Lynn J. Bodi - Madison, WI

Overview

Lynn is one of the founders of The Law Center for Children & Families. She is a creative litigator and strategist who devotes her skills to protecting the rights of children. She believes the law should provide solutions, not roadblocks. Her 30 years of experience include many jury and court trials, as well as helping to develop state and national laws and ethical rules for surrogacy and adoption. She acted as expert witness in Mercycare Insurance Company v. Wisconsin Commissioner of Insurance, a Wisconsin Supreme Court case addressing maternity coverage for surrogates.

Her practice focuses on children’s law, both contested and uncontested proceedings, including surrogacy, termination of parental rights, adoption, disruptions, CHIPS, visitation, custody, guardianship, and foster parent, grandparent and family-in-fact issues. She represents clients in court trials, jury trials, and appeals, and is retained frequently by international couples coming to Wisconsin for surrogacy. Lynn is fluent in French and especially loves working with families from France.

Lynn is also one of the founders and is now the sole owner of Adoptions of Wisconsin, Inc., in Madison, Wisconsin. The Law Center serves as the agency’s general counsel and handles all of its terminations of parental rights and adoptions. She also founded and own a surrogacy coordinating program, before selling it in 2017. She strives to ensure the integrity of the family formation process.

PRACTICE AREAS

Surrogacy
Assisted Reproduction
Adoption (Contested and Uncontested)
Appeals
Child Custody, Placement, and Support
CHIPS
Guardianship
Foster Parent Rights
Grandparent Rights
LGBTQ Family Law

EDUCATION

Lynn graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with Honors and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, majoring in Communication Arts and French. She received her law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School. She enjoys being able to communicate with her French clients in French and continues to use both her undergraduate degrees, sometimes at the same time.

COMMUNITY AND PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

As a fellow in the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys (“AAAA”), Lynn has been heavily involved in its governance, serving three terms on the Board of Trustees, as past Vice President, and on various committees, including one formed to revise AAAA’s Code of Ethics.

In 2011, Lynn was awarded the U.S. Congressional “Angel in Adoption” award, which recognizes and honors the good work of individuals who have enriched the lives of children through adoption. She was nominated by Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin.

Lynn speaks and writes on legal issues affecting children at the state and national level. She has spoken to judges and court commissioners about surrogacy and adoption, and at American Bar Association Family Law conferences, and she regularly presents at AAAA’s annual and mid-year conferences. At the University of Wisconsin Law School, Lynn has been a guest lecturer on adoption, family law, trial advocacy, and general practice. She has contributed to such publications as Adoptive Families, Adoption Factbook, and Adoption Law: Practice and Procedure in the 21st Century. She also works on state legislation affecting children, including surrogacy legislation and various adoption reform bills.

PERSONAL

Lynn and her husband have two sons and a Labrador Retriever named Dizzy, of whom they are very proud. Lynn enjoys all kinds of fitness activities, including running, weight-lifting, and yoga (especially headstand). She is also a fair violinist, who plays with the Madison Community Orchestra and the choir at her church. For years, Lynn has also worked with Madison Horizons Rotary as a Meals on Wheels driver. Sometimes, she finds time to knit.