U.W. law grad AnnaSage Rothe signs the book of the Attorney’s Roll – the last stage to becoming a Wisconsin lawyer. Photos by Shannon Green. For more photos of the event, see the albums for the 9 a.m. ceremony and the 11 a.m. ceremony​ on the State Bar of Wisconsin Facebook page.

June 3, 2026 – Members of the Wisconsin Supreme Court saw in the 140 University of Wisconsin (U.W.) Law School graduates superheroes in suits.

“As you embark on your careers, remember that you have a superpower. Use it for good,” Justice Rebecca Frank Dallet said at the 9 a.m. ceremony on May 28, admitting graduates to the State Bar of Wisconsin.

‘Lawyers Do Have A Superpower’

Agreeing with Harvard Law School Dean John Manning, Justice Dallet said, “I think lawyers do have a superpower, and just like the Marvel characters, it’s one that can fight against injustice.”

“We work within a profession that is dedicated to maintaining equal justice under the law, to due process, to upholding the rule of law, a profession founded upon preserving constitutional democracy,” Justice Dallet elaborated.

With that superpower comes responsibility.

“Our work is to use lawyers’ tools” – critical thinking “to break down any problem, examine it, understand it, and reassemble it” – Justice Dallet said, to provide pro bono representation, contribute to boards or commissions, or run for office.

At the 11 a.m. ceremony, Justice Dallet focused on Charles Duhigg’s book Supercommunicators.

“Law school doesn’t really teach us the key to being a good communicator, forming a connection with the person that we’re talking to,” Dallet said.

“Even the language of the law promotes this argumentative type of engagement. Lawyers fight for their clients, give oral arguments, win their case.”

In two ceremonies May 28, 140 U.W. Law School graduates became Wisconsin lawyers.

Communication That Connects

Justice Dallet’s husband, a real estate lawyer, experienced the critical value of communication that connects. He had been trying to finalize a real estate deal, but the other attorney didn’t respond to his messages.

Finally, the other attorney messaged that they could talk at 4 p.m. the next day.

Justice Dallet’s husband wouldn’t be available then. He emailed back, politely asking if they could talk sooner. He explained that he would be in Florida visiting his mother in the hospital.

“This lawyer, who had been impossible to reach up until that point, picked up the phone and called my husband.

“The conversation began with each of them sharing how hard it was to care for an aging parent,” Dallet said.

The lawyer also served as a municipal judge. The work had become full-time, covering for other judges. “He expressed his frustration about how that was impacting his practice of law,” Dallet said.

The lawyers agreed to the terms, but, as Justice Dallet pointed out, the emotional conversation necessary to connect had to precede the practical result.

Justice Rebecca Dallet moves the admission of her incoming law clerk, Michael Weinrib.

‘We Are All on the Same Plane’

State Bar President-elect Stephen Sawyer reinforced the importance of good communication and community with other lawyers, including collegiality with opposing counsel.

With great educational accomplishments, Sawyer emphasized, should come humility.

“We are not higher than everybody else. We are all on the same plane. We are all people. Be proud of what we’ve accomplished, but treat other people as equals, and this also includes staff that you may be working with. We’re all on the same team.”

When Sawyer left a job at a large Milwaukee law firm, he said a third-shift secretary “said one of the nicest things that has ever been said to me.”

“‘You were the only lawyer that described to me what I was working on and how the work I was doing fit into the big picture and made all the difference,’” Sawyer remembered.

State Bar President-elect Stephen Sawyer greets soon-to-be Wisconsin lawyers as they wait in line to sign the book of the Attorney's Roll.

Motion Practice

The admissions ceremony gave personality and elegance to what is, at its core, a Supreme Court hearing.

Chief Justice Jill J. Karofsky, a mother to college students and a law school graduate, ensured that parents, friends, and mentors in the galleries received a round of applause.

There was also a moment for motion practice.

U.W. Law School Associate Dean Jini Jasti moved the court to admit most of the class to the State Bar.

About a dozen individuals received the personalized attention of a lawyer-family member, lawyer-colleague, or lawyer-mentor to move their admission to the bar.

