Vanessa D. Wishart

Partner
Email: vwishart@staffordlaw.com
Direct: 608-210-6307
Offices: Madison
Legal Assistant
Marjorie Irving
608-259-2637
mirving@staffordlaw.com
Practice Areas

Vanessa D. Wishart

Partner
Partner
Email: vwishart@staffordlaw.com
Direct: 608-210-6307
Offices: Madison
Legal Assistant
Marjorie Irving
608-259-2637
mirving@staffordlaw.com
Legal Assistant
Marjorie Irving
608-259-2637
mirving@staffordlaw.com
Practice Areas

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On the Job

Attorney Vanessa Wishart’s Practice

Attorney Vanessa Wishart is a partner in Stafford Rosenbaum’s Madison office, where her practice focuses on environmental and government law. She also leads the firm’s Environment and Land Use practice team. Prior to joining the firm, Vanessa served as a law clerk at the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. In 2018, Vanessa was honored as an Up and Coming Lawyer by the Wisconsin Law Journal. This recognition comes from vast and impressive experience despite practicing for eight years or fewer.

While in law school, Vanessa was a member of law review, and she interned at Clean Wisconsin. She was a summer associate at Earthjustice in Denver and the Environmental Law and Policy Center in Chicago.

Vanessa possesses a keen understanding of environmental law. Her experience includes:

  • Reviewing WPDES permits and filing petitions for contested case hearings challenging permit terms.
  • Reviewing and revising sewer use ordinances for municipalities.
  • Writing and presenting public comments on proposed administrative rules and testimony on proposed legislation.
  • Drafting and answering discovery requests and preparing for and conducting depositions for litigation on a broad range of environmental issues.
  • Conducting research and writing legal memoranda on a wide range of environmental issues including CAFO development, dam regulation, lake levels, public water usage, stormwater management, and water quality regulation.

Vanessa is admitted to practice in Wisconsin.

Vanessa’s Education

  • University of Wisconsin Law School Madison (J.D., cum laude)
  • University of Wisconsin Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies (Master’s Degree in Environment and Resources)
  • Bowdoin College Brunswick (B.A., Environmental Studies and French)

Vanessa’s Awards and Involvement

Vanessa’s Presentations and Publications

  • PFAS Impacts at Wastewater Treatment Plants, Wisconsin Wastewater Operators Association (WWOA) 2024 Spring Biosolids Symposium, March 2024
  • PFAS Regulatory Updates Presentation, 2024 Government Affairs Seminar, February 2024
  • “Water Quality Challenges: Nonpoint Sources and Emerging Contaminants,” Wisconsin Lawyer, October 2022
  • “An Update on PFAS Regulation in Wisconsin,” State Bar of Wisconsin Environmental Law Section Blog, April 2022
  • “Before Beginning, Plan Carefully: A Call for Public Comment on the New Forest Planning Rule,” Wisconsin Law Review 1537, 2010

Vanessa’s Professional Memberships

  • State Bar of Wisconsin
    • Environmental Law Section Board Member
    • New Lawyer Director
  • Dane County Bar Association

Off the Job

Vanessa is a native of Lincoln, Nebraska. She enjoys hiking and running with her dogs, gardening, traveling, exploring Wisconsin, and wandering around the Dane County Farmers Market.

Community Involvement

  • Gathering Waters, Board of Directors

Recent Blogs

Filed Under: Environment and Land Use Law

EPA Finalizes First-Ever National Drinking Water Standard for PFAS

By: Attorney Vanessa Wishart

Law Clerk Klara A. Henry assisted in the drafting of this blog post. Environmental Protection Agency Finalizes Drinking Water Standard for PFAS Contaminants Nationwide On April 10, 2024, the EPA issued a highly anticipated final rule establishing legally enforceable limits for five types of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, often called “forever chemicals”). The rule […]

Apr 19, 2024 in Blogs
Filed Under: Environment and Land Use Law

Attorney Vanessa Wishart Presents on PFAS Impacts at Wastewater Treatment Plants

By: Attorney Vanessa Wishart

Attorney Vanessa Wishart Presents PFAS Impacts at Wastewater Treatment Plants for Wisconsin Wastewater Operators Association On Tuesday, March 19, 2024, Attorney Vanessa Wishart will speak on per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) impacts at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) at the 2024 Spring Biosolids Symposium in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Vanessa’s presentation is part of a daylong seminar for […]

Mar 18, 2024 in Blogs
Filed Under: Environment and Land Use Law

Attorney Vanessa Wishart Presents on PFAS Regulation at 2024 Government Affairs Seminar

By: Attorney Vanessa Wishart

Attorney Vanessa Wishart Discusses Water Law Regulatory Updates as Part of PFAS Panel On Thursday, February 15, 2024, Attorney Vanessa Wishart will give a regulatory update on per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at the 2024 Government Affairs Seminar in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Vanessa’s update is part of the PFAS portion of the daylong seminar, during […]

Feb 12, 2024 in Blogs