For twenty years, Rick Coad has been widely recognized as a leading criminal defense attorney in Madison, Wisconsin. He built Coad Law Office on a reputation for getting exceptional results in difficult cases in state and federal court. The results follow from a stubborn insistence on getting the best out of difficult situations for his clients. His practice has carried him to federal courts throughout the Midwest, and he is one of the few attorneys in Wisconsin to have argued a case in the United States Supreme Court.

“Our clients come to us for our judgment and experience to help them solve their problems. I’m focused on getting my clients their best result. In the end, that result is achieved because we care about our clients, and we apply our know-how to get them what they need.”

– Rick Coad

Rick appreciates the opportunity to help his clients get through tough times in their lives. He doesn’t love the law, relish being in a spotlight, or particularly enjoy conflict, as some people assume about lawyers. For Rick, it’s about the people who are his clients and making sure their story is told, and they are treated fairly in a system that doesn’t always get it right.

In addition to his work as a trial lawyer and appellate attorney, Rick has expertise in helping students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who are facing non-academic disciplinary proceedings. He finds great satisfaction in helping those students keep their academic careers and goals on track.

The quality and depth of Rick’s experience is exceptional. Prior to starting Coad Law Office in 2011, Rick worked at a highly regarded medium-sized general practice firm in Madison and was also a shareholder in one of Wisconsin’s largest law firms. He brings that same big law firm expertise to deliver results for his clients at a reasonable fee.

In recognition of the quality of his work, Rick was named as a Super Lawyer in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and most recently in 2023. That honor goes to only the top 5 percent of lawyers in Wisconsin. And he was named as a Super Lawyers Rising Star seven times before that. That ranked him in the top 2.5% of lawyers under the age of 40 in Wisconsin. Rick’s criminal defense expertise also led him to serve on the board of directors for the Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers from 2013 to 2015.