State Bar welcomes new members, 40 lawyers attend swearing in
ceremonies
Barbara J. Dreyer of Wausau and 39 others are sworn in during a
ceremony at the Supreme Court Hearing Room.
Surrounded by family and friends, 40 lawyers who
passed the bar exam were admitted to practice in Wisconsin on April 23.
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 Thomas Basting.
Justices Louis B. Butler Jr. and Annette Ziegler administered
the oath in the supreme court
hearing room during two ceremonies on Wednesday morning.
In her remarks to the newly admitted lawyers, Chief
Justice Shirley Abrahamson said, “Your profession incurs upon you
an increased level of responsibility. Because of your profession more is
expected of you.
“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 and impartial and nonpartisan, making decisions based on their
understanding of the facts and the law – not on the basis of
public opinion and personal. We rely on judges to decide court 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. My judicial colleagues and I
are prepared to do that.
“Recent events have brought impartial justice to
the forefront of public 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 and impartial and nonpartisan
Wisconsin judiciary and to preserving the courts as an impartial quorum
for resolving disputes. I hope that you as new members of the Bar and
the rest of you as nonlawyers will use judicial elections as the
opportunity to educate others about the importance of preserving
judicial events and that you will vote and encourage others to
vote.”
Abrahamson urged the new lawyers, to be lawyers of
courage. “Courage means standing tall and having your voice heard.
Courage means telling a client, or worse yet a senior partner, what she
doesn’t want to hear. Courage means defending positions of a
client that are unpopular. A courageous lawyer aids the underprivileged.
A courageous lawyer helps the poor. Courage means not signing a deal
when a wink and a nod are required to avoid coming to grips with
troublesome issues. Courage means taking a stand. It is often easier to
go along to get along. I urge you lawyers and guests alike to have the
courage to raise your voices to protect and perfect our
democracy.”
Abrahamson 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. I ask each of you as a new member of the law community to
use your legal trade to make a difference in society,” she
said.
New Wisconsin lawyer, Alison E. Helland of Milwaukee, signs the
supreme court roll as her attorney dad, Steven C. Helland of Madison,
looks on.
State Bar President Thomas Basting spoke to the new
lawyers about providing legal services to the poor. “Unfortunately
not all of our citizens have access to justice,” he said.
“You can help assure the promise of our country’s founders
by doing pro bono work and by qualifying yourselves to take public
defender cases. Good lawyers defending our less fortunate citizens
fulfill the promise of equal justice for all. I urge all of you to
consider accepting public defender cases and also to volunteer to help
those who cannot help themselves by doing pro bono work in your
community.”
Following the swearing-in ceremonies, the lawyers
attended a reception at the Monona Terrace Convention Center hosted by
the State Bar. During the reception, each newly sworn-in attorney signed
the supreme court roll that has been signed by every lawyer admitted to
practice in Wisconsin since the state was a territory.
The State Bar welcomes the following
attorneys:
- Jenna L. Arntson, Milwaukee
- Erika Bahnson, Eau Claire
- Justin E. Bauer, Roscoe, Ill.
- Caitlyn A. Beaudry, Milwaukee
- Christina L. Brown, Wales
- AnneMarie D. Case, Milwaukee
- Martha J. Cordell, Elkhorn
- Heather A. Davis, Milwaukee
- Michael R. Demerath, Chicago
- Barbara J. Dreyer, Wausau
- Monica J. Dembny, Oshkosh
- Alan L. Goldman, Milwaukee
- Manju Goel, Madison
- Rachel E. Greelis, De Pere
- Alison E. Helland, Milwaukee
- Nathaniel A. Jones, Neenah
- Daniel J. Kennedy, Milwaukee
- Brian F. Laule, River Falls
- Jason D. Lehman, Dubuque, Iowa
- Christina B. Lee, Milwaukee
- Brad Lund, Wausau
- Jennifer K. Marquissee, Appleton
- Christopher M. Moffitt, Madison
- Kate Murtaugh, Saint Croix Falls
- David B. Neimark, Brookfield
- Rachael A. Nerdahl, Sussex
- Kristine A. Pihlgren, De Pere
- William Parzyszek III, Port Washington
- Steven K. Priepke, Lomira
- Megan J. Putler, Saint Paul
- Michael J. Rausch, Sun Prairie
- Mitchell A. Routh, Superior
- Carmen M. Rumbaut, Madison
- Jonathan J. Schmidt, Lansing, Mich.
- Douglas E. Selky, Brookfield
- Elizabeth A. Talbot, Janesville
- Fue Thao, Minneapolis
- Annmarie D. Waldon, Saint Paul
- Patrick W. Waters, Madison
- Gregory N. West, Muskego
This brings membership to 22,791. Marquette and U.W.
2008 law school classes’ swearing-in ceremonies will be held in
May and June.
