Chris
Penza

Prosecutor. Writer on law and incentives. Builder of CP Calc and GavelBook.

Recent Writing
Jul
17
2026
Law & Legal
The Client Never Finds Out

There's a particular kind of professional failure that never appears in a complaint or bar grievance. The client never finds out. That's the whole problem.

Read Article →
Jul
17
2026
Law & Legal
The Leash, Not the Whip: A Theory About What Makes America Strange, and Great

America constrains its government more than almost any other nation on earth. That's not a bug. It's the whole design.

Read Article →
Background

Rethinking how legal work gets valued

I spent years in private practice — complex estate planning, a lot of travel, billing by the hour. I learned a lot, including some things about how the legal industry prices and delivers its services that I never quite stopped thinking about.

I'm now a prosecutor in Trempealeau County, Wisconsin. I live in Black River Falls with my family, coach youth sports, and sit on local boards. I built CP Calc and GavelBook because I think clients deserve to understand what they're paying for.

Tools
CP Calc

A fee calculator for attorneys — price legal work based on complexity, skill, and value, not just time.

Try CP Calc →
GavelBook

A legal reference tool built for prosecutors and defense attorneys working through the Wisconsin statutes.

Try GavelBook →