Human Resources Service
Resume:
LINDA M. CLIFFORD
Attorney at Law
Linda Clifford Law Office, LLC
** *. ******* ****** ***** 800
Madison, WI 53703
Office 608-***-**** Cell 608-***-**** Email *****@****************.***
PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION
Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, AV rating (highest)
Milwaukee Magazine, Wisconsin Super Lawyer, 2005-2011
Wisconsin Law Journal, 2005 Leader in the Law
The Best Lawyers in America, 1993-2011 (First Amendment)
Madison Magazine, Top Lawyers 1994, 2005-2009 (Immigration); 1997 (First Amendment)
EMPLOYMENT PRIVATE PRACTICE
2007-now: Linda Clifford Law Office, LLC, Madison, Wisconsin
Sole member/owner
1982-2007: Godfrey & Kahn, S.C., Madison, Wisconsin (formerly La Follette Sinykin)
Shareholder (formerly partner)
1977-1982: Law Office of Linda M. Clifford, Madison, Wisconsin
Solo practitioner and stay-at-home mother
34 years of private practice experience
Civil litigation before state and federal courts and administrat ive agencies including jury and
bench trials and more than 30 appellate cases involving constitutional, municipal, state
government, media (First Amendment), environmental, energy, telecommunications,
immigration, and anti-trust (class action) issues
Appearances before the Department of Homeland Security in business and family immigration
and political asylum cases
Advisor to businesses and educational institutions on immigration law compliance
Expert witness in trials involving immigration issues
Numerous First Amendment and open records and open meetings cases on behalf of
Wisconsin newspapers and other media outlets
Special counsel to State of Wisconsin on regulatory and constitutional matters
Special counsel to Dane County and several municipalities on Superfund cases
Special counsel to Dane County and City of Fitchburg on personnel and municipal law issues
Service on law firm s Board of Directors, Ethics Committee, Executive Management
Committee, and Compensation Committee, and as pro bono liaison
Linda M. Clifford
EMPLOYMENT GOVERNMENT SERVICE
1974-1977: Wisconsin Department of Justice, Madison, Wisconsin
Assistant Attorney General, Environmental and Torts Unit
Civil litigation on behalf of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the State of
Wisconsin before state and federal courts and administrative agencies, including a wrongful
death jury trial, bench trials, and four appellate cases
Enforcement of state environmental laws concerning sewage and wastewater treatment;
water, air, and solid waste pollution; dam construction; soil erosion; groundwater
contamination; and fish habitat
Injunctions and extraordinary proceedings, including declaratory judgment, mandamus,
prohibition, and quiet title
Attorney General opinions to the DNR Secretary and ot her public officials on navigable waters
jurisdiction, public access to man-made lakes, town zoning, due process hearing rights, and
mining leases
Mandamus action representing the Association of Wisconsin Assistant Attorneys General and
the Attorney General to compel the Department of Administration to honor the Attorney
General s payroll certification
Legislation on pollution control and power plant siting
EDUCATION
Juris Doctor: University of Wisconsin Law School, Madison, Wisconsin, 1974
Member, Wisconsin Law Review, 1973-1974; Note, Constitutional Law Equal Protection Penalty
on the Right to Travel Durational Residence Requirements, 1973 WIS. L. REV. 914 (1973); Finalist,
Student Note of the Year Award
Bachelor of Arts: Beloit College, Beloit, Wisconsin, 1970
Major: International Relations
Honors: Cum Laude
Phi Beta Kappa
Phi Sigma Iota (Spanish language honorary)
Distinguished Service Citation, Class of 1970, awarded September 2010
Field term: U.S. Office of Education, Dept. of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C.
Int l study: Beloit College Spanish Seminar, Universidad de Granada, Espana
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
Candidate for election to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, April 2007. Endorsed by the Milwaukee
Journal/Sentinel, Wisconsin State Journal, Capital Times, Appleton Post-Crescent, La Crosse
Tribune, Wausau Daily Herald, Sheboygan Press, and other Wisconsin newspapers.
