Last fall, Will Baynard, third from right, poses with participants at the start of the 2016 Greater Wisconsin Initiative Bus Tour – which helped him find his current position with Wisconsin Judicare.
June 21, 2017 – After five years of practicing law in Anchorage, Alaska, Will Baynard moved back to the Midwest to be closer to family.
“I moved into my sister’s basement in Minnesota and applied to join the Wisconsin bar,” he said. He chose Wisconsin over Minnesota, which required another full year of practice for him before applying. He went to law school at Case Western in Cleveland and had worked in Alaska – so he didn’t know Wisconsin at all.
That’s when he found out about the first State Bar of Wisconsin Greater Wisconsin Initiative Bus Tour last fall. The tour introduced him to northern Wisconsin, and to lawyers and judges practicing in Rhinelander and Wausau.
“It sounded just awesome to me,” he said.
He grew up just outside Washington, D.C., but didn’t want to work in a large urban area. “I always thought I was better off in a small town,” Baynard said.
He talked to many people on the tour – other participants, the lawyers, judges, and community leaders. “It was a lot of fun, with beautiful weather and good food. Everyone was very welcoming – and they were almost begging us to come up there,” he said. “It was very well planned.”
Practicing in 33 Northern Wisconsin Counties
A month later, he found his job in Wausau with Wisconsin Judicare, where he travels to 33 northern Wisconsin counties. “That’s our service area – the northwoods.” He is getting to know the fly fishing areas of northern Wisconsin and was introduced to ice fishing last winter. “Every other day, I wake up thinking there’s no better place in the world.”
He is now a member of the Marathon County Bar Association. “There’s a good number of lawyers my age. They’ve all been very welcoming,” he said.
The tour was the catalyst for him to land his job. “The bus tour gave me some bearings on the area. Otherwise, I’d have been a literal babe in the woods,” he said, joking. “What it offers is amazing. That bus should be packed.”
Will Baynard takes a break from practicing law in Anchorage, Alaska.
Looking for an opportunity? There are jobs – and a fulfilling life and career – for lawyers in rural Wisconsin.
The tour, sponsored by the Wisconsin Law Foundation and the Senior Lawyers Division, takes lawyers into areas where vital legal needs go unmet and access to justice is jeopardized.
Every other day, I wake up thinking there’s no better place in the world.
– Will Baynard
This year’s tour visits Barron, Rice Lake, Ashland, and Bayfield. Meet those who are working in these areas to see if a rural practice is right for you.
The bus tour is a free opportunity for lawyers and 3L law students – and their spouses or significant others – to connect with local judges, attorneys, and community and business leaders, and to learn more about life and practice in northern Wisconsin.
The tour is Friday and Saturday, Sept. 15 and 16, and it includes:
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Bus transportation from Madison;
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Lunch receptions in Barron on Friday and in Ashland on Saturday, and a dinner and reception in Rice Lake on Friday;
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Informational sessions with local judges, attorneys, and other business professionals in Rice Lake and Ashland;
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An opportunity to explore Bayfield and a guided bus tour of Rice Lake;
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Tours of the courthouses in Barron and Bayfield counties; and
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Plenty of time to network.
Participants are encouraged to bring their family along on the tour.
The bus leaves from the State Bar Center in Madison and goes to Barron, Rice Lake, Bayfield, and Ashland. Riding the bus is not mandatory.
Applicants selected to participate in the tour must provide a $30 seat deposit, refunded after participation in the tour. Riding on the bus is encouraged but not mandatory; however, the refundable deposit is still required.
Will Baynard goes fly fishing in Wisconsin, after moving to Wausau from Alaska in 2016.
Sign Up Before Aug. 11
For more information, for the schedule of events, and to apply, visit the tour's website on WisBar.org. Feel free to contact Lois Berning at (608) 250-6125 if you have questions.
