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  • May 19, 2015

    Marquette Admissions: The State Bar of Wisconsin Welcomes Class of 2015

    New lawyers took the Attorney’s Oath during swearing-in ceremonies on May 18, 2015.

    Shannon Green
    Communications Writer

    The Oath

    Graduates of the Marquette Law School Class of 2015 take the Attorney's Oath at the swearing-in ceremony in the Wisconsin Supreme Court Hearing Room. Visit the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Facebook page for more photos of this event, or click here.

    May 19, 2015 – Follow your dreams, remember the kindnesses, join your local bar association, and do pro bono work.

    These are the​​ words of advice to 120 new lawyers welcomed into the State Bar of Wisconsin at the swearing-in ceremony Monday in Madison.

    “This is a very happy day for this court,” Chief Justice Patience Drake Roggensack told the new lawyers.

    The Marquette Law School graduates were admitted to the profession yesterday by justices of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, Marquette Law School Dean Joseph Kearney, State Bar President Robert Gagan, and Board of Bar Examiners Director Jacquelynn B. Rothstein.

    The admissions took place in four separate ceremonies, with about 30 admittees per group, and the Supreme Court Hearing Room packed with friends and relatives sharing the special day with the new lawyers.

    Starting a New Path in Life

    Among the newly minted lawyers is Isioma Nwabuzor of Milwaukee, the third lawyer in her family, after her grandfather and uncle. Her father, Richard Nwabuzor, listened to the ceremony while smiling with pride at the accomplishments of his daughter.

    Breanne Lynch’s mother, Wendy, said she is proud that their family adds “lawyer” to the list of family members’ professions that also includes doctors and dentists. “I love it,” Wendy said.

    Signing the Register

    Attorney Isioma Nwabuzor signs the register, just as every new Wisconsin attorney has done.

    Mitch Lindstrom’s father, David, said his son was “always driven” and that being a lawyer was perhaps never in question – since Mitch “loved to debate a lot.”

    Bryant McFadden, who is known for his bowties (and not the clip-on kind – he’s learned to tie them properly), has talked of becoming a lawyer since eighth grade so he can help people.

    “I’m very, very proud. He’s worked very hard,” said Bryant’s father, Jim McFadden.

    Paul Staisiunas had a special gift from his sister Daina Staisiunas – a 2013 graduate of Loyola University Chicago School of Law who works as a public defender in Illinois. When she stood up for him during the ceremony to avouch his good moral character, Chief Justice Roggensack noted that it was something not every sister would do for her brother.

    He is headed to New York University for his LLM in tax law. “I love the law,” Paul said. “One more year of law school.”

    One Reputation

    Speaking to the new lawyers, Justice Annette Ziegler told them, “Decide today what your legacy will be.” She urged them to be honorable. “You only have one reputation,” she said.

    Above all, don’t let fear of failure prevent you from trying new things.

    “Embrace the opportunity that comes your way,” Justice Ziegler said.

    Shannon Green is communications writer for the State Bar of Wisconsin, Madison. She can be reached by email or by phone at (608) 250-6135.

    She also urged the new lawyers to give back to the community. “Make the world a better place because you are in it,” she said.

    State Bar President Robert Gagan of Green Bay urged the new lawyers to do pro bono work. “It’s been the best part of my practice.”

    Chief Justice Patience Roggensack told the new lawyers to “forget injuries, but never forget kindness.” She spoke of a quote attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt that she has on her office door: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

    “Dreams are really, really important,” Chief Justice Roggensack said.

    Visit the State Bar of Wisconsin on Facebook and Flickr for photos of this event; see the story in the June 3, 2015, issue of InsideTrackTM.

    The State Bar welcomes these new attorneys:

    Xheneta Ademi, Milwaukee

    David K. Anderson, Madison

    James Robert Ballard, Milwaukee 

    Alexander Beaudry, Glendale 

    Brynn Bemis, Milwaukee 

    Lucas P. Bennewitz, New Berlin 

    Erin Ella Block, Milwaukee 

    Christine M. Bohn, Mequon 

    Julia C. Bradley, Milwaukee 

    Brian Brockman, Milwaukee 

    Krista Brown, Winston-Salem, N.C.

