuit courts.

Ms. Lewison practices primarily in the area employment-related matters, although she has also occasionally litigated public accommodations and housing discrimination cases.

In addition to her practice, Ms. Lewison helped develop a number of organizations such as the Marquette Unemployment Appeals Clinic, the Washington Heights Rainbow Association, and the Human Rights League Political Action Committee. She has served on the fundraising committee for Action Wisconsin. She currently volunteers as a Supervising Attorney for the Unemployment Appeals Clinic, she is a Board Member for the Washington Heights Neighborhood Association and serves on the State Bar of Wisconsin's Individual Rights and Responsibilities (IRR) Section Board. As part of her activities on behalf of the IRR Section, she helped to organize the Attorneys Against the Ban (AATB).