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  • Inside Track
    February 04, 2015

    Pro Bono Spotlight: Noelle Bobbe – A Real Estate Lawyer for the Public Good

    Noelle BobbeFeb. 4, 2015 – Meet a young lawyer who has discovered ways to give back to the community through pro bono work in Milwaukee. Noelle Bobbe works with nonprofits in real estate matters and handles cases critical to her pro bono clients. In her volunteer work, she has discovered that, while some cases may not be complex, there are always lessons to learn.

    What’s Your Practice Focus?

    I’m a relatively new lawyer in the Real Estate Practice Group in Quarles & Brady's Milwaukee office. I primarily work on the legal matters that involve the purchase, sale, or lease of commercial properties. I also do some due diligence work on corporate transactions that involve real estate assets and help with zoning or land use issues.

    Was it Hard to Find Pro Bono Work that Fits Your Interests?

    It’s a little harder for a lawyer like me who doesn’t handle any litigation. I prefer to work on issues related to real estate. Fortunately, my firm has an established pipeline for pro bono matters and that includes some clients who have issues in my practice area. A number of nonprofit groups that serve the disadvantaged are pro bono clients of the firm, and most have a space they operate out of, so property-related issues frequently arise. That’s where I like to help out.

    What Sorts of Pro Bono Matters Have You Handled?

    Habitat for Humanity is the organization that I’ve done the most work for recently. They provide access to loans with which homeowners purchase the Habitat home. When a loan is satisfied, I’ve helped with taking the legal steps necessary to document the transfer of title.  I’ve also helped pro bono clients with real estate issues that are related to estate planning, including work for a client who inherited a house from her mother that she was unable to maintain. The home was held in a co-tenancy with her brother; my role was to help transfer full title to the brother.

    What Have You Learned From Your Pro Bono Work?

    The legal issues that I’m helping with may not be as complicated as some of the commercial matters I work on, but they are still critical to my clients' needs. I find that every real estate matter I handle teaches me something and allows me to work directly with clients who can benefit from my help. The way a real estate matter is handled can be a game-changer for anyone, particularly a nonprofit.

    How Did You Get Involved With Pro Bono Service?

    During law school at Marquette University, I was a volunteer legal advisor with the Marquette Legal Initiative for Non-Profit Corporations. It was an incredible experience. I graduated from Marquette in 2012 and began working at Quarles & Brady in January 2013. The firm’s support for pro bono service makes it easy for me to keep up my interest in giving back to the community.



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