Congratulations to the Class of 2021 Fellows of the Wisconsin Law Foundation. See more photos of the event on the State Bar of Wisconsin Facebook page.

May 10, 2022 – It was a night of celebration and speeches – and the first gathering since 2019 for the Fellows of the Wisconsin Law Foundation.

After two years of COVID-19 pandemic cancellations, nearly 200 lawyers and their friends and family members gathered to celebrate two years of new Fellows at a reception and dinner at the Monona Terrace Convention Center in Madison.

“It’s really great to reunite with everyone in person,” said Margaret (Peggy) Ahne Herlitzka, Law Foundation president. “Congratulations, and thank you for all the great things that you do,” said Herlitzka.

Forty-five new Fellows were inducted May 5, 2022, into the Fellows of the Wisconsin Law Foundation. The Fellows are lawyers who join by invitation as a result of their service to the profession, to their communities, and to justice.

“As we look around the room, we see a complete host of lawyers who are honored over the years for their lawyering,” said Fellows President Kathleen Grant. “More importantly, they are Fellows because, in addition, they’ve made great contributions to the profession in general, and to their communities.”

Congratulations to the Class of 2020 Fellows of the Wisconsin Law Foundation. See more photos of the event on the State Bar of Wisconsin Facebook page.

Celebrating Distinguished Lifetime Service

The celebration honored the two recipients of the Wisconsin Law Foundation’s Charles L. Goldberg Distinguished Service Award, given for a lifetime of service to the profession and the community.

The 2020 recipient is Joe Boucher of Madison, and the 2021 recipient is Steven R. Sorenson of Neenah. Both received their awards at the event.

“These are two very deserving individuals,” said Herlitzka.

A founding shareholder of the Madison firm Neider & Boucher S.C., Boucher concentrates on business law. He is known as the “father of LLCs” for his role in drafting the Wisconsin statute that established LLCs in Wisconsin.

Sorenson of von Briesen & Roper in Neenah “is an accomplished lawyer, an admired professor, a dedicated public servant, an active community leader and has held almost every position of leadership in the profession that one can hold,” said attorney John Macy, one of several who nominated Sorenson for the award.

Read more about Boucher and about Sorenson in InsideTrack.

Madison attorney Joe Boucher, recipient of the 2021 Goldberg Service A​ward, speaks about the evolution of LLC statutes in Wisconsin.​

High Professional Achievements

The Fellows program recognizes members of the profession who are known by their peers for high professional achievements and outstanding contributions to the advancement and improvement of the administration of justice in Wisconsin. New Fellows are elected by the Fellows Board of Trustees.

“The Fellows are the cornerstone on which the Law Foundation rests,” Herlitzka said.

The program supports the mission of the Wisconsin Law Foundation, the charitable arm of the State Bar of Wisconsin. The Foundation promotes public understanding of the law, improvement of the administration of justice, and other law-related public service by funding innovative and creative programs that improve the vision of the American justice system.

The Foundation in 2021 funded more nearly $60,000 in grants to programs, projects, and services across Wisconsin that assist public understanding of the law and improve access to justice. And, with strong support from the Fellows and donations from State Bar members, the Foundation in 2022 will give its highest amount– more than $63,000.

New Fellows include Hon. Randy Koschnick (right), director of Wisconsin State Courts; Julie M. Spoke (front row, second from left), Office of Lawyer Regulation director of Central Intake; and Hon. Timothy Samuelson (back row, left​), director of the Office of Lawyer Regulation.

Recipients of its grant money include Wisconsin’s High School Mock Trial Program (read more about the 2021-22 competition in InsideTrack), programs providing for teen and peer courts, education programs helping low-income individuals better navigate the health care system, and programs to educate pro se litigants about the family court process.

“These are the high impact programs that your donations support,” Herlitzka said.

Steven Sorenson of Neenah, recipient of the 2020 Goldberg Service Award (left), stands with Fellows President Kathleen Grant (right).

Welcome to the Following New Wisconsin Law Foundation Fellows

About the Wisconsin Law Foundation

As the charitable arm of the State Bar of Wisconsin, the Law Foundation promotes public understanding of the law, and supports creative programs that have a long-lasting, positive impact on Wisconsin youth and adults.

The Law Foundation provides funding for a broad array of programs in communities across Wisconsin, including:

• developing the next generation of legal and civic leaders;
• promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives;
• supporting teen courts and restorative justice efforts; and
• providing grants to attorneys for services in rural and underserved communities.

These are just a few of the programs that are able to grow and flourish due to the generous support of Wisconsin Law Foundation donors.

How Do I Donate?

• mail a check to Wisconsin Law Foundation, 5302 East park Blvd., Madison, WI 53718-7158 (please write “match” on the memo line);
• call Beth Drake at (608) 250-6171 or (800) 444-9404, ext. 6171, to make a donation by credit card over the phone; or
• make a secure online donation through wisbar.org/wlfdonate.

Find out more about the Wisconsin Law Foundation through its newsletter, Impact.