Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Brian Hagedorn, right, administers the Attorney's Oath to soon-to-be new Wisconsin lawyers, in the Supreme Court Hearing Room in Madison on Sept. 22, 2026. For more photos of the event, see the album on the State Bar of Wisconsin Facebook page.

Oct. 1, 2026 — One returned home to Wisconsin after law school in the South. Another arrived after nearly two decades of military service and a 10-year journey toward admission. Another traded a corporate law career in Houston for teaching law students in Madison.

On Sept. 22, 2026, their paths converged as they joined Wisconsin’s legal profession, most after passing the bar exam.

In a ceremony before the Wisconsin Supreme Court, 35 attorneys took the Attorney's Oath and signed the Supreme Court Roll Book, the final steps to becoming lawyers in Wisconsin.

Chief Justice Jill Karofsky welcomed the soon-to-be Wisconsin lawyers. “This is an exciting day for us, too,” she said of the Supreme Court. “I find these ceremonies really inspiring and I hope that you do too. This is a day that you will remember.” It is also a day to celebrate the friends and family members who supported them in their journey, she said.

Jacquelynn B. Rothstein, director of the Wisconsin Board of Bar Examiners, said of the 122 who took the UBE exam in July, 53% passed it, and that 63% of those taking the exam for the first time passed. Two attorneys were admitted via foreign license, and four transferred to Wisconsin from other states. "The Board extends its congratulations to the men and women here today," she said.

Jacquelynn B. Rothstein, director of the Wisconsin Board of Bar Examiners, gives remarks and statistics during the ceremony.

Connect with Others

Speaking at the ceremony, Justice Rebecca Dallet urged the new lawyers to think beyond argument and persuasion. “What if we could instead make meaningful connections with the people we're talking to?” she asked. “Not just at work, but also at home and with friends, even when discussing polarizing topics.”

Dallet encouraged the new lawyers to carry that mindset into both their professional and personal lives. “I hope you will seek out and make meaningful connections with your clients, your colleagues, friends — and that person at Starbucks,” she said. “Connecting with others is how we improve our mental health, our happiness, and our longevity. It's how we can move beyond ourselves and focus on the greater good. And it all starts one conversation at a time.”

Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Jill Karofsky, second from left, welcomed the soon-to-be new Wisconsin lawyers.

Caitlin Sharma

Caitlin Sharma’s path to the legal profession began to take shape in high school, after reading Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. “That just put it all into perspective for me,” Sharma said.

A Chicago native, Sharma graduated from Vanderbilt Law School in Nashville. It was a summer associate position with Reinhart in Milwaukee that brought her back to the Midwest — she begins with Reinhart in banking law.

She hopes to expand her practice to incorporate pro bono work. “I have a passion for pro bono work that I want to carry with me, because that's what inspired me,” Sharma said.

Her parents, Diane and Tony Sharma, said they have long seen qualities in their daughter that should serve her well as a lawyer.

“She's very passionate and compassionate, and she's determined,” Diane said. “And I've never seen a better researcher in my life. So, if she needs an answer to something, she will dig until she finds it.” “She's very fair-minded,” said Tony. Diane added one more qualification, with a touch of parental humor: “She also argues very well.”

Caitlin Sharma, second from right, celebrates becoming a new lawyer with her parents, Diane (right) and Tony (second from left), and her boyfriend Joe Murray.

Jacob Palkowski

For Jacob Palkowski, admission to the Wisconsin bar marks a return home. Originally from Waukesha, he earned his law degree at Louisiana State University. His interest in law began during his sophomore year at U.W.-Madison during an economic law class.

Palkowski has already started work at Cramer Multhauf in Waukesha, where he practices estate planning and business law. “I like helping people set up their businesses,” he said.

The swearing-in ceremony, Palkowski said, is special “because three years of hard work finally paid off. I can finally just focus on being a lawyer and helping clients out.”

Family, friends, and supporters crowded the Supreme Court Hearing Room to welcome the new lawyers. Here, a friend takes a photo of new lawyer Mason Arent, after he signed the Attorney's Roll book.

Patrice Williams

For Patrice Williams, admission to the Wisconsin bar marks the end of a long and deeply personal journey. She graduated from Valparaiso in 2019, and ultimately chose Wisconsin as the place to begin the next chapter of her legal career.

To reach the ceremony is the “culmination of a 10-year saga. It took so much for me to get here,” she said. “I feel so proud to have actually accomplished all of this.”

Williams grew up in Gary, Indiana, and spent 18 and a half years in the Army. She entered the military as a private first class, eventually reaching the rank of captain.

She was on the promotion list for major when her unit was preparing for activation for Desert Storm, but with both Williams and her son’s father serving in the military, one parent needed to remain home. “So, I chose to stay home and raise my son,” she said.

Her decision to pursue law grew out of her own experiences with employment and civil rights issues. “I had to represent myself in a case against an employer,” she said. “And that spurred me into doing law full time.”

Williams plans to practice civil rights and employment law and also hopes to take on public defender and criminal cases.

Indiana attorney Donna Sommerville Smith, left, drove from Indiana to Madison attend the ceremony of her mentee, new lawyer Patrice Williams, center. They pose for a photo with Patrice's son, Steven Williams, right, following the ceremony.

Carmen Guidry

After seven years practicing corporate law in Houston, Carmen Guidry decided she was ready for a change. “I wanted to do something different — teaching,” she said.

That decision brought the Louisiana native to Wisconsin, where she joined the U.W. Law School as a clinical assistant professor in the Law and Entrepreneurship Clinic. Guidry, who is barred in Texas, started her new position in July.

What Guidry already knows she enjoys about Wisconsin is her work with students. She especially enjoys seeing students begin to understand how their developing legal skills can make a difference for someone else. She loves seeing law students “learning what it feels like to help a client through something,” Guidry said. “I'm excited to be a part of that journey.”

New lawyer Kelly Rodriquez, right, poses for a photo taken by her mother, Ann Rodriquez.

“This is a very exciting day. It's been a long time coming,” she said. Rodriguez will begin her career at Foley and Lardner in Milwaukee, where she plans to practice commercial litigation. “I love writing. I like research. And I really enjoyed the people I was working with the past two summers at Foley as a law clerk,” she said.

Her interest in law began while she was a student-athlete and swimmer in college. “I was very interested in all of the name, image, and likeness conversations that were going on with the sports industry,” Rodriguez said.

The swearing-in ceremony carried special meaning after three years of law school and the support of those closest to her. “It's honestly very bittersweet,” Rodriguez said.

“Three years is a long time to go through school, and there's a lot of people that helped me get here. And I feel really blessed and very excited to start my career.”

Welcome to These New Wisconsin Lawyers