Henak Law Office, S.C. - Premier Wisconsin Criminal Appeal Lawyers

Amelia L. Bizzaro

Amelia L. Bizzaro has been an associate attorney at Henak Law Office, S.C. since May 2005. Her dedication to state and federal appellate and post-conviction work is evidenced by her background as a zealous, creative, and compassionate appellate advocate. She handles both state and federal appeals, with a primary focus on homicide cases.

Since graduating from Marquette University School of Law in 2003, Attorney Bizzaro has been lead or co-counsel on several cases that have resulted in published decisions.

In addition to her strong work as an appellate advocate, Attorney Bizzaro is a member of the Wisconsin and National Associations of Criminal Defense Attorneys, as well as the Wisconsin Bar Association's Appellate Practice Section. She is also co-chair of the Milwaukee Bar Association's Bench/Bar Court of Appeals Committee, where she conceived, organized, and moderated a day-long appellate seminar for both civil and criminal appellate attorneys, co-sponsored by the Wisconsin State Public Defender's Office. Attorney Bizzaro also has organized and moderated programs in Milwaukee and Madison on the state appellate electronic filing requirements, effective July 1, 2009.

Whenever possible, Attorney Bizzaro participates in training other attorneys. She spoke on the topic of Petitions for Writ of Certiorari and Habeas Corpus at the 2007 State Public Defender Conference, encouraging attorneys to challenge revocation hearing decisions in light of Truth in Sentencing. She also authored the article Taking Reconfinement Hearings Seriously in the April 2007 Wisconsin Lawyer, and most recently spoke about how to dissect a guilty plea hearing on appeal.

Attorney Bizzaro was selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers 2008 and 2009 as a "Rising Star."

Prior to joining Henak Law Office, she was the Director of the Legal Services Program at the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin, Inc., and a staff attorney at Centro Legal por Derechos Humanos, Inc.

Practice Areas: Wisconsin and Federal Post-Conviction Remedies and Criminal Appeals, Revocation Proceedings

Published Decisions

Admitted:     Wisconsin (2003)
                         U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin (2004)
                         U.S. District Court, Western District of Wisconsin (2005)
                         U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit (2005)

Biography: Law Clerk to the Waukesha County Criminal Traffic Division, Waukesha, WI (2002- 2003); Staff Attorney, Centro Legal por Derechos Humanos, Milwaukee, WI (2003-2004); Staff Attorney to Director, Legal Resources Program, AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI (2004-2005); Associate, Henak Law Office, S.C., Milwaukee, WI (2005-present).

Associations: State Bar of Wisconsin, Appellate Practice Section and Young Lawyers Division; National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL); Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys (WACDL); Milwaukee Bar Association.

Committee Assignments & Professional Activities: State Bar of Wisconsin, Appellate Practice Section, Rules Committee (2009-present); State Bar of Wisconsin, Appellate Practice Section, Law School Committee (2009-present); WACDL, Board of Directors (2009-present); Milwaukee Bar Association, Bench/Bar Court of Appeals Committee (Co-Chair 2005-present); Milwaukee Bar Association, Legal Services to the Indigent Committee (Member, 2005-2009); American Civil Liberties Union, Milwaukee Area Lawyer�s Committee (Co-Chair, 2007-present).

Education: Ohio University (B.S.J. 2000); Marquette University (J.D. 2003).

Born: Akron, Ohio, 1978.