Profile of Attorney Barry S. Cohen

Barry Cohen was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He graduated from Shorewood High School, the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (with honors), as well as the University of Wisconsin Law School. He began his legal career by joining a general practice law firm in Osceola, Wisconsin, where he also prosecuted traffic and ordinance violations for two municipalities. In 1985 Attorney Cohen and another attorney created a law firm in Brookfield, Wisconsin which eventually grew to 12 lawyers. Then, in 1992, Mr. Cohen opened his own law firm in a vintage fieldstone and log horsebarn near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

Attorney Cohen has earned a statewide reputation for tenacity and expertise in defense cases. Since 1992, his practice has been limited to the defense of people accused of criminal and traffic charges. He has represented people charged with speeding to homicide, including sexual assault and drug offenses. But the bulk of his practice is representing citizens charged with some type of drunk driving offense: from a first offense OWI, to serious felony charges of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle or multiple prior offenses. Attorney Cohen has had hundreds of drunk driving charges dismissed or reduced to lesser offenses throughout his career. He has tried over 100 jury trials.

Throughout his career, Attorney Cohen has served, at the request of the governor, legislators, judges, and the Department of Motor Vehicles, on a wide variety of governmental committees, study groups and task forces whose purpose was to examine current laws and practices and help to improve both by drafting new laws and procedures in criminal and traffic matters.

He has served the State Bar of Wisconsin for many years on a number of levels, including serving as President of the Criminal Law Section. Most recently, Mr. Cohen was appointed by the Supreme Court of Wisconsin to serve on the District 4 Committee to assist the Office of Lawyer Regulation with oversight of individual lawyers.

Attorney Cohen is a co-author of Traffic Law and Practice in Wisconsin, a State Bar of Wisconsin publication used by lawyers and judges throughout the state. Mr. Cohen has given presentations and lectured more than 100 times to groups of defense attorneys, prosecutors, law enforcement officers, legislators and judges on various topics relating to criminal and drunk driving issues.

In 1985, Attorney Cohen helped to create the Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. He is a life member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and also served for several years on the board of directors of the Wisconsin Academy of Trial Lawyers.