Aurusa Kabani of Euless, Texas, center, poses with her family for a photo at the new lawyer name wall after becoming a lawyer.

See more photos of the event on the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Facebook Page.

May 23, 2019 – Family members and friends gathered in the Wisconsin Supreme Court Hearing Room to watch their child, cousin, spouse, friend, or colleague take the final steps in becoming a Wisconsin lawyer.

Before the Supreme Court, in five separate ceremonies, 155 new Wisconsin lawyers – new alumni of Marquette University Law School – took the Attorney’s Oath, and listened to words of wisdom.

Charles Polk’s image shows on his mother’s phone as he stands as his sister, a Missouri lawyer, acts as movant in the 11 a.m. ceremony on May 20, 2019.

“You have all worked hard to be here today,” said Chief Justice Pat Roggensack. She has a quote on her office door from Eleanor Roosevelt: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

It is important, said Chief Justice Roggensack, to not forget the dreams that brought you here today. “Follow them where it leads you,” she said.

The graduates also heard from State Bar President Chris Rogers. “Law school is now over,” he said. “You are now embarking on the start of your careers. You can do this, and the Bar will be there to support you.”

Curtis Walther, left, stands as three family members act as movants, from left: mother Karla Walther, father Christopher Walther, and (speaking with back to camera) grandfather David Walther, at the 1 p.m. ceremony on May 20, 2019.

A Veteran, Family Traditions, and Practice Goals

The new lawyers include Gulf War veteran Stephen DeGuire who, at age 55, is beginning a second career, following his first in the U.S. Navy. He is headed into working in intellectual property law. “This is a very big day for us,” said DeGuire’s father, Marquette Law School Dean Emeritus Frank DeGuire.

Stephen joins not just his father, but his brother, Frank DeGuire Jr., and nephew, Alex DeGuire, in the profession. All are graduates of Marquette University Law School. “We’ve got quite a family tradition here,” said the elder Frank DeGuire.

Members of Jacob Armellani’s family members attended the ceremony, including his uncle, Owen Phelps. Armellani was a wrestler in college and became interested in law, Phelps said. And he joins three other family members who are lawyers, including one who is a judge in Kansas. “We’ve got one more in law school in Chicago,” Phelps said. Armellani is starting out in corporate law at Appvion in Appleton. And he’s getting married next month. “It’s a big spring for him,” Phelps said.

Forty-five years ago to the day, Brandon Brown’s grandfather John Schiek was admitted to practice in Wisconsin. Schiek proudly stood as his grandson’s movant, with both celebrating that they are each now Marquette alumni and Wisconsin lawyers. “We’ve had a lot of fun in the last few days,” he said. Brown will stay in Milwaukee to practice in workers’ compensation law.

Paulina Fernandez, third from right, and other Marquette University Law School graduates complete the Attorney’s Oath during the 9 a.m. ceremony on May 20, 2019.

Both Anne O’Meara and Nicholas Nelson are now the fifth generation of lawyers in their families. Garrett Johnson is the first in his family to complete college, let alone law school. Dominic Clark is headed to practice with his father, Timothy Clark in Elm Grove. Abby King traveled from Florida to act as movant for her best friend and brother, Cole Altman.

There’s Taylor Brisco, headed to New York to work in sports law; both Zeinat Hindi and Lizbeth Free, each of Milwaukee and each starting work in tax law; Jade Hall, starting in June in the Public Defender’s Office in Milwaukee; and Emily Gaertner, seeking to work in criminal law.

Claudia Ayala signs the Supreme Court Attorney’s Roll book, the last step in becoming a Wisconsin lawyer.

Claudia Ayala is headed to practice family immigration law in Milwaukee. She grew up in Texas in a small border town. “I grew up seeing a lot of the injustice happening with immigrants,” she said. “That drove my passion to come to law school.” And on a visit to Wisconsin, she fell in love with the state and with Marquette University.

Aurusa Kabani of Euless, Texas, took a year off after college, and worked for the Supreme Court of Pakistan – her family’s country of origin. She traveled to nearby countries and realized something. “No matter where I went, sports was a mechanism for communication, even if I couldn’t speak the language,” she said. “I realized I wanted to go into a profession where I could bring people together with a common language of ethics.”

She chose Marquette University for its sports law certificate program, and she’s interned with the NCAA and in China for a firm working with their football association. Eventually, she’d like to serve as an Olympic arbitrator. “That’s the goal,” she said.

Her next step is an internship with the Orlando Magic basketball team – and to take the bar exam for New York admission.

Chue Xiong and Travis Yang pose for a photo at the name wall after becoming Wisconsin lawyers.

Travis Yang of Sheboygan is headed to work in general litigation with a firm in Manitowoc. “I found that my passion for reading and writing works well with the law,” he said.

Chue Xiong of Eau Claire is interested in a small-town practice. He worked with a nonprofit and with a police department, where he became interested in the legal field. The first lawyer in his family, he lived until age 7 in a refugee camp in Thailand – fleeing Laos – before immigrating to the U.S. in 1991. He’s a veteran of the Marine Corps and, an alum of the city’s North High School, has served on the Eau Claire School District Board of Education.

“I’m very happy,” Xiong said. “And I’m ready for what’s next.”

Welcome to these New Wisconsin Lawyers