Melissa unites her expertise in nonprofit law with her experiences as a community leader, organizer and fundraiser in the founding of Scholz Nonprofit Law.
Experience
- 12 years of practicing law in a large law firm, Godfrey & Kahn
(formerly known as LaFollette Sinkyin).- contract work for the Washington D.C. law firms of Hogan & Hartson (1997) and Lichtman, Trister & Ross (2007 – present)
- founding employee of the national non-profit organization, Campus Compact
- professional fundraiser for the University of Wisconsin Foundation
- elected member of the Dane County Board of Supervisors
- co-founder of a small start-up company
- participant in Leadership Greater Madison
- political activist
- volunteer board member, including currently serving on the Board of Directors of Community Action Coalition for South Central Wisconsin, Inc.
- Girl Scout leader
- public school volunteer
During the past decade, Melissa has given significant leadership to Porchlight, the Madison area’s largest provider of affordable housing and programs directed at solving homelessness. She is currently serving on the Capital Campaign Committee for the Madison Cares Campaign, an effort to raise $3.5million to build housing for persons with mental illness.
Education
Melissa received her law degree with honors from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1995 where she was a member of the Order of the Coif. She received her bachelor’s degree from Stanford University in 1985 where she served as Student Body President and as a founder of the Stanford Public Service Center, which became a national model for many other campus service programs.
Personal
Melissa grew up in California but has lived in Madison for over 20 years. She is married to Karl Scholz, a professor of Economics at the UW-Madison. They have three daughters. A favorite family pastime is hiking in Montana in the summers.
Experience
Jessica Y. Harrison joined Scholz Nonprofit Law in the spring of 2010. Jessica began her legal career as a law clerk to the Honorable Barbara B. Crabb of the Western District of Wisconsin. Prior to joining the firm, Jessica was an instructor of legal writing and analysis at the University of Wisconsin Law School in the East Asian Legal Studies Center.
EducationJessica is a 2000 graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School, where she was Senior Articles Editor of the Wisconsin Law Review. She received her B.A. from Duke University in 1993.
Personal
Jessica’s community activities include volunteering in her children’s school, coaching soccer, and leading a Girl Scout troop.