New Wisconsin lawyers take the lawyer’s oath in the Supreme Court Hearing Room.

In what has become a Wisconsin Supreme Court tradition in the past few years, new lawyers applaud family members for their support and encouragement immediately following swearing-in ceremony.

New member Tristan Breedlove, Milwaukee signs the supreme court roll as her mother, Verona attorney Evelyn J. Mazack, looks on. Breedlove will be joining a Godfrey & Kahn S.C. in Milwaukee. Every lawyer admitted to practice in Wisconsin since the state was a territory has signed the roll.

Young Lawyers Division president Jill Kastner greets new members.

Nathan J. Dineen (left) of West Bend and Aaron A. Dekosky of Milwaukee are both fourth generation attorneys. Both men will join family firms.

Joanna R. Behm of Shorewood with her parents. Behm is clerking for the Milwaukee Circuit Court.

For more admissions photos, visit the State Bar Facebook page or click here.

Sept. 23, 2010 – Surrounded by family and friends, 105 lawyers who passed the bar exam were admitted to practice in Wisconsin today. The lawyers were welcomed by members of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, Board of Bar Examiners (BBE) director Jacquelynn B. Rothstein, BBE chair James L. Huston, State Bar president-elect James M. Brennan, and all seven justices of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson presided over the four ceremonies. Justices Ann Walsh Bradley, N. Patrick Crooks, and Patience Drake Roggensack, and Annette Kingsland Ziegler administered the oath in the supreme court hearing room.

Following each swearing-in ceremony, Justice David T. Prosser spoke to the new lawyers. Noting that there are four ways to be admitted to the bar, Prosser commended the new attorneys for being in the group that passed the bar examination. “Being here is a notable achievement, often the result of years of study and hard work,” said Prosser. “Almost invariably your hard work has been encouraged and supported by others – spouses, parents, family, and close friends. They take tremendous pride in honoring your accomplishment. You may also owe debts of gratitude to professional colleagues, including faculty of the law school you attended, and people who may have given you some sort of boost along the way. Whatever these good people have done to help you, you can do in the future to help others.”

Signing the Supreme Court Roll

“All of you are about to participate in a time-honored Wisconsin tradition,” he said. “In a few moments you will sign your name in a book, the latest volume in a complete record that includes the name of every person who has ever been a member of the Wisconsin Bar. These volumes have been kept since before statehood, more than 160 years ago. Every person who has ever been a member of the Wisconsin Bar has his or her name in that book. As you step forward to sign your name in the book, I ask you to think about some of the people who have signed these volumes before you. They include some of the best minds and most valuable citizens in this state’s history, including the state’s first elected governor, Nelson Dewey.

“The list includes names of men and women who have been giants of the legal profession, wise counselors, creative advocates, and brilliant scholars who have served as role models for the Bar and as mentors for young lawyers,” he said.

Noting that many attorneys have made life better for individual clients and sometimes for society as a whole and many have been “absolute pillars of the communities in which they live,” Prosser said, “Sadly, the records also include the names of some attorneys who have betrayed their clients, disgraced our profession, and violated the law. These people stood before the Wisconsin Supreme Court in a moment of hope and promise ceremony, often with loved ones standing there beaming in pride.”

The Attorney’s Oath

“These attorneys took the same oath that you did but somehow they lost their way,” said Prosser. “I suspect that no one stands before the court expecting some day to violate the oath. When new attorneys leave here they have high hopes as they should and plenty of idealism and optimism. But not everyone is adequately prepared for the personal crises, economic setbacks, unexpected temptations, or uncontrolled hubris.”

Noting that with the stress of the legal profession, some attorneys will face tough physical and mental issues, including problems with alcohol, controlled substances, and in their personal relationships. Prosser said these attorneys must recognize and appreciate that they need help in these circumstances because, “their duties to clients are not relaxed just because of their personal problems. The State Bar of Wisconsin is ready and willing to help in these situations."

Urging the new attorneys to be always aware of the Code of Professional Conduct and that no matter how great the temptations may be, no matter how temporary the personal hardship may seem, lawyers should not delude themselves into somehow believing that they are above the law or that they are too smart to get caught.

“Some attorneys will become millionaires, most will not,” said Prosser. “Attorneys who abandon well understood norms of honor and decency for their personal gain play a disproportionate role in defining the law and in stigmatizing the practice of law to people who are not members of the bar."

Make the profession better

"Today you become trustees of the legal profession in Wisconsin. As attorneys, you are charged collectively with responsibility of making this profession better than you find it. When you individually sign the book today, you start your professional life in Wisconsin on a blank page. You decide what entries appear on your page in years ahead. I urge you to set high standards and lofty goals for all that you serve and for our profession.

“As Horace Mann once admonished a class of undergraduates. ‘Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory of humanity,’ that’s not too much to ask. After all you are Wisconsin attorneys,” concluded Prosser.

