New Wisconsin lawyers take the oath in the Supreme Court Hearing Room.
Following the swearing-in ceremony, David W. Franker of Madison signs the supreme court roll. Every lawyer admitted to practice in Wisconsin since the state was a territory has signed the roll.
April 24, 2009 – Surrounded by family and friends, 41 lawyers who passed the bar exam were admitted to practice in Wisconsin on April 20.
The lawyers were welcomed by members of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, Board of Bar Examiners (BBE) chair James A. Morrison, BBE director John E. Kosobucki, and State Bar president Diane Diel. Justices Ann Walsh Bradley and N. Patrick Crooks administered the oath in the Supreme Court Hearing Room during two ceremonies on Wednesday morning.
‘An increased level of responsibility’
In her remarks to the newly admitted lawyers, Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson said, “No matter what your background, no matter how you may have struggled to reach this place, you are now among the privileged in our society. The profession confers upon you an increased potential of personal, professional, and economic, success. It also confers upon you an increased level of responsibility. Because of your profession, more is expected of you. With that in mind, I have two messages I would like to convey to you today. My first message is that we at home, we in the United States must remain committed to democracy and justice. We on the bench as judges and you as lawyers and members of the public.
“Judges are very important in our democracy,” noted Abrahamson. “They determine the constitutionality of legislative and executive acts and protect us all against the violation of anyone’s civil rights and guaranteed liberties. Judicial decisions affect all of us even if we are not in court. You the lawyers and you the nonlawyer guests rely on judges being fair, impartial, neutral, and nonpartisan, making decisions based on their understanding of the facts and the law – not on the basis of public opinion, personal whim or will, prejudice or fear. We rely on judges to decide cases free from interference from the executive and legislative branches or government, free from interference by private citizens, and free from interference by special interest groups. Our opinions are not designed to win popularity contests, even though judges in this state are elected.
Role in preserving fair judiciary
“Recent events have brought impartial justice to the forefront of the debate,” she said. “Many have called for changes in the way we select judges believing that appointments rather than elections will ensure that judges are not beholding to their campaign supporters. No method of judicial selection is perfect. Each has its advantages and defects. This court has stated its unanimous support for realistic meaningful public financing of supreme court elections. This support is part of this court’s continuing commitment to maintaining a fair neutral, impartial, and nonpartisan Wisconsin judiciary and to preserving the courts as an impartial quorum for resolving disputes. I hope that you as members of the Bar and you as members of the public will use judicial elections as the opportunity to educate others about the importance of preserving judicial independence and that you will vote and encourage others to vote in judicial elections.”
Abrahamson urged the new lawyers, to be lawyers of courage, “Have the courage to raise your voices to protect and perfect our democracy our rights and our responsibilities under law and an impartial judiciary beholding to no one but the law.
She also reminded the new admittees of a lawyer’s responsibility to the community, “Get involved, engage in public service, join community organizations make a contribution even as you balance career and family responsibilities. I ask each of you as a new member of the law community to use your legal training to make a difference in society,” she said.
Remember your motivation
State Bar President Diane Diel spoke to the new lawyers about being role models in the community. “It is important that you never lose sight of the dreams and aspirations that took you to law school. So many of us said when we applied to law school, ‘I want to help other people. I want to serve my community.’ Please don’t lose sight of those goals and objectives. Remember that law is a service profession.”
The State Bar welcomes the following attorneys:
Rasha Alzahabi, Brookfield
Ilana Sara Avital, Milwaukee
Emily L. Baer, Madison
Julie M. Baldwin, Madison
Joseph James Blaha, New Berlin
Mickale C. Carter, Fredericksburg, Va.
Carolyn Elizabeth Dahlberg, Milwaukee
Alexander P. De Grand, Madison
Stacie L. Dobbe, Waupaca
Gerald Thomas Dougvillo, Kenosha
Matthew C. Dudas, Brookfield
Michael E. Farrar, Milwaukee
Jaime L. Fischer, Grafton
Colten L. Fleu, Madison
David W. Franker, Madison
Laura Dolores Frye, Round Lake, Ill.
Scott J. Gavic, Spring Valley
Jessica Jean Giesen, Madison
Robert B. Harris, Minneapolis
Michael Charles Hoffman, Superior
Adam Michael Jarchow, Balsam Lake
Bryan P. Johnson, Milwaukee
Jeffrey G. Kazlo, Arlington Heights, Ill.
Aaron Benjamin Kessler, Lodi
Lauren Ashley Luckenbill, Whitefish Bay
Bradley Mavis, Milwaukee
Sharon R. McLaughlin, Madison
Peter Shawn Moreno, Madison
Kyla J. Newton, Monona
Benedict T. Nguyen, La Crosse
Mary Lettrich Poletti, Kenosha
Joshua O. Rees, Black River Falls
Edward D. Rizzo, Appleton
Rebecca Rubel-Seider, San Jose, Calif.
Angela F. Schultz, Wauwatosa
Ankur V. Shah, Brookfield
Ranae L.T. Simonson, Red ng, Minn.
Elizabeth A. Smith, Shorewood
Marie Truong, Madison
Edward Lee Wright Jr., Milwaukee
Hannah Jean Yancy, Kiel
Eighty of the ninety-four individuals who took the bar exam passed, bringing State Bar membership to 23,150. Marquette and U.W. 2009 law school classes’ swearing-in ceremonies will be held in May and June.
