New Wisconsin lawyers take the lawyer’s oath in the Supreme Court Hearing Room. From left: Amanda Matulle Belville, Katharine Ariss, Mary Catherine Anglum, and Reed James Ackerman.

April 28, 2010 – Surrounded by family and friends, 48 lawyers who passed the bar exam were admitted to practice in Wisconsin on April 27. In February, 112 people took the bar exam representing 53 law schools and 22 jurisdictions; 97 passed.

The lawyers were welcomed by all seven justices of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, Board of Bar Examiners (BBE) chair James A. Huston, BBE director Jacquelynn B. Rothstein, and State Bar president Douglas Kammer. Justices Ann Walsh Bradley and Michael J. Gableman administered the oath in the Supreme Court Hearing Room during two ceremonies on Tuesday morning.

Congratulating the new lawyers, new BBE Director Rothstein quoted founder of the Children’s Defense Fund Marian Wright Edelman. Noting that while Edelman’s quote is about leaders it could easily apply to lawyers. Rothstein said, “As you begin to practice in this state, I hope that you bear her words in mind. ‘The world needs more people who do not have a price at which they can be bought; who do not borrow from integrity to pay for expediency; whose handshake is a modified contract; who are not afraid of risk; who are honest in small matters as they are in large ones; whose ambitions are big enough to include others; who know how to win with grace and lose with dignity; who do not believe that shrewdness and cunning and ruthlessness are the three keys to success; who are occasionally wrong and always willing to admit it.’ In short the world needs more leaders or in this case more lawyers.”

The new lawyers are sworn in by Justice Michael Gableman in the Supreme Court Hearing Room.

Following each swearing-in ceremony, Justice David T. Prosser spoke to the new lawyers. He made special note of the accomplishment of going through the rigors and ordeal of a bar examination and succeeding. “All the members of the court respect what you have gone through … only three members of the court have shared similar experience – Chief Justice Abrahamson, and Justices Crooks and Gableman have passed a bar examination,” he said.

“All of you are about to participate in a time-honored Wisconsin tradition,” said Prosser. “In a few moments you are going to sign your name in a book, which is the latest volume in a whole series of volumes that has been kept since before statehood. Virtually every person who has ever been a member of the Wisconsin Bar has signed one of these books before you … as you step forward to put your name in the book, I hope that you will think about some of the people who have signed these books before you. They include some of the most valuable citizens in this state’s history. Our first governor in 1848, Nelson Dewey, was an attorney, and think of the other attorneys and governors and U.S. senators and judges and people in public life who have signed the book including Robert Marian La Follette. The list also includes men and women who have been giants in the legal profession, wise counselors, creative advocates, brilliant scholars and role models for the Bar, mentors for young attorneys.

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

“The names include attorneys who have made life better for other people … and sometimes for society as a whole,” he said. “They include truly countless people who have been pillars of the communities in which they live.

“Sadly, there are names in the books of people who have come before the supreme court, perhaps with family present in a moment of hope and promise and have take the same oath that you have taken but somehow they have lost their way,” Prosser continued. “They came back to this court not to argue a great case, not to move admission of a daughter, but because they were respondent to a case before the Office of Lawyer Regulation. The choice that you have today is to say ‘I am going to set my goals extremely high. I am going to emulate the very best in this profession. I am going to exceed what some others have done.’”

The Attorney’s Oath. “The oath you have taken goes well beyond a pledge – not to betray clients, not to disgrace the legal profession, not to violate the law,” said Prosser. “The oath is a carefully written summary of code of professional responsibility. It stresses that the law is a great calling for dedicated professionals who are committed to uphold high ethical standards and are determined to provide service to others.”

Young Lawyers Division (YLD) President Jill Kastner (left) welcomes new lawyer Katharine Ariss of Chicago. YLD membership is automatic for all new lawyers. The division welcomes active participation from all of its members.

A noble profession. Noting that each of the supreme court justices have, over time, the opportunity and privilege to address new attorneys with the hope of imparting some insight or inspiration, Prosser pointed out that his colleagues’ messages focus on service, professionalism, commitment to excellence, courage to take a stand, high ideals and excellent moral character.

“When the Chief Justice speaks she often singles out a member of the Wisconsin Bar who has made a significant pro bono contribution,” said Prosser. “She points to that attorney as one whose service should be admired and whose example should be followed.

