New admittees take the oath in the 1:30 p.m. ceremony. See more photos on the State Bar of Wisconsin Facebook page for the 11:30 a.m. ceremony and the 1:30 p.m. ceremony​.

Sept. 26, 2024 – They are from Wisconsin and across the country – and the world, with one thing in common: On Sept. 23, 2024, all 66 individuals became Wisconsin lawyers.

In two separate ceremonies before the Wisconsin Supreme Court on Sept. 23, they took their final steps, taking the Attorney’s Oath and signing the Supreme Court Roll Book.

Chief Justice Annette Kingsland Ziegler and the other justices hosted the ceremonies in the Supreme Court Hearing Room at the Capitol Building in Madison.

Jacquelynn B. Rothstein, director of the Wisconsin Board of Bar Examiners, said of the 120 who took the exam in July, 62% passed it, and that 76% of those taking the exam for the first time passed. “The Board extends its congratulations to the men and women here today,” she said.

They received words of advice from Justice Rebecca Bradley, including a quote from Winston Churchill: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” "In other words," she said, “don't let your failures deter you from taking risks or fighting for something important.”

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New Wisconsin lawyers William Dix and Kameron Reed pose for a photo outside the Supreme Court Hearing Room after the 11:30 a.m. ceremony.

The new admittees include William Dix and Kameron Reed, two new lawyers who are engaged to be married. Not only did they attend the same law school – the University of Iowa, where they met – but are starting their legal careers in Milwaukee.

Both grew up in farm families in Iowa, and both, Dix said, fell in love with the Milwaukee area while interning in the city. “We spent a summer with the firm, and loved every single second of it,” Dix said.

Portage attorney Todd Bennett, right, acts as movant for his son, Ryan Bennett.

Portage lawyer Todd Bennett was movant for his son, Ryan Bennett, who now marks four generations of lawyers in his family – all in Portage. “It’s an exciting day,” Todd said.

Ryan, who will join his father’s general practice firm in Portage, decided to become a lawyer while helping his father in the office during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I saw the full scope of how it worked, and realized it was something for me,” he said. “It took seeing it to convince me to go to law school.”

“My generation,” said Todd Bennett, “is retiring and it’s hard finding replacements” in areas outside Madison and Milwaukee. His firm, he knows, will now continue on with his son.

Shohreh Kananizadeh signs the Attorney’s Roll book following the 11:30 a.m. ceremony.

Shohreh Kananizadeh of San Diego, California, moved to the U.S. in 2014 to earn her L.L.M. at Michigan State University. She had practiced criminal law in her native country of Iran. After completing her degree, she worked under an immigration attorney in California. “I gained a lot of experience,” she said, and in doing so, realized she wanted to take the bar exam and become an attorney in the U.S. In July – eight years after earning her degree – she took the bar exam in Wisconsin. She is returning home to San Diego to open her own immigration law firm.

She is passionate about immigration law, having experienced immigration in the U.S. first-hand. When she helps her clients, because she is an immigrant, “I understand their journey.”

Justice Rebecca Dallet administered the oath at both ceremonies.

Sarah King of Elkhorn earned her law degree from the University of Illinois in Chicago, graduating last May. Her journey to a law degree took six years, mostly via evening classes. She took the Wisconsin bar exam because “my roots are in Wisconsin,” she said, and lives near Lake Geneva.

King has worked in contracting for the federal government in Chicago for about 20 years. With a J.D., “I can be more effective in contracting, and I find it a good opportunity to teach people about it,” she said.

Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Annette Kingsland Ziegler hosted the ceremonies in the Supreme Court Hearing Room.

“It’s been a long time coming,” said Martha Rose Simmons on becoming a lawyer. She attended the University of Arizona Law School, earning a J.D. and an L.L.M. in Indigenous Law and Policy. Simmons will work with the Ho-Chunk Nation as a legislative attorney. “We’re writing laws and policies to protect our tribal members. It’s pretty exciting.”

Martha Rose Simmons and her children, Kaius and Anaiah, point to her name on the list of new Wisconsin lawyers.

Welcome to These New Wisconsin Lawyers