1999 Annual Report
Fiscal Year July 1, 1998 - July 30, 1999
Strong Legal Roots Support Current, Future Strength
Our theme for the FY 99
annual report, "Honoring the Past, Improving the Present, and Preparing
for the Future," sums up the State Bar's activities for the past fiscal
year. The Bar continued its commitment to serve its membership and the
people of Wisconsin, while taking an opportunity to reflect upon our
legal roots and plan ahead for the challenges to come. We began FY 99 in
the midst of our state's 150th birthday. We celebrated with a tribute to
the first 150 women to practice law in the state. It was personally
rewarding for me to honor the achievement of the women who paved the
path for today's women lawyers.
A milestone of FY 99 was the ground breaking and construction of our
new State Bar Center on Madison's northeast side. The building was truly
built by and for the members of the association. More than 8,000
attorneys participated at some level in the capital campaign, raising
more than $1.2 million for the new facility. Hundreds of attorneys
volunteered to bring this project to fruition.
In spite of the tremendous staff and volunteer time that went into
constructing our headquarters, countless other member and public service
programs continued to succeed in meeting new challenges. State Bar
resources helped members answer ethical questions, solve disputes with
their clients, improve their practices (and their lives outside of
practice), and find opportunities for pro bono service. This work could
not be accomplished without the help of thousands of dedicated members
in Wisconsin and nationwide.
Looking back on the past year shows how much we have accomplished. We
should look forward with confidence to meet the professional challenges
ahead.
Wisconsin Lawyer
