Vol. 76, No. 4, April
2003
Let Them Eat Cake
Top off your CLE and networking experiences by
indulging in "anniversary cake" in celebration of the State Bar's first
125 years during the Annual Convention, May 7-9, in Milwaukee.
by George C. Brown,
State Bar executive director
Seinfeld fans will remember when Elaine's
employer, the obsessively indulgent J. Peterman, purchased a preserved
piece of the wedding cake from the marriage of the Duke of Windsor and
American Wallis Simpson. Elaine, demonstrating her own obsessive
self-indulgence, proceeds to eat the 60-year-old cake. She then tries to
replace it with a fake, yet edible, current version of the cake from the
local bakery.
Though the State Bar of Wisconsin is more than twice 60 years old
this year, the anniversary cake served at the Members' Recognition Lunch
will be fresh and from a local bakery. It will be but one part of the
recognition of the State Bar's 125th anniversary that will take place
during this year's annual convention in May.
In addition to a panoply of CLE seminars, you will have the
opportunity to learn about landmark cases, events, and people that serve
as the foundation for the law and legal practices of today. Chief
Justice Abrahamson and Justice Bradley will address the history of the
bench and the bar; appellate judges Snyder, Cane, and Brown will
investigate the impact of the court of appeals on the practice and the
issues of the day; and State Bar President Ballman, Judge White, and
attorneys Strang and Ranney will address key issues, including the death
penalty, the mandatory bar, individual liberty, and the increasing
diversity of the profession.
The highly charged issues of corporate responsibility and the ethical
responsibilities of the legal profession and the need for increasing
public confidence in the legal system are the focus of the noon address
of Michigan attorney and ABA president-elect Dennis W. Archer. Currently
the head of a large Detroit law firm, Archer is a former mayor of
Detroit and associate justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, and,
according to the National Law Journal, one of the 100 most
powerful lawyers in the United States.
Throughout the Bar convention you will be able to see historical
photos and artifacts to inform and remind you of the important role that
lawyers have played in the development of Wisconsin since before
statehood in 1848, and how the practice of law has changed since those
early days.
The convention will close with the annual Members' Recognition
Luncheon, where we will honor those members who are celebrating their
own anniversary of 50 years as lawyers in service to the public and the
profession. As part of the celebration of the Bar's founding, there will
be an anniversary cake for all to enjoy and there will be a reserved
table for all State Bar past presidents. But there will be one suddenly
empty chair. Past President Leonard Loeb passed away on Sunday, March 9.
We'll miss you, Lenny.
Wisconsin
Lawyer