“Several other justices explain the critical role of law in our society,” he said. “Justice Crooks frequently speaks of the indispensible commitment to excellence explaining that truly great lawyers are not willing to settle for mediocrity. Justice Bradley likes to talk about courage, courage to take a stand, courage to reject the inappropriate compromise, courage to resist the many temptations that present themselves to members of the Bar including you. Justice Roggensack likes to talk about the opportunity for lawyers with skills and training such as you to enter public life as a candidate for office, perhaps as a future judge.

	Jessica Glynn, Port Jefferson, NY, signs the supreme court roll. A graduate of City University of New York School of Law, Glynn came home to Wisconsin to take the bar and plans to practice immigration law in New York.

“Today you become trustees of the legal profession in Wisconsin,” said Prosser. “As attorneys you are charged collectively with the responsibility of making this profession better than you find it.”

Build a profession of service. Prosser ended with a story often told by the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson about a visitor at a cathedral under construction. “The visitor questioned three workmen as to what they thought they were doing,” said Prosser. “The first one muttered ‘I’m making a living.’ The second gave an uninspired reply, ‘I am laying this stone.’ The third one looked up toward the sky and said with faith and pride, ‘I am building a cathedral.’”

“My charge to you today is to make your career a cathedral of service to others and to the rule of law,” concluded Prosser.

The State Bar welcomes the following new attorneys:

• Reed James Ackerman, St. Paul, Minn.

• Mary Catherine Anglum, Chippewa Falls

  	Justice Ann Walsh Bradley welcomes Mary Catherine Anglum, Chippewa Falls, who will bring her legal expertise to an engineering and architectural firm.

• Katharine Ariss, Chicago

• Amanda Matulle Belville, Oshkosh

• Andrew Logan Beveridge, Stevens Point

• Brett Ray Blomme, Madison

• Sara Bongers, Roseville, Minn.

• La Keisha Wright Butler, Wauwatosa

• Cari-Ryan Campbell, Dubuque, Iowa

• Robert Eddington, Racine

• Wendy Elaine Ellis-O’Konek, Oconomowoc

• Mark Geall, Chicago

• Erin M. Gilbert, Madison

• Jessica Glynn, Port Jefferson, NY

• Michael Eric Gosman, Milwaukee

  	After attending law school in Oregon, Andrew Logan Beveridge returned home to Wisconsin in hopes of practicing environmental law. Beveridge’s folks came from Steven’s Point to help celebrate their son’s admission to the State Bar of Wisconsin.

• Joshua Isaac Grant, Milwaukee

• David Robert HaushalterElm Grove

• Nicholas Jenkins, Waunakee

• Wendy Sue Johnson, Eau Claire

• Heidi Kania, Milwaukee

• Jennifer Ann Kannenberg, Little Chute

• Kimberly Marie Kershek, Greenfield

• Mara Koeller, St. Paul, Minn.

• Laura Konkel, Milwaukee

• Brian A. Krause, Appleton

• Christine Kuczynski, Eau Claire

• Daniel F. Kuehn, Madison

• Julienne M. Landsdown, Wausau

• Michael P. McKenna, St. Paul, Minn.

  	Wendy Sue Johnson, Eau Claire, celebrates her day with a proud husband and son.

• Sheree L. Nelson, Eleva

• Jonathan Joseph O’Konek, Oconomowoc

• Lauren Olivia Otto, Eau Claire

• Nicole I. Pellerin, Sun Prairie

• Gretchen E. Petterle, Madiso

• Megan Pomeroy, Fond du Lac

• Joseph Michael Pozorski III, Manitowoc

• Katherine Alexis Proctor , Madison

• Benjamin James Quackenbush, Chokio, Minn.

• Sarah Rutledge, Madison

• Amy Catherine Sholz, Waukesha

• Christopher Cody Shattuck, Randolph

• Meridith Joy Oman Socha, Minneapolis

• Paul Alan Temple, Madison

• Nicholas Thompson, La Crosse

• Adam Thomas Witt, Edgerton

• Lisa Yun, Mequon

• Amanda Allyn Zaremba, Madison

• Marcus Steven Zelenski, East Troy

Visit the State Bar on Facebook for more admissions photos.

This brings State Bar membership to 23,541.