Mabel Watson Raimey

Recently a friend lent me a wonderful book, More than Petticoats: Remarkable Wisconsin Women, by Greta Anderson.* The book biographies a number of notable Wisconsin women, but the biography that stood out the most to me was of Mabel Watson Raimey.

Mabel Watson Raimey was the first African-American woman to attend Marquette University Law School. (117) She worked during the day and went to law school at night. (117) She was the first African American female lawyer in Wisconsin, entering the profession in 1927. (118)

Ms. Raimey went to law school a few years after she was fired from her job teaching elementary school in Milwaukee: she was let go on the third day of school after school officials learned of her race. (114-15) Ms. Raimey had been a distinguished student before entering the teaching profession. (116) She graduated from West Division High School at fourteen and obtained an English degree at the University of Wisconsin. (116-17)

Continue ReadingMabel Watson Raimey

The Law in Shakespeare’s Works

Last Friday I had the pleasure of listening to an interview on WPR with Stephen Marche, author of the book, How Shakespeare Changed Everything.*

During the interview, Mr. Marche talked about how many English words were first used by Shakespeare.  Lawyers can thank Shakespeare for words like “negotiate”, “compromise”, and “circumstantial”.** The conventional wisdom is that Shakespeare invented those words, although Mr. Marche acknowledged that Shakespeare may really have been the first person to write down words that were already in use at the time.  (I think the latter may be more likely, although I do not claim to be an expert on this matter.)

The interview got me thinking about references to the law in Shakespeare.  A quick search online referred me to a 2009 conference at the University of Chicago Law School on “Shakespeare and the Law.”  Another quick journal and law review search on Westlaw showed a number of references to Shakespeare.

Do any of our readers have a favorite Shakespeare passage or play?  What are your thoughts on Shakespeare and the law?  What influence, if any, has Shakespeare had on the public’s view of the law and lawyers?  Did Shakespeare use legal concepts correctly in his plays?  Do you think that Shakespeare really coined all the words for which he is credited?  Is there anything that lawyers can learn from reading Shakespeare?

I very much look forward to reading Mr. Marche’s book.

Continue ReadingThe Law in Shakespeare’s Works

Jenkins Competitors Win Finals

Please congratulate the winners of the 2011 Jenkins Honors Moot Court Competition:  Susan Barranco and Kyle Mayo.  Congratulations also go to finalists Matthew Hall and Nicholas Zepnick.

Sue and Kyle received the Franz C. Eschweiler Prize for Best Brief. Sue received the Ramon A. Klitzke Prize for Best Oral Advocate.

Special thanks to the judges of the final round: the Honorable Carolyn Dineen King, the Honorable Barbara Crabb, and the Honorable Patricia Gorence.

We are also very grateful for the assistance of the semifinal round judges: the Honorable Lisa Neubauer, the Honorable Paul Reilly, the Honorable Michael Bohren, the Honorable Donald Hassin, the Honorable Dennis P. Moroney, and Attorney Kent Tess-Mattner.

Finally, thank you to the numerous preliminary round judges and brief graders. The time and support of all of our judges is greatly appreciated.

Continue ReadingJenkins Competitors Win Finals