    Joshua J. Bryant, Milwaukee 

    Jason Buckner, Janesville 

    Kelsey Burazin, Milwaukee 

    Michelle M. Cahoon, Milwaukee 

    John M. Calewarts, Green Bay 

    Kelly Cavey, Milwaukee 

    Stuart J. Check, Milwaukee 

    Rebekah Jo Cheslock, Milwaukee 

    Stephanie M. Chiarelli, Milwaukee 

    Paige Elaine Cole, Milwaukee 

    Lindsay Decker, Milwaukee 

    James William DeCleene, Milwaukee 

    Adam DeJulio, Milwaukee 

    David John DePeau, New Franken 

    Jillian Jean Dickson-Igl, Racine 

    Tristan Dollinger, Milwaukee 

    Elizabeth Louise Eddy, Milwaukee 

    Jenny Ek, Milwaukee 

    Ann E. Elmer, Oshkosh 

    Sarah A. Erdmann, Milwaukee 

    Mario D. Falsetti, Milwaukee 

    Laura L. Ferrari, Milwaukee

    James LeRoy Fields-Bowers, Milwaukee 

    Melissa J. Fischer, Hartford 

    Michael Fortney, Milwaukee 

    Leah Francour, Green Bay 

    Mindi Beth Friedman, Milwaukee 

    Derek Fulce, South Bend, Indiana

    Jared Steven Gamm, Appleton

    James Webster Gollnick, Milwaukee 

    Gerard Gosioco, Milwaukee 

    Joel M. Graczyk, Milwaukee 

    Jesse S. Graewin, Milwaukee 

    Whitney Hunter Hagemann, Milwaukee 

    Angela Harden, Milwaukee 

    Amy L. Heart, Milwaukee  

    Zachary Paul Hoff, Kaukauna 

    Kristin A. Hoffman, Batavia, Ill.

    Teresa M. Hoistad, Lisbon, N.D.

    Shannon Hurst, Milwaukee 

    Mary C. Huscroft, Milwaukee 

    Nolan A. Jensen, Slinger 

    Christopher Johnson Kradle, Milwaukee 

    Christle S. Jones, Milwaukee 

    Erin E. Kaprelian, Oshkosh 

    Michael Isaac Kessler, Jacksonville, Fla.

    Thomas R. Knight, New Berlin 

    Vincent S. Kurta, Oak Creek 

    Britteny Mae LaFond, Rhinelander 

    Elizabeth Nicole Larson, Milwaukee 

    Andrea Lau, Waukesha 

    Sean Lees, Milwaukee 

    Katherine Eileen Legel, Milwaukee 

    Danielle Joy LeMieux, Milwaukee 

    Tyler Leverington, Milwaukee 

    Porchia Lewand, Milwaukee 

    Mitchell David Lindstrom, Milwaukee 

    Breanne F. Lynch, Milwaukee 

    Samuel A. Magnuson, Milwaukee 

    Rachel Elizabeth Mather, Milwaukee 

    Avery J. Mayne, Milwaukee 

    Sean McDermott, Cedarburg 

    Bryant McFadden, Milwaukee 

    Angel G. Medina, Forney, Texas

    Zachary Mesenbourg, Mequon 

    Katherine E. Metzger, Milwaukee 

    Paul Adam Miller, Mequon 

    Katheryn Ann Mills, Milwaukee 

    Andrew J. Minten, Milwaukee 

    Netanya Shira Mintz, Skokie, Ill.  

    Danielle Nardick, Salem 

    Rebecca Lynn Nelson, Glendale 

    Amanda M. Nimmer, Milwaukee 

    Isioma Nwabuzor, Milwaukee 

    Elizabeth Anne Oestreich, Fond du Lac

    Colin O’Meara, Madison

    Nicole Marie Ostrowski, Milwaukee 

    Michael Anthony Quebbemann, Milwaukee 

    Nicole Rae Radler, Wauwatosa 

    Lauren Elizabeth Rosenbaum, Brookfield 

    Andrew Joseph Sanchez, Albuquerque, N.M.

    Abigael Jayne Schams, Milwaukee 

    Christina Schiek, Waukesha 

    Julia Schuster, Milwaukee 

    Katherine Seelow, Milwaukee 

    Katie Marie Shaw, Fredonia 

    Jessica Marie Simons, Milwaukee 

    William J. Simonsick, Milwaukee 

    Ashley Sinclair, Richfield 

    Peter J. Smiley, Mequon 

    Spenser Sotolongo, Milwaukee

    Althea Marie Speaks, Milwaukee

    Paul Gregory Staisiunas, Chicago, Ill.

    Dominic Stern, Fond du Lac 

    Alexandra K. Surprise, Madison 

    David Tamburrino, Wauwatosa 

    Philip Eric Thompson, Milwaukee 

    Claudia Andrea Tijerina, San Marcos, Texas

    Amanda J. Toonen, Green Bay 

    Alison Mae Tweddell, Milwaukee 

    Amanda J. Walsh, Cary, Ill.

    Derek J. Waterstreet, Milwaukee 

    Chelsea Weatherspoon, Milwaukee 

    Julia Catherine Westley, Waukesha

    Michael P. White, Milwaukee 

    Bryan Clayton Whitehead, Janesville 

    Lauren Lynn Wick, Milwaukee 

    Monica Ellen Young, Milwaukee 

    Jamie M. Yu, Mequon

    ​​

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