2015 WI 99

SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN

CASE NO.: 2015AP1732-D

COMPLETE TITLE: In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings

Against Michael M. Switalski, Attorney at Law:

Office of Lawyer Regulation,

 Complainant,

 v.

Michael M. Switalski,

 Respondent.

DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS AGAINST SWITALSKI

OPINION FILED: November 11, 2015

SUBMITTED ON BRIEFS: 

ORAL ARGUMENT:

SOURCE OF APPEAL:

COURT:

COUNTY:

JUDGE:

JUSTICES:

CONCURRED:

DISSENTED:

NOT PARTICIPATING: BRADLEY, A.W., J. and BRADLEY, R.G., J. did not 

participate. 

ATTORNEYS:
2015 WI 99

NOTICE

This opinion is subject to further 

editing and modification. The final 

version will appear in the bound 

volume of the official reports. 

No. 2015AP1732-D

STATE OF WISCONSIN : IN SUPREME COURT

In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 

Against Michael M. Switalski

Office of Lawyer Regulation,

 Complainant,

 v.

Michael M. Switalski,

 Respondent.

FILED

NOV 11, 2015

Diane M. Fremgen

Clerk of Supreme Court

ATTORNEY disciplinary proceeding. Attorney's license 

revoked. 

¶1 PER CURIAM. Attorney Michael M. Switalski has filed 

a petition for consensual license revocation under Supreme Court 

Rule (SCR) 22.19.

¶2 Attorney Switalski was admitted to practice law in 

Wisconsin in 1988. His member status with the State Bar of 

Wisconsin is inactive and he is not currently engaged in the 

practice of law in Wisconsin. Attorney Switalski was previously 
No. 2015AP1732-D 

2

a school teacher and coach at Newman Catholic High School in 

Wausau. 

¶3 In March 2015, Attorney Switalski entered guilty pleas 

to ten felony counts of child pornography. An additional 22 

counts were dismissed but read in for sentencing purposes. In 

June 2015, Attorney Switalski was sentenced to ten three-year 

prison terms, to be served concurrently, each followed by five 

years of extended supervision. Attorney Switalski is currently 

in prison.

¶4 Attorney Switalski's petition for consensual license 

revocation states that he is currently the subject of an Office 

of Lawyer Regulation (OLR) inquiry involving his possession of 

child pornography. Attorney Switalski states that he cannot 

successfully defend himself against the professional misconduct 

alleged by the OLR. He states that he is filing his petition 

freely, voluntarily, and knowingly, and understands that he is 

giving up his right to contest the misconduct alleged by the 

OLR. He also states that he is represented by counsel in this 

proceeding. 

¶5 The OLR has filed a recommendation on Attorney 

Switalski's petition, saying that revocation of his license to 

practice law in Wisconsin is warranted. The OLR notes that 

there is precedent for the proposition that an attorney's 

serious criminal conduct merits revocation of his license to 

practice law in Wisconsin, even when the misconduct is not 

directly related to the attorney's practice of law. See, e.g., 

In re Disciplinary Proceedings Against Engl, 2013 WI 36, 
No. 2015AP1732-D 

3

347 Wis. 2d 104, 829 N.W.2d 512. The OLR says that consensual 

revocation is appropriate in this case and is consistent with 

past precedent.

¶6 We agree that revocation of Attorney Switalski's 

license to practice law in Wisconsin is warranted. Attorney 

Switalski pled guilty to multiple counts of possession of child 

pornography. SCR 20:8.4(b) provides that it is professional 

misconduct for a lawyer to "commit a criminal act that reflects 

adversely on the lawyer's honesty, trustworthiness or fitness as 

a lawyer in other respects." Attorney Switalski has 

acknowledged that he cannot successfully defend himself against 

the misconduct allegations. Accordingly, we grant the petition 

and revoke his license to practice law in Wisconsin.

¶7 IT IS ORDERED that the license of Michael M. Switalski 

to practice law in Wisconsin is revoked, effective the date of 

this order.

¶8 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that, to the extent he has not 

already done so, Michael M. Switalski shall comply with the 

provisions of SCR 22.26 concerning the duties of an attorney 

whose license to practice law has been revoked.

¶9 ANN WALSH BRADLEY, J., and REBECCA G. BRADLEY, J., did 

not participate.
No. 2015AP1732-D 

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