Jill Pedigo Hall, Attorney | von Briesen & Roper, s.c.
What are the most challenging and rewarding parts of your job?
One of the most rewarding aspects of being a management-side employment lawyer is the ability to help organizations strengthen their workplaces. The phrase, “It’s never boring” is especially apt. There can be both challenge and reward in dealing with the infinite variety of people problems in the workplace. A reward is the continual learning that comes from seeing unique issues; the challenge lies in assisting employers in navigating issues that sometimes do not reflect the best of humanity, which is expressed by another phrase, “You can’t make this up.” Ultimately, my job offers problem-solving, risk management and relationship-building.
What has been the high point of your career?
A recent “high” was my induction into a national legal organization, Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel. FDCC membership is peer-vetted and its membership is limited to 1,400 attorneys in the United States and Canada. Members are chosen for advancing the principles of integrity, professionalism, fair civil justice, intellectual capital, and fostering the trust and value of fellowship in the legal profession.
What advice would you give your 21-year-old self?
I went to law school directly after undergrad, at age 21. I would tell my 21-year-old self not to do that, and to instead take time off before going to law school to get to know myself better and gain confidence in that self-knowledge. I would also advise what I sometimes still have to remind myself, to see each experience in practice — whether positive or negative in the moment — as an opportunity for learning and growth.
What are the best things about Dane County?
I moved here in 2017 seeking a community that was energized and vibrant and Dane County has not disappointed. Like my practice, the county presents constant variety and adventure.
Do you have any secret talents or abilities?
I have been known to joke that I am the only attorney that has kneaded thousands of loaves of bread, ordered thousands of bushels of wheat and hundreds of 64-gallon barrels of honey for a living. I learned those skills when, eight years after law school graduation, I left practice to co-found and operate Great Harvest Bread Co. in the Milwaukee area. It was 11 years of learning – not only how to build and run a successful business, but how to ensure service to others. I returned to law practice because I missed the intellectual demand and am a true “law geek.”