Oconto County Circuit Court Judge Jay N. Conley moved for the admission of his son, Shane.

David L. Christian, of Prairie du Sac, “respectfully move[d] with pride that knows no words and knows no bounds, with the admission of my daughter, Lauren Xiong, future colleague to the practice of law.”

Two Supreme Court justices participated. Chief Justice Karofsky moved the admission of her former intern, Andrew Ryan Reed, and Justice Dallet moved the admission of her next law clerk, Michael Weinrib.

Dara Stichert, standing in the foreground, smiles as her brother, Damon Stichert, standing at the microphone, moves for her admission during the 11 a.m. ceremony.

Dara Stichert: Returning Home to Practice

For Dara Stichert, having a job on graduation has always been a given: Now a lawyer, she returns home to Chili (about 10 miles west of Marshfield) to practice with her brother and uncle at Stichert Offices. The firm, located in Clark County and in a village with a population of around 300 people, offers a wide range of legal services – typical to a rural firm.

Stichert said growing up around the firm showed her how lawyers can guide people through difficult moments, especially those with limited resources.

“I watched [my uncle and brother] work through the legal process with those individuals, and that was a big part of what made me want to come here,” she said. She remembers seeing how her family communicated with clients “as a person” and walked them through the process with understanding.

That experience helped Stichert decide, first in high school and later through her undergraduate classes and internships, that she wanted to become a lawyer. She said returning home was always part of the plan. “Without a doubt, yes,” she said.

For Stichert, being sworn in as a lawyer felt both meaningful and motivating. “It feels very special to know that I have the ability to make an impact on other people's lives in a positive way,” she said. “I am excited to come back home to serve an area that's very underserved.”

Holly Krabbe poses with her parents, Andrea and Paul, before taking the final step to become a Wisconsin lawyer.

Holly Krabbe: ‘Surreal’

Growing up in Kimberly, Holly Krabbe found field trips to the courthouse “just the most interesting thing I’d ever seen.” From that young age, she was interested in law as a career. “It’s always been on the books for me.”

Krabbe is the first person in her immediate family to become a lawyer (a cousin also is a Wisconsin lawyer). Interested in criminal law, she next heads to the District Attorney’s Office in Winnebago County – not far from home.

For Krabbe, this day represents the culmination of a dream she has carried for years. “This has always been my dream. And it just feels surreal being in this beautiful building, being face to face with the justices of the Supreme Court.”

Alicia Swagger: Colorado Public Defender

Work on the Innocence Project at U.W. Law School is leading Alicia Swagger to a job as a public defender in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

She’s already begun studying for the Colorado bar.

Swagger “always wanted to be a lawyer since I was younger.” She attributes her tendency to be “very blunt, get-to-the-point type of thing, and I knew I wanted to do something within the criminal justice system.”

New Wisconsin attorney Brandon Pope poses with family before the name wall.

Aaron Wolf: ‘A Little More Action’

Aaron Wolf, who grew up near Stevens Point, is destined for family law practice in Dodgeville – the “just right” choice for him.

Originally, Wolf wanted to work in estate planning, but “I wanted a little more action.”

After working in a public defender’s office after his 1L year, Wolf found “that was, unfortunately, a little too intense, that it was too high stakes for me.”

Family law is where he’s comfortable. “There’s a lot of similar concerns of dealing with a very tough situation that there is with estate planning, and so I think that was just kind of natural.”

Michael DeLeers: ‘Enjoy the View’

The lawyers at a firm where Michael DeLeers worked as a legal assistant – “helping keep the office in order” – encouraged him to go to law school. He’s entering into real estate practice at Quarles & Brady LLP in Milwaukee.

His older brother, also an attorney, “gave me a lot of advice. He helped me keep my head on,” DeLeers said, “so I’m indebted to him.”

After that long journey, DeLeers reveled in the moment.

“You’ve been climbing a mountain for three years, and you finally get to the peak, you get to look out and enjoy the view.”

Welcome to These 140 New Wisconsin Lawyers