Department of Justice veterans bolster legal team, Bradley Freedom Fellows expand policy scope
The News: The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) announced the addition of two new attorneys, Daniel Lennington and Katherine Spitz, formerly of the Wisconsin Department of Justice, and two Bradley Freedom Fellows, Adam Hoffer, PhD, and Shannon Whitworth, to bolster WILL’s policy team. WILL’s new Bradley Freedom Fellows program is sponsored by a grant from The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation.
The Quote: WILL President and General Counsel, Rick Esenberg, said, “I’m proud to start 2021 with the addition of talented and experienced attorneys and policy experts. WILL’s mission to advance the rule of law, constitutional government, educational freedom, and economic liberty will be significantly bolstered by these new additions.”
Dan Lennington, Deputy Counsel, joins WILL as an accomplished litigator and appellate advocate from the Wisconsin Department of Justice. Dan served as the Assistant Deputy Attorney General and Senior Counsel in two successive DOJ administrations, managing high-profile litigation projects and advising the Legislature, Governor, and state agencies in regulatory-reform matters. Dan’s tenure also included appointments as Deputy Solicitor General and Assistant Attorney General, during which he argued cases before the Wisconsin Supreme Court, the Seventh Circuit, and state and federal trial courts around the state.
Before joining the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Dan was an award-winning federal prosecutor and Assistant Attorney General in Oklahoma. Dan started his legal career in a large Michigan law firm, where he represented both large and small businesses in environmental and employment litigation. Dan graduated summa cum laude from Valparaiso University School of Law and cum laude from Hillsdale College.
Dan will have a focus on administrative reform and the separation of powers. He lives in Sun Prairie with his wife and four sons and he can be reached at [email protected].
Katherine D. Spitz, Associate Counsel, joins WILL from the Wisconsin Department of Justice, where she served as deputy unit director of the civil litigation unit. While at DOJ, Ms. Spitz represented state agencies and state employees in a wide variety of practice areas, including civil rights, property, employment, and public records disputes. Prior to her time with the DOJ, Ms. Spitz was an associate with Foley & Lardner LLP in Milwaukee, where she represented clients in commercial and employment litigation. She received her B.A. and J.D. from the University of Notre Dame and is an avid college football fan.
Ms. Spitz lives in Delafield with her husband, son, and miniature poodle. She can be reached at [email protected].
Adam Hoffer, PhD, Bradley Freedom Fellow, is the Director of the Menard Family Midwest Initiative for Economic Engagement and Research and an associate professor of economics at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse. Dr. Hoffer teaches undergraduate courses in microeconomics, sports economics, and political economy. He earned his undergraduate degree from Washington & Jefferson College and his Ph.D. from West Virginia University. Dr. Hoffer is on the board of Policy Advisors of the Heartland Institute and he is a research scholar with the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. He is the co-editor of the edited volumes For Your Own Good: Taxes, Paternalism, and Fiscal Discrimination in the Twenty-First Century and Regulation and Economic Opportunity: Blueprints for Reform. His academic research has been published in journals such as The Southern Economic Journal, Contemporary Economic Policy, the Journal of Sports Economics, and Journal of Economic Education.
Adam will be providing original research on economic policy and regulation in Wisconsin.
Shannon Whitworth, Bradley Freedom Fellow, is the Executive Director of the Free Enterprise Academy at Milwaukee Lutheran High School. An attorney by trade, Shannon stepped out of the practice of law in 2018 after amassing twenty-two years of litigation experience. Graduating from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1996, he spent the last three years of his practice as an Ozaukee County Assistant District Attorney. Significantly, Shannon spent twelve years as a commercial litigator and business law attorney at a top-rated business law firm in Milwaukee. He also has years of experience in the areas of Child Support Enforcement, Insurance Law, and General Practice.
Shannon will be providing commentary and critical analysis to contemporary issues, including politics, race, school choice, economics and culture.