Five finalists named for director of Administrative Legal Services

Chancellor John D. Wiley announced today (Dec. 20, 2007) that five finalists have been selected for director of Administrative Legal Services (ALS) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

The finalists are:

• Jennifer Lattis, assistant attorney general, Wisconsin Department of Justice
• Monica Rimai, vice president and general counsel at the University of Cincinnati
• Lisa Rutherford, senior university legal counsel at UW–Madison
• Tomas Stafford, senior system legal counsel, UW System
• Kelly Wilson, deputy general counsel, UW Hospital and Clinics

The director, who reports directly to the chancellor, serves as managing attorney and oversees 13 staff members. The job responsibilities include, among others, managing conflict of interest and ethics issues; employment, health and intellectual property law; compliance issues; contracts; and special investigative assignments.

The new director will replace Melany Newby, who served as vice chancellor for legal and executive affairs since 1989 and retired in summer 2006. Chuck Hoornstra, who is formerly with the Wisconsin Department of Justice, is currently directing ALS on an interim basis until a new person is hired.

More on the candidates:

• Lattis, who also serves as DOJ’s director of the employment litigation unit, has been with the state justice department since 1989. She has both a bachelor’s degree and law degree from UW–Madison. Lattis has managed a variety of university-related cases over the years in employment relations, budgeting and finance, shared governance, risk management and other topics.
• Rimai, who has been with the University of Cincinnati since 2005, also was director of legal affairs for UW-Milwaukee from 2000-2005. Prior to that, Rimai had been a practicing attorney since 1987, with both private law firms and work for municipal, state and federal governments. She has a bachelor’s and law degrees from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.
• Rutherford has 14 years of experience with ALS at UW–Madison and currently serves as leader of the five-attorney litigation team. She has expertise in personnel/employment law, medical malpractice/health law, international studies and intellectual property. Rutherford has a bachelor’s degree from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minn., and a law degree from UW–Madison.
• Stafford has been with the UW System since 2000, focusing on a wide range of legal matters involving employees, students and campus issues. He also served as assistant attorney general in Minnesota from 1995-2000. Stafford served in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1988-1993. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Dakota and law degree from the University of Minnesota.
• Wilson has been deputy general counsel at UWHC since May 2007 and associate general counsel since 2003. She currently oversees the UWHC legal department and serves as counsel to the hospital’s board of directors. Wilson worked with the Chicago law firm Grippo & Elden from 1997-2003. She holds a bachelor’s degree from UW–Madison and a law degree from Harvard University.

On-campus interviews will be taking place early in the new year.