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Linda M. Clifford
Supreme Court of Wisconsin Office of Lawyer Regulation (formerly Board of Attorneys
Professional Responsibility), District #9 Professional Responsibility Committee, 1993 2002
(investigated complaints against lawyer conduct and recommended discipline)
State Bar of Wisconsin Board of Attorneys Professional Responsibility Study Committee, 1990-
1996 (studied public access to attorney disciplinary proceedings)
State Bar of Wisconsin International Practice Section Board of Directors, 2011-present
State Bar of Wisconsin Energy and Telecommunications Section Board of Directors, 1999-2007;
Chair, 2004-2005
State Bar of Wisconsin Fee Arbitration Panel Member, 1986-present
State Bar of Wisconsin Commission on the Judiciary as a Co-Equal Branch of Government,
Chair, Inter-branch Relations Committee, 1996-1997
Recipient, President s Award of Excellence, June 1997
State Bar of Wisconsin Media-Law Relations Committee, 1988-1995
Chair, 1993-1994
Editor, Wisconsin Lawyer's Guide to the Media (2d ed. 1990)
Panelist, First Amendment Round Table with Prof. Arthur Miller, Jan. 1988
Liaison to Judicial Independence Committee, 1991-1995
State Bar of Wisconsin Participation of Women in the Bar Committee, June 1992
Panelist, Flexible Work Schedules Symposium
Dane County Bar Association, 1974-present
President, 1993-1994
Program Chair, 1989-1991
Case Mediation Program, pro bono mediator, 1991-2011
American Bar Association, 1989-2011
Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources
Section of Public Utility, Communications, and Transportation Law
Section of Litigation Task Force on the Independence of the Judiciary
American Immigration Lawyers Association, 1993-present
Wisconsin Chapter CLE Committee Co-Chair, 2009-2010
Western District of Wisconsin Bar Association
Chair, Bar Liaison Committee, 1992-1997
Co-Editor, Newsletter of the Western District of Wisconsin Bar Association, 1992-1994
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Linda M. Clifford
Wisconsin Women Environmental Professionals, 1995-1999
Legal Association for Women, 1988-1998; 2007-present
Seventh Circuit Bar Association, 1990-2010
COMMUNITY, CULTURAL, AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
Community Immigration Law Clinic
Founding Member, Board of Directors, Volunteer Attorney, 2009 present
President, 2011
Wisconsin Historical Society Board of Curators (Governor s appointee), April 2004 2010
Beloit College Board of Trustees, 1984-1987; 1999-2008
Wisconsin Equal Justice Fund, Inc. (formerly Equal Justice Coalition)
Board of Directors, 1998-1999
Chair, Annual Howard Eisenberg Award Dinner, 2005
Madison Consort, harpsichordist, 2003-present
Midwestern Historical Keyboard Society, Inc., a regional organization of professional and amateur
musicians and instrument builders in 20 states dedicated to the promotion of early keyboard
music, performance, and education
Founding and Life Member, 1986-present
Pro bono legal counsel, 1986-present
Director and Treasurer, 1986-1995
Performer, 1988, 1998, 2000
The Business Forum, business and professional women dedicated to personal growth and civic
involvement, 1991-2002
Chair, Newsletter/Public Relations Committee, 1997-1999
Chair, Legislative Committee, 1991-1993
Executive Women s Golf Association, 1998-present
Leadership Greater Madison (LGM 3), a 10-month program designed to prepare community
leaders for service, featuring a community-focused team project and day-long sessions on selected
community issues, 1996
Friends of WHA-TV, Inc., 21,000 members dedicated to the support of public television
Board of Directors, 1978-1984
President of the Board/Chairman of the Board, 1981 -1983
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Linda M. Clifford
City of Madison Personnel Board, 1981-1983
City of Madison Urban Land Commission, 1976-1978
HOBBIES AND INTERESTS
Harpsichord, golf, travel, reading, gardening
PERSONAL BACKGROUND
Born Waukegan, Illinois, June 12, 1948
Husband of 38 years Keith R. Clifford, attorney, Clifford & Raihala, S.C., and past president,
Wisconsin Academy of Trial Lawyers
Daughters Meghan and Colleen Clifford, son-in-law Ian Davidson, and granddaughter Isla
SAMPLE WRITINGS/PRESENTATIONS
Immigration Basics, presented to U.W. Law School Domestic Violence Immigration Clinic, Mar.
2011
Immigration Basics, presented on behalf of the Community Immigration Law Center to
Edgewood College School of Education area teacher forum, Nov. 2010
Foreign Affairs: What You Need To Know About Your Client s Immigration Status and How It Can
Affect Your Case, presented to Wisconsin Association for Justice, Oct. 2010
Immigration Law, presented to the U.W. Public Interest Law Foundation, Sept. 2010
The Business of Immigration: What U.S. Employers Need to Know When Hiring Non -U.S.
