MADISON, Wis. (April 14, 2025) — The State Bar of Wisconsin’s Board of Governors has named Jill Creston Rothstein as its next executive director. Rothstein, currently general counsel for the South Carolina Bar, will be the first woman in the organization’s history to hold the position. She will assume the role upon the retirement of current Executive Director Larry J. Martin on Sept. 2, 2025, after 14 years with the State Bar, including eight as executive director.
With nearly two decades of experience in bar operations, public services, professional responsibility, and risk management, Rothstein was selected following a national search led by a 12-member Executive Director Transition & Search Committee.
Ryan Billings, president of the State Bar of Wisconsin, a litigation partner at Kohner, Mann & Kailas in Milwaukee, and chair of the Executive Director Transition & Search Committee, said, “Jill connects almost instantly with people and is committed to working collaboratively with lawyers of all different stripes and viewpoints to find solutions to the difficult
problems lawyers face. Coupled with nearly 20 years of bar experience, I could not think of a better person to fill Larry Martin’s very big shoes.”
Bar Association Leadership Experience
Rothstein has spent 17 years in various leadership roles at the South Carolina Bar, including general counsel, director of public services, risk management director, and program counsel. She returned to the Bar in 2023 after serving as legal counsel to the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office from 2017 to 2019.
“I was most impressed with the breadth and depth of Ms. Rothstein’s experience and service to the South Carolina Bar,” said Dan Gartzke, president-elect of the State Bar and an attorney at Boardman Clark in Madison. “I’m looking forward to having her join our team in Wisconsin and put her experience to work for us.”
George Brown, who served as the State Bar’s executive director from 2000 to 2017 and participated on the search committee, added: “Jill brings to the State Bar of Wisconsin a wealth of leadership experience and a thorough understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing both lawyers and mandatory bar associations.”
Background
Rothstein began her legal career as a prosecutor, handling child abuse and neglect cases, before serving as a staff attorney for the South Carolina House of Representatives’ Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee. She later transitioned to bar leadership roles, bringing her public sector experience to broader legal community initiatives.
Her academic credentials include a law degree from the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law and an LL.M. in law firm management and operations from Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law. She also holds an undergraduate degree in English and political science from Meredith College.
