Attorney John A. Birdsall has more than 30 years of experience and has earned a reputation as one of the most trusted and victorious criminal defense attorneys in the State of Wisconsin. With over 260 jury trials, mostly for serious felonies, he has an acquittal rate that is three times the state average.
John’s practice is focused exclusively on defending the wrongly accused, and he has recently made headlines for his defense of a client named Eddie Gill. After being accused of shooting and killing a Milwaukee resident, John helped uncover that the police had interrogated Gill into confessing when he was in fact not involved at all. Gill was merely a witness to the crime, and John was able to defend his rights and have the case dismissed and all of the charges against Gill dropped. John has been able to help several clients like Gill defend their rights and ensure that they are getting the best results no matter what the charges are against them.
As a current member of the Board of Directors, and past President, of the Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, John has helped develop sentencing guidelines for state judges and has served as a member of the Wisconsin Sentencing Commission. He also holds an AV rating, the highest available, in Martindale-Hubble’s Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, which is a testament to the fact that his peers have ranked him at the highest level of professional excellence. He also serves the State Bar of Wisconsin on the board of directors of the Criminal Law Section and as an elected member of the bar’s Board of Governors which oversees the entirety of Wisconsin’s legal system. John has shared his experiences by writing and hosting lectures for a wide range of audiences on criminal law topics such as warrantless searches, coerced confessions, prison overcrowding and truth-in-sentencing.
- University of Wisconsin Law School
- J.D. (1989) | Law
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- Activities: Dean's List (Law School), Graduated with Honors, Legal Defense Project (student attorney).
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- University of Wisconsin - Madison
- B.A. (1986) | Political Science, History - Honors Program
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- Activities: Phi Beta Kappa National Honors Society, Political Science Society, Model Organization of American States
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- Partner
- Birdsall Muller LLC
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- Partner
- Birdsall Obear & Associates LLC
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- President
- Birdsall Law Offices, S.C.
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- Attorney
- Gonzalez, Saggio, Birdsall & Harlan
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- Attorney
- Borgelt, Powell, Peterson & Frauen S.C.
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- Race and Sentencing in Wisconsin
- Wisconsin Sentencing Commission
- Sentencing in Wisconsin
- Wisconsin Sentencing Commission
- Trouble Ahead: Wisconsin's New Domestic Abuse Laws
- Wisconsin Lawyer
- Chair's Perspective
- Criminal Law News
- Chair's Perspective
- Criminal Law News
- Representing Indigent Defendants at Sentencing and Disposition, 1998 State Bar of Wisconsin Annual Convention
- Sentencing Hearing in the "New World", Refocusing the Profession for the New Millenium
- Martin Hanson Advocate Prize
- Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- The Martin Hanson Advocate Prize is awarded to a criminal defense attorney in Wisconsin that achieves the rare achievement of getting an acquittal in a homicide case.
- AV Rating
- Martindale-Hubbell
- Awarded to attorney based on a high rating by their peers
- Wisconsin State Bar # 1017786
- Member
- Current
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- Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- President
- Current
- Activities: Past President of the Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
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- Wisconsin State Bar, Criminal Law Section
- Board Member
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- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- Member
- Current
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- Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- Board of Directors
- Current
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- State Bar of Wisconsin, Sentencing Commission
- Member
- Current
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- Milwaukee Rescue Mission
- Volunteer Attorney
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- YMCA Milwaukee Urban Campus
- Board Member
- Current
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- Committee on Indegent Defense Compensation
- Member
- Current
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- New York
- New York State Office of Court Administration
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- Wisconsin
- Wisconsin Court System
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- Free Consultation
- Credit Cards Accepted
- Criminal Law
- Criminal Appeals, Drug Crimes, Expungement, Fraud, Gun Crimes, Internet Crimes, Sex Crimes, Theft, Violent Crimes
- DUI & DWI
- Domestic Violence
- Domestic Violence Criminal Defense, Domestic Violence Restraining Orders
- White Collar Crime
- Appeals & Appellate
- Civil Appeals, Federal Appeals
- English: Spoken, Written
Attorney John A. Birdsall, Birdsall Obear & Associates