Citizens, presented to Madison International Trade Association, June 2010
Update on Immigration Law Compliance, presented to Walworth County Human Resources
Association, June 2008
Advocating for the Judiciary: The Importance of Providing Legislative Support for the Judiciary,
presented to National Association of Trial Lawyer Executives, Nov. 2007
Immigration Law Compliance: What HR Managers Need to Know, presented to Green Bay
Chapter, Society for Human Resource Management, Sept. 2007
Judicial Independence: A Cornerstone of Our Constitution, presented to La Crosse County Bar
Association, Dec. 2006
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Linda M. Clifford
Immigration Law Compliance Challenges, presented to Walworth County Human Resources
Association, Oct. 2006
What Happens at OLR (Office of Lawyer Regulation), In-House Ethics Seminar, Godfrey & Kahn,
Aug. 2003
What Employers Need to Know About U.S. Immigration Law, La Follette Godfrey & Kahn
Employment Law Seminar, Apr. 2003
Immigration Law Compliance Challenges: Employing Non-U.S. Citizens, presented to the
Wisconsin Credit Union League, Nov. 2002
Complying with I-9 and Other Immigration Law Requirements, presented to the U.S. Equal
Employment Opportunities Commission, Sept. 2003
Immigration Procedures for Human Resource Managers, presented to the Society for Human
Resource Management, Oct. 2002
Hiring Alien Workers and Other Immigration Law Challenges, presented to the Wisconsin
Association of Colleges and Employers, Inc., Dec. 2001
The INS at Your Door and Other Immigration Law Challenges, Godfrey & Kahn Employment Law
Seminar, Fall 2001
Hiring Alien Employees: Procedures for Acquiring and Maintaining Valid Status, La Follette &
Sinykin Employment Law Seminar, Mar. 1997
Basic Requirements for Class Certification in Federal and State Court, La Follette & Sinykin
Defense of Class Action Litigation Seminar, Nov. 1996
Legal Implications of Advertising, presented to the Wisconsin Newspaper Association Annual
Meeting, Jan. 1994
Open Records Law, Open Meetings Law, and Privacy, presented to the South Central Library
System, Apr. 1993
Overview of Environmental Issues Affecting Creditors, presented to the Wisconsin Credit Union
League, Dec. 1992
Key Issues in the Trial of Cost Recovery Actions, Key Issues in Environmental Litigation, National
Business Institute, Inc. Seminar, Feb. 1992
Wisconsin s Open Records Law, presented to the Wisconsin Association of Private Investigators,
Sept. 1992
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Linda M. Clifford
Overview of Immigration Alternatives for Employment of Aliens in the United States, Business
Law News, Vol. 12, No. 4 (Fall 1992)
Family Leave Policymaking in a Mid-Sized Professional Firm: A Case Study, in Parental Leave and
Child Care: Setting a Research and Policy Agenda, 252 (J. Hyde and M.J. Essex, eds., 1991)
When Can I Stop Cleaning Up? Avoiding Environmental Liability in Wisconsin, National Business
Institute, Inc. Seminar, Dec. 1990
Recent Developments in Media Law, presented to the Center for Public Representation
Accountability in Government Seminar, Apr. 1990
Advertising Law, presented to the Wisconsin Newspaper Association Annual Meetin g, June 1988
Invited Lecturer on Environmental Law, Marquette University Law School, 1978
REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS AND CASES
Before the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Citizenship and Immigration Services. Regularly
represent U.S. and foreign businesses and individuals from more than 90 countries to acquire
appropriate visas authorizing temporary or permanent employment and residence in the U.S.
Before the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin. Represented the Sierra Club in two 2008 utility
rate cases, advocating successfully for the establishment of a state-wide collaborative to
investigate development of utility-owned distributed solar generation facilities in Wisconsin.
Before the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin. Regularly represented the Wisconsin Industrial
Energy Group, Inc. ( WIEG ), a consortium of 30+ industrial energy consumers, in electric utility
rate cases and policy-making proceeding. Also represented telecommunications service providers
in administrative and court proceedings involving competitive and regulatory issues.
Wisconsin Bell, Inc. v. Public Service Commission, 277 Wis. 2d 729, 691 N.W.2d 697, 2004 WI App
223 (Ct. App. 2004). Represented telecommunications company in obtaining reversal of PSC
decision construing statute that defined its jurisdiction to regulate telecom service prices.
Special Counsel for Dane County, Wisconsin. Represented the County in special environmental
matters, including leadership in cost recovery action involving County-owned landfill. Also
counseled the County on personnel issues involving appointed officials.
Special Counsel for the City of Fitchburg. Assisted the City in restructuring the office of city
attorney, related lawsuits, and selection of a successor city attorney.
