About Brian
District Attorney Brian Blanchard brings a very broad range of legal experience in both civil and criminal law to the campaign for Appeals Court.
First elected Dane County’s DA in 2000, Blanchard has won re-election four times. He leads a high-volume office that handles about 13,000 cases annually including gang violence, sexual and internet predators, child abuse, elder abuse, and public corruption.
He has extensive trial level and appellate level experience, including serving as a law clerk for the late Walter Cummings of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Blanchard has also argued numerous cases before Appellate Courts, most recently in front of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Blanchard served for seven years as an Assistant US Attorney in Chicago (1990-1997) helping to prosecute federal cases on behalf the government. He then joined a large law firm in Madison where he represented clients in civil lawsuits, and also represented some persons accused of crime on a pro bono basis (1997-2000).
Under Blanchard's leadership, public safety has been the first priority of the Dane County District Attorney's office. He has also increased the focus on combating underreported crimes such as hate crimes and sexual abuse and to the fight against elder abuse.
His tenure as District Attorney has also been distinguished by his successful investigation and prosecution of political corruption in State Government. Described as “courageous” by the Wisconsin State Journal, Blanchard’s prosecution helped lead to significant changes in Wisconsin law and government, including the creation of the Government Accountability Board.
He is a member and past chair of the Dane County's Coordinated Community Response to Domestic Violence. As DA, Blanchard has expanded support for Safe Harbor, an initiative that serves as a national model for efforts to improve and streamline the interactions between young victims of abuse and the judicial and law enforcement systems. He has also broadened the scope of the innovative Dane County Drug Court, which which helps first-time, non-violent substance abuse offenders turn their lives around.
He is an honors graduate of Northwestern Law School where he was Editor in Chief of the Law Review. Between college and law school, Brian worked for several years as a reporter for the Miami Herald.
Brian and his wife Mary have three children, Will, 14, Ben, 12, and Allison, 10.