About Brian
Brian Nelson completed his undergraduate studies at Indiana University–Purdue University at Indianapolis, earning a B.A. in history in 2012. He stayed in Indianapolis for law school and received his J.D. from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 2016. Those years in the city shaped his early legal perspective and introduced him to courtroom work.
Immediately after law school, Nelson took on a series of public-sector roles that put him in courtrooms and in front of judges. In 2016 he joined the Marion County Public Defender Agency as a lawyer, handling client representation under the county’s public defense system. That same year he also worked as a graduate law clerk at Ciyou & Dixon, P.C., gaining experience on both sides of case preparation. Earlier internships and clerkships during law school included time at the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office and the Law Office of Carl Epstein, where he assisted on research and case preparation.
Nelson moved to Wisconsin in 2020 to work for the Wisconsin Office of the State Public Defender. He spent that year representing clients in state proceedings and managing caseloads typical of public defense practice. In 2021 he returned to private practice as an associate at Van Severen Law Office, S.C., a firm where he continues to work. Throughout this period he maintained admission in both Indiana and Wisconsin, practicing across those jurisdictions as his career has required.
The thread through Nelson’s career is steady courtroom work. He has experience drafting motions, conducting hearings, and managing trials. His time in public defender offices exposed him to high-volume practice and quick case turnaround. His clerkships added research and motion-drafting skills that informed his later trial work. Colleagues describe him as methodical in preparation and direct in court.
Nelson’s work to date has leaned toward state-level litigation and defense. He has handled the kinds of matters public defenders typically face: arraignments, pretrial motions, plea negotiations, and trial advocacy. That background informs how he approaches cases at Van Severen Law Office, S.C., where he shifted from public employment to private practice.
He is licensed to practice in Indiana and Wisconsin and has continued to work across both states since leaving public service. He now practices at Van Severen Law Office, S.C., where his work centers on trial and appellate advocacy in state courts.