Special Counsel to the Mayor, City of Fitchburg. Represented mayor individually in defense of
former city treasurer s 1983 challenge to the mayor s appointment of a new city treasurer. Wolf
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Linda M. Clifford
v. Fitchburg, No. 87-C-370-S (W.D. Wis. 1987), aff d, after dismissal of Mayor individually, 870 F.2d
1327 (7th Cir. 1989).
Special Counsel for the Village of Brokaw. Assisted the Village in siting new public water supply
well, negotiated with local paper company on landfill siting, and advised on TIF district issue s.
Under contract with the State of Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Served as
administrative law judge in several teacher disciplinary and licensing proceedings.
Wisconsin Pharmacal Company Inc. v. Repello Products, Inc., Western District of Wisconsin Case
No. 97-C-0864-S. Represented defendant manufacturer of insect repellant in jury trial of
trademark infringement claims.
Schofield v. Abbott Laboratories, Dane County Circuit Court Case No. 96-CV-0460. Represented
two of 25 defendant pharmaceutical manufacturers against antitrust claims brought by a putative
class of individual consumers who purchased brand name pharmaceuticals from retail pharmacies
and claimed injury from an alleged conspiracy to deny retail pharmacists price discount s offered to
hospitals or HMOs.
K-S Pharmacies v. Abbott Laboratories, Dane County Circuit Court Case No. 94-CV-2384, and
Wisconsin Court of Appeals, Appeal No. 96-2267. Represented two of 25 defendant
pharmaceutical manufacturers and wholesalers against antitrust claims brought by a putative class
of retail pharmacies who claimed injury from an alleged conspiracy to deny class members price
discounts offered to hospitals and HMOs on sales of drugs.
State of Wisconsin v. Mitchell, 508 U.S. 476 (1993). Represented Wisconsin Freedom of
Information Council as amicus curiae supporting a challenge to hate crimes legislation.
Milwaukee Journal v. U.W. Board of Regents, 163 Wis. 2d 933, 472 N.W.2d 607 (Ct. App. 1991).
Represented newspaper to obtain access to names of applicants for the positions of U.W. athletic
director and football coach.
Milwaukee County Pavers Association, Inc. v. Fiedler, 707 F. Supp. 1532 (W.D. Wis. 1989), 731 F.
Supp. 1395 (W.D. Wis. 1989), aff d, 992 F.2d 419 (7th Cir. 1991), cert. denied, 500 U.S. 954 (1991).
Represented amicus curiae minority contractors in trial court to defeat a challenge to the
constitutionality of a disadvantaged business affirmative action program.
Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians v. State of Wisconsin, 74-C-313-C
(1990). Represented intervenors Wisconsin Broadcasters Association, State Bar of Wisconsin, and
22 media outlets seeking to suspend a local court order prohibiting cameras in the courtroom.
Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce v. Tries, No. 87-CV-109-C (W.D. Wis. 1987). Represented
intervenor Joint Committee on Legislative Organization to defeat a challenge to the state s
comparable worth pay plan.
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Linda M. Clifford
C.L. v. Edson, 140 Wis. 2d 168, 409 N.W.2d 417 (Ct. App. 1987). Represented Eau Claire Leader-
Telegram to obtain access to sealed court order approving juvenile settlement.
Peterson v. Lindner, 765 F.2d 698 7th Cir. 1985). As special counsel, represented the Wisconsin
Department of Administration in the Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin and the Seventh
Circuit Court of Appeals to defeat an equal protection class action challenge to the
constitutionality of the state s pay plan for court reporters and seeking $6 million in damages.
REPRESENTATIVE PRO BONO IMMIGRATION MATTERS
In the Matter of L.P. (June 2009). Achieved a religious persecution waiver from the U.S.
Department of State on behalf of a Baptist college student who feared returning to Turkmenistan
after learning the Turkmenistan government had jailed and beaten her mother and others
participating in Baptist prayer meetings.
In the Matter of Z.M. (April 2004). Achieved asylum in the U.S. for a woman and her two
daughters who fled Kazakhstan after persecution by their fundamentalist Dungan Muslim clan and
local police on account of their conversion from Islam to Christianity. (Led to Wisconsin Law
Journal Leader in the Law 2005 award.)
In the Matter of M.M. (Nov. 1995). Achieved asylum in the U.S. for a woman who fled Ethiopia
after persecution by revolutionaries who killed her father, imprisoned her brother, and jailed and
tortured her and her sisters on account of her father s affiliation with the former Mengistu regime.
In the Matter of Dr. Al-H. (Dec. 1993). Achieved asylum in the U.S. for a pediatrician and his family
who fled Iraq after persecution by Saddam Hussein on account of their Kurdish ethnicity.
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