The State Bar welcomes the following attorneys:

• Adam J. Abelson, Shorewood

• Victor Jay Allen, Milwaukee

• Joseph Martin Barnett, Milwaukee

• Adrienne Barth, Madison

• Joanna R. Behm, Shorewood

• Nicole Beimling, Du Quoin, Ill.

• Melanie Kleiss Boerger, Grantsburg

• Adam D. Brady, River Falls

• Tristan Breedlove, Milwaukee

• Maria N. Breu, Holmen

• Christopher G. Brophey, Brookfield

• Lyndsey A. B. Brunette, Nellsville

• Breanne M. Bucher, Waukesha

• Adam R. Burns, Shorewood

• Patrick Cannon, Mukwonago

• Ryan Tyler Carlson, Pewaukee

• Demetra Christopoulos, New Berlin

• Aaron A. Dekosky, Milwaukee

• Nathan J. Dineen, West Bend

• Andrew Thomas Dufresne, Madison

• Erik Kurt Eisenmann, Wauwatosa

• Dawn Euer, Salem

• Matthew Thomas McVeigh Feeks, Arlington, Va.

• Adam B. Fischer, South Bend, Ind.

• Andrea Jane Fowler, Milwaukee

• Erin Leigh Fraser, Milwaukee

• Aaron Michael Galarowicz, Madison

• Ryan Kriz Gardner, Madison

• Kate Gehl, Milwaukee

• Jessica Joy Glad, Madison

• Keith C. Glaser, Muskego

• Melissa Marie Goetz, Allenton

• John Justin Goodell, New Berlin

• Eric Matthew Greer, Madison

• Sarah E. Grimsrud, Madison

• Rebecca Hays, Madison

• J. C. Heitsman, Milwaukee

• Patrick J. Helwig, Oconomowoc

• Anna Henning, Madison

• Jacob W. Henning, Pewaukee

• Scott Hiland, St. Paul, Minn.

• David Seth Hill, Greenfield

• Mark Albert Hill, Milwaukee

• Kara L. Janson, Brookfield

• Jacquelyn Kay Jarvis, Ripon

• Thomas Kalil, Madison

• Kellen C. Kasper, Milwaukee

• Jacob Klaus, Green Bay

• Matthew Jon Kovacich, Milwaukee

• Ashley Ann Kwasny ,Racine

• Anthony Lambrecht, Minneapolis

• Andrew C. Landsman, Milwaukee

• Tricia A. Larson, Juda

• Matt Last, Cedarburg

• Elizabeth Spiezer Lawson, Madison

• Jeffrey H. Lewis, Franklin

• Mark Andrew Lotito, New Ulm, Minn.

• Adam C. Lueck, New Berlin

• Jonathan B. Lundeen, Hudson

• Cara J. Maas, Madison

• Jacob Mailander, Wauwatosa

• Brian J. N. Marstall, Milwaukee

• Jill McKiernan, Madison

• Carli Ann McNeill, Burlington

• Vincent M. Mele, Madison

• Timothy Mentkowski, Franklin

• Leah E. Meyer, Bloomington, Minn.

• S. Michael Murphy, Madison

• Christopher Ryan Natynksi, New Berlin

• Nicole Marie Nellessen, Wauwatosa

• Matthew J. Nelson, Milwaukee

• Steven A. Nigh, Brookfield

• Miriam Rose Ostov, Madison

• Allison Marks Pedersen, Madison

• Aislinn Marie Penkwitz, Madison

• Randall W. Petrouske II, Shawano

• Kathleen E. Prasse, Elm Grove

• Kyle Reimann, River Falls

• Jo Anna Elaine Rentschler, Dawson, Ill.

• Andrea L. Romenesko, Kaukauna

• Lukas J. Saunders, Green Bay

• Patrick Scharmer, Oregon

• Daniel Schmeeckle, Stevens Point

• Peter Oliver Schmidt, Washington, D.C.

• Stephanie A. Schmitt, Madison

• Joy Elizabeth Schnackenbeck, Milwaukee

• Courtney I. Schultz, Milwaukee

• Dylan Schultz, Oxford, MS

• Heather Lynn Schutz, Kenosha

• Carly Sebion, Black River Falls

• Daniel Sherrick, Hustisford

• David Leon Sienko, River Falls

• Andrew James Smith, Milwaukee

• Kimberly Allison Stamp, Madison

• Kelly Marie Stengert, Racine

• Stacy Deery Stennes, Minneapolis

• Krista J. Sterken, Madison

• Shari Lynn Stevens, Green Bay

• Sarah Catherine Stroede, Beaver Dam

• Quintin Andrew Sullivan, St. Paul, Minn.

• Christina M. Tenuta, Eagle River

• Philip Zabkowicz Trampe, Muskego

• Keven Marcus Urbik, Hudson

• Lucas Thomas Vebbe, Milwaukee

• Corrine N. Wiesmueller, Waukesha

• For more admissions photos, visit the State Bar Facebook page or click here.