Interim U.S. Attorney General maintains ties in Wisconsin.

Byline: Jack Zemlicka

You can take the lawyer out of Wisconsin, but you cannot take Wisconsin out of the lawyer. Such is the case for Paul D. Clement, who was born in Milwaukee, raised in Cedarburg, appointed solicitor general and tapped by President Bush to be interim U.S. Attorney General after Alberto Gonzales announced his resignation on Aug. 27. "I am pleased that there will be an opportunity for new leadership at the Justice Department," said Wisconsin State Senator Herb Kohl in a statement. "Attorney General Gonzales has lost the confidence of people all across America and needs to be replaced. It is essential that his successor have more independence from the White House and always put the rule of law before politics." Clement, 41, is a prime example of local boy made good, according to Steven M. Biskupic, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. A graduate of Cedarburg High School, Clement attended Harvard Law School and then began working on Capitol Hill. "Obviously, he's a guy who has risen to the highest level of the court system, but not forgotten his Wisconsin roots," said Biskupic, who noted that Clement routinely shares insight with his office on federal topics ranging from sentencing guidelines to current court trends. "He always makes it a point to visit with us in the U.S. Attorney's office and discuss appellate issues when he comes home to see his parents," said Biskupic. "I know he's considered one of smartest lawyers in the Justice Department, but he's also extremely humble. You would never think this a guy who argued in excess of 40 cases in front of the Supreme Court." Clement joined the Justice Department in 2001 as the principal...