State Bar welcomes 175 new members; Marquette Law School class sworn in at Capitol

May 23, 2006 – One hundred seventy-five Marquette Law School graduates were admitted to practice on Monday. Surrounded by family and friends, the new lawyers were welcomed to the profession by members of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, Marquette Law School Dean Joseph D. Kearney, State Bar President D. Michael Guerin, and Wisconsin Board of Bar Examiners Director John E. Kosobucki.

Justices Jon Wilcox, David T. Prosser, Patience D. Roggensack, Louis B. Butler, and Ann Walsh Bradley administered the oath in the supreme court hearing room during five ceremonies throughout the day.

Following each swearing in ceremony, Justice Crooks spoke to the new lawyers, "We have every reason to take great pride in our profession and have the most solemn obligation to all others who have gone before us to carry on our functions as lawyers and judges in a manner so as to pass on this heritage undiminished and untarnished. On the matter of professional pride and integrity, I suggest that these are the hallmarks which establish the true lawyer from the mere attorney-at-law. I have never known a really good lawyer who did not have a compelling sense of pride in his or her profession and a demanding uncompromising sense of integrity."

"We must, at all times, educate ourselves and conduct ourselves in a manner so that we continue to fight for our chosen vocation as a profession worthy of distinctive recognition. The oath you have taken today has placed you at the service of society and those you accept as clients." Citing a speech President John F. Kennedy delivered more than 40 years ago at a commencement ceremony, Crooks said. "The educated citizen has an obligation to serve the public. He must be a participant and not a spectator. You will be asked to serve in many capacities outside the practice of law, and I encourage you to be of such service to your community. All who place their trust and their cause in your hands have a right to expect the best from you.

"Abraham Lincoln, talked about the law and ideals for our profession," said Crooks. "He said that it is as a peacemaker that the lawyer has a superior opportunity to be a great man or a great woman. In each step, you will have to remember the case is not yours, it is your client's.

"Good luck to you in your chosen profession. It is a noble profession, a profession where pride is matters. Be proud to be part of it," he concluded.

In his remarks, Marquette Law School Dean Joseph D. Kearney said, "I see in these individuals a willingness to assume the extraordinary indeed awesome responsibility of lawyers, whether it's acting as agents for clients and binding them, or more broadly, seeking justice in their behalf. I see in them, as well, the good professional habits that as much as anything else will ensure their success. As the Solicitor General of the United States observed on Saturday as our commencement speaker, 'each of these lawyers-to-be will have tremendous potential to make a difference.' I shall miss each of them as students, but I shall enjoy them as colleagues at the Bar."

"Today is a day that sets you apart as a human being," observed State Bar President D. Michael Guerin, a Marquette Law School alumni. "What you have learned in law school provides you with the skills you need to succeed, because the ultimate beneficiary of your skills and knowledge is your client. As lawyers, you fall into a very privileged class. Less than two percent of the population are lawyers. Remember, there are many people that need your help – the underserved and the unserved portions of our population are far greater than the two percent.

"You are privileged to be here today (for admission), to have the support of your family and friends, and the support of 21,000 members of the State Bar of Wisconsin to get you involved in activities for the benefit of the profession," he said.

Following the swearing-in ceremonies, the new lawyers attended a reception at the Monona Terrace Convention Center hosted by the State Bar of Wisconsin. During the reception, each new attorney signs the supreme court roll that has been signed by every lawyer admitted to practice in Wisconsin.

The State Bar welcomes the Marquette Law School class of 2006:

More than 100 U.W. Law School graduates will be sworn in on June 20.