About John D.
John D. McNally built his legal foundation at Marquette University. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science in 2011 and returned to Marquette University Law School for his J.D., which he completed in 2018. While in law school he earned a Civil Litigation Certificate, a formal acknowledgment of his training in courtroom and trial skills.
Early in his legal education McNally sought hands-on exposure to different parts of the justice system. In 2016 he worked as a legal intern for Judge Jeffrey Conen, observing chambers work and the judicial decision-making process. The following year he spent time in the State Public Defender’s trial divisions in Waukesha and Milwaukee, taking part in trial preparation and learning the pressures of courtroom practice from the defense side.
After law school he joined the municipal ranks. In 2018 he served as an Assistant City Lawyer in Milwaukee. That post placed him inside local government legal operations and municipal practice. It was a role that combined casework and policy-oriented legal review and connected him to prosecutors, public officials, and city departments.
McNally moved into private practice in 2022 when he became an associate at Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown, LLP. He continued to broaden his litigation experience there. In 2023 he added membership in the Eastern District of Wisconsin Bar Association, formalizing a link to the federal court community in the region. His resume reflects a mix of public sector beginnings and private firm litigation work, and he has navigated both trial preparation and legal research across those settings.
Colleagues describe him as someone who pursues courtroom readiness and practical legal solutions. He has combined academic coursework, summer and judicial internships, municipal law practice, and firm-based associate work into a steady progression toward litigation practice. He focuses his practice on civil litigation.
