Jelencic Named to Wisconsin Law Journal's List of Women in the Law
We are pleased to announce that Sarah Jelencic, partner in the Milwaukee office, has been selected as one of the Wisconsin Law Journal’s Women in the Law. This prestigious honor recognizes women attorneys who have achieved excellence in their fields, influenced other women to pursue legal careers and opened doors for women lawyers in a variety of job settings that were historically closed to women.
Ms. Jelencic personifies the criteria established for this prominent recognition. When she joined Foley 25 years ago, very few women were practicing real estate law. Through hard work, determination and the support of the firm, she has built a thriving practice and distinguished herself as one of Wisconsin’s “go to” attorneys for complex real estate projects. Some of the high profile transactions on which she worked include:
- The University Club Tower, one of Milwaukee’s outstanding residences
- Cathedral Place, a mixed-use building including offices, retail stores and condominiums
- Kenilworth, a development for the State of Wisconsin and the University of Wisconsin that includes retail space, student housing and an art education lab
Ms. Jelencic served on the Board of Directors of the Wisconsin Commercial Real Estate Women (WCREW),and the Association for Women Lawyers. WCREW is an organization committed to helping women in all disciplines of the commercial real estate industry achieve success by providing opportunities to work together. She encourages the women in her practice to attend WCREW events, and strives to introduce them to other key attorneys and business professionals in this sector.
Ms. Jelencic also uses her legal skills to support several community activities, among them Journey House. She is a key member of the Board of Directors of Journey House, acting as its real estate counsel. This organization uses a self-help philosophy to increase education, reduce unemployment and crime, strengthen families and revitalize neighborhoods throughout Milwaukee.
Ms. Jelencic has been one of the driving forces behind the effort to establish a Milwaukee chapter of The Urban Land Institute, a global nonprofit education and research institute committed to providing leadership in the responsible use of land.
In 2009, Ms. Jelencic received the Foley & Lardner Carl Hitchner Mentor of the Year Award in recognition of the mentoring of young attorneys. She continually strives to extend the mentoring she received by serving as a mentor for young attorneys. Her role with her mentees is much more than just “checking in.” For example, she assists her formal and informal mentees by following up on potential work sources, strategizing with and assisting them to reach their career path goals, participating and occasionally leading training strategies and providing all around support.
Foley’s sincere congratulations go to Ms. Jelencic for being chosen as one of this year’s Women in the Law. This distinct honor highlights her continued work to advance opportunities for women within the legal profession.
