Last weekend, together with a number of colleagues (including Professor Emeritus James D. Ghiardi and Professors Irene Calboli and Thomas J. Hammer), I attended the Justinian Society’s annual Columbus Day dinner. The society consists primarily of Italian-American lawyers and their families and meets at the Third Ward’s Italian Community Center (which, former Milwaukee County Circuit Court Chief Judge Patrick T. Sheedy, L’48, once remarked, might well have been the “Irish Community Center,” if it had not been for the Lady Elgin disaster in 1860). The evening included the Justinian Society’s honoring our colleague, Professor Daniel D. Blinka, with its annual “Jurist of the Year Award.” The award was presented by Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge John J. DiMotto, with citations also presented by Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson and current Milwaukee County Circuit Court Chief Judge Jeffrey A. Kremers. One who does not know Prof. Blinka can get a sense, from this outline of Judge DiMotto’s remarks, of the remarkable way that Prof. Blinka devotes himself to teaching, scholarship, and service (see also this article from a previous alumni magazine). It was a privilege to be at the event, as well as to be Prof. Blinka’s colleague.

Last week’s highly successful Legacies of Lincoln conference at the Law School, co-sponsored by the History Department, generated much praise and many compliments from both participants and the audience.  For those unable to attend as well as those hungering for more insights about Lincoln, please visit the Law School’s website or consider attending the program described below.

On Saturday, October 10, 2009, the Wisconsin Lincoln Bicentennial Commission will commemorate the Bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth as well as the 150^th anniversary of Lincoln’s speech at the Wisconsin State Fair in Milwaukee on September 30, 1859. The keynote speaker for the event will be Orville Vernon Burton, emeritus professor of history at the University of Illinois and Burroughs Distinguished Professor of Southern History and Culture at Coastal Carolina University.  His most recent book is The Age of Lincoln.  

The Program will be held in Memorial Hall at the Milwaukee War Memorial Center from 11 am to 12:30 pm.  Members of Wisconsin’s 1st Brigade Band will perform Civil War period music beginning at 10:30 am.