The Institute for Reforming Government’s Court Watch initiative tracks the activity of Wisconsin Courts and informs the public on their importance.
Mission Statement
The Institute for Reforming Government’s main focus will be to remove the onerous barriers and red tape separating the individual from an efficient and functioning government. Be it local, state, or federal governance, it is the mission of the Institute for Reforming Government to encourage, educate, and inform people about all levels of government, based on what has worked in states across the country. Through diligent research and effective outreach, the Institute for Reforming Government will work to remove the stumbling blocks that have created a slow-moving, expensive behemoth of governance that works against the will of the people.
About Court Watch
The Institute for Reforming Government’s Court Watch initiative will track the activity of Wisconsin Courts and inform the public on their importance. From decisions on election laws, to school choice, to regulations impacting our freedoms, the courts play a crucial role in our everyday lives. Often overlooked, the courts have a quiet but giant role in nearly everything we do, yet most Wisconsinites are unaware of what they do or who even sits on the various benches.
Much of the work of the courts is veiled behind legal jargon and procedure. IRG’s Court Watch project aims to empower Wisconsinites with the knowledge of what the courts can do or have already done. Court Watch will offer oversight on Wisconsin’s judicial branch, scrutinizing its decisions and raising awareness on what it may do next.
General Counsel & Director of Center for Investigative Oversight
Jake brings a unique skill set to IRG by drawing on his years of experience as a lawyer, strategic advisor, and public official to navigate the intersection of law and policy. Throughout his career he has focused on government relations matters for both public and private sector clients, representing dozens of local units of government and handling administrative matters before numerous state agencies.
Jake is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, B.A., summa cum laude, 2005, the University of Wisconsin Law School, cum laude, 2008, the United States Air Force, Officer Training School, 2021, and the United States Air Force, The Judge Advocate General’s Corps, 2022.
Associate Counsel for Legal Reform & Oversight
Kevin is an Illinois-licensed attorney whose work advances IRG’s mission to promote effective governance and jurisprudence. Before joining IRG full-time, Kevin served as Hamilton Roddis Court Watch Fellow. During law school, he interned with the Jackson County State’s Attorney’s Office and later joined the Crossroad Legal team, assisting in Second Amendment litigation across Illinois.
Kevin earned his Juris Doctor from Southern Illinois University School of Law, where he served as President of the Federalist Society and received a CALI Award in Advanced Constitutional Law. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Molecular & Cell Biology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He currently serves as a Clinical Associate Professor at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, where he teaches two undergraduate law courses.
Adjunct Legal Fellow
Suhr is an adjunct legal fellow at IRG. A former policy director for Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, Suhr is also a Wisconsin-licensed attorney and serves as President of the Center for American Rights, a nonprofit law firm that holds powerful institutions accountable to the public.
A graduate of Marquette, Marquette Law, Georgetown Law, and the University of Missouri, he lives in the Milwaukee area with his family, where they’re active in their church and scouts.
Access scorecards, primers, and reports — and help ensure Wisconsin’s courts remain accountable to the people they serve.