Chandra Miller Fienen, a senior legal advisor to Wisconsin Governor Jim DOyle, has resigned her position after reports surfaced that she was not licensed to practice law in the State of Wisconsin. Miller Fienen was hired by Gov. Doyle’s office in July 2008, after she returned to Wisconsin from California, where she had gone to law school and then practiced law. According to his spokesman, Gov. Jim Doyle assumed his senior legal adviser was licensed to practice law because he understood she had passed the state bar exam. Miller Fienen had not passed the state bar exam in Wisconsin, and while state payroll records show her title only as “senior adviser,” she is identified as chief legal counsel in a state agency roster published by the state Department of Administration.
I don’t know what’s more unbelievable; the fact that Gov. Doyle says was unaware Chandra Miller Fienen wasn’t licensed to practice law in the State of Wisconsin, or the fact that Chanda Miller Fienen thought she’d be able to act as Gov. Doyle’s Chief Legal Counsel without holding the proper credentials to do so (and without being found out).
Tough to talk about this story without mentioning the words, thrown, under and bus. For example,”She realizes that she has placed this office in a difficult position,” Lee Sensenbrenner, an aide to Doyle, said. Which if you can get past just how sad & pathetic it is, is actually pretty funny. Considering initially they made the claim that she really wasn’t actually practicing law, she was just an adviser. That excuse, was met with a mountain of contradictory evidence – she has been quoted/cited numerous times in articles as chief legal council. The statutes are very clear on what constitutes “practicing law” and there was just no way they had any hope of justifying it, so under the bus she goes.
While it’s entirely possible she’s an intelligent person, when you add up that she was Mark Miller’s daughter, and wasn’t bright enough to realize she must pass the Wisconsin bar, it really makes you question her ability to do the job, as well as the intelligence of hiring her. Maybe she was the one advising Doyle that the state travel guidelines don’t apply to him or his Lt. Gov. Yah, that’s it, it was all Chandra’s fault, we can fire her.
I guess, it’s not like the governor has any sort of legal background that you’d expect him to understand how this complicated legal stuff like that you have to pass the Bar to practice law in this state. Oh, wait. That’s right, he’s a lawyer himself.
The arrogance that none of the rules apply to him, that he can hire a powerful state senator’s daughter & they don’t have worry about passing the bar. I mean seriously, if you’ve graduated law school, and passed the Bar in California, why wouldn’t you take the Wisconsin Bar? I can only assume somebody said, “eh, don’t worry about it.”
Arrogant. The laws do not apply to her because she is in charge. It is kind of like a get-out-of-jail free card without actualy going to jail to play it.
I think all parties should share blame equally. They all knew she needed to pass the bar here in Wisconsin.
What a scumbag you lis are. THis story was exclusively broken by Mark Bellings on WISN on Friday, and you don’t even bother citing the source. Typical lying pathetic liberals
This is a liberal slanted blog and yet the post (and comments) expressed nothing but criticism towards Doyle & his administration on this particular issue. So your way off base here. As for citation – the post linked to an article on the topic. Strangely enough, the link no longer works. I don’t know whether that’s honest mistake by the JS, an example of their lack technical acumen or something nefarious but the link did work for awhile. If you believe the JS should’ve cited Belling your beef is with them & not here.
Locke, the article was moved, hence the broken link. I’ve since updated the entry to reflect the correct link.
IHL, I cited my source, which happened to be the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. So tell me….how exactly did I lie?
IHL,
Did you miss the link on line 1 of the posting that takes you to the source of the report that Zach used? It was subtly highlighted in blue font while the rest of the post was not.
I suggest that you look up the word ‘lying’ in your dictionary. It will improve the accuracy of what you offensively write.
I am not really a fan of Doyle for various reasons.
I just had the need to consult an attorney. I have used attorneys many times in the past. I have never checked on any of their credentials other than noticing the diplomas on their walls. Honestly, I’m not sure that this time the Gov.’s office is so much to blame. Really, they knew she had a law degree in CA and presumed that she had acquired one here. Perhaps she told them that she had passed the bar and no one thought anybody would be crazy enough to lie about something like that to the governor’s office? I sure the hell wouldn’t.
Also, shouldn’t this be more about Doyle’s staff that should be reviewing these things and not Doyle himself? I don’t expect him to go through each and every person’s background and make verification calls. Just my 2 cents