Ware Garners Prestigious Goldberg Award

MADISON - Friday, May 6, 2005 – The Wisconsin Law Foundation, the charitable arm of the State Bar of Wisconsin, recently honored attorney G. Lane Ware of Ruder Ware in Wausau with the 2004 Charles L. Goldberg Distinguished Service Award at the State Bar's annual convention in Milwaukee. Attorney John Stevens of Cedarburg presented the award to recognize his lifetime achievements in the legal profession and his record of service to both the profession and to the public.

G. Lane Ware's service to the legal profession and to the general public spans many decades. He served as president of the Marathon County Bar Association in 1987-88, the State Bar of Wisconsin in 1989-90, the Wisconsin Law Alumni Association in 1997-99, and the Wisconsin Law Foundation in 1998-2000. In addition to his Foundation leadership, he has been a member of its Board since 1986, focusing on committees with a special interest in the Foundation's economic growth. During his term as president, the Foundation initiated the Fellows program. He is a member of the Fellows inaugural class of 2000 as well as a Fellow in the American Bar Association, where he serves as Wisconsin co-chair. He served as president of the State Bar Senior Lawyers Division in 2004 and currently heads the State Bar's Leadership Development Committee. He is the 2004 recipient of the State Bar's Mentorship Award.

He remains actively involved in the State Bar's Business Law Section, serving as chair in 1977-78 and on its carious business law committees since 1985. His work on the Committee on Corporate Laws of the American Bar Association Business Law Section contributed to the Revised Model Business Corporation Act, which serves as the basis for Wisconsin's business statutes. His main interest has been in the ABA Business Law Section's pro bono activities. He served as chair of the Pro Bono Committee of the ABA's Business Law Section for four years and was instrumental in establishing its nationwide ABC Project (A Business Commitment) to encourage business lawyers' commitment to pro bono work.

He is shareholder, past president, and chair of Ruder Ware, having practiced in Wausau for 40 years. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School. He has been listed in the Best Lawyers in America since 1989 and holds membership in the American Judicature Society and the American Law Institute.

He has held numerous civic offices, including president of the Wausau Area Chamber of Commerce, the first president of the Wausau Area Performing Arts Foundation, and a director of the Wisconsin Humanities Council. He currently serves as director of the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Murco Foundation, and Wausau Health Foundation, as well as president of the Community Foundation of North central Wisconsin.

The award is named after the former State Bar president, Charles L. Goldberg, a leader in launching free legal services to the poor.

The State Bar of Wisconsin is the mandatory professional association, created by the Wisconsin Supreme Court, for attorneys who hold a Wisconsin law license. With more than 21,000 members, the State Bar aids the courts in improving the administration of justice, provides continuing legal education for its members to help them maintain their expertise, and assists Wisconsin lawyers in carrying out community service initiatives to educate the public about the legal system and the value of lawyers.

Press Releases