travel

Matt Woleske (2015-16)

Justice Abrahamson, working at a paper-strewn desk

As so many others have said, the Chief (and though she had been recently removed from that position by constitutional amendment, that was always what I called her) worked incredibly hard. So much so that I remember realizing at one point that she and I had surely spent more hours together that year than she’d spent with Seymour, even including time they were asleep. Most of our time together was spent in the law clerk’s office, her office having long ago been given over to the tremendous volume of papers, books, trinkets, and awards she’d accumulated over the years. She sat at […]

While I was clerking for the Chief, the state constitution was amended to enable the justices to elect their chief. They day after the election, there was a vote, and the Chief was no longer the Chief (though naturally we still called her “Chief” and even answered the phones that way). She did not show even a hint of sadness or frustration in response to this unprecedented event. Instead she filed a lawsuit and said to whoever called her cell, “They gave me lemons and I’m making lemonade.” Her reaction that day was a good summation of her personality — […]

Joanne Lin, smiling, next to Shirley Abrahamson

Twenty-six years after my clerkship, it’s the small things I remember, including: The power of red grapes: I didn’t know that they were Shirley’s secret manna. How many nights and weekends did we together feed on those little red things, which kept us going…

Justice Abrahamson and Megan Ballard at Angkor Wat in Cambodia

This is a photo from the wedding that Shirley performed for me and my husband, Greg Boyer, in Madison on June 28, 2002. (When I suggested swapping “husband and wife” in our minimal vows for “partners,” she admonished that the statute – providing the citation off the top of her head – required “husband and wife.”)

My work requires a lot of writing, and my ability to write well and quickly is recognized and valued in my organization. As others have said, I learned how to write during my clerkship. I also got inspired to travel to places I would never have imagined going. I’m grateful for both of those things!

David Jacobs wearing a blue sweater over a white collared shirt is standing next to Justice Abrahamson who is wearing a purple top.

My memories – Still maybe the best job ever, and a boss I will always admire greatly. I learned lessons that I have passed down to many of the interns and attorneys who have worked for me. I was reminded that “We must thoroughly address every party and every argument” after I failed to address an argument in a pro se brief based on the Declaration of Independence.

Matt Woleske (2015-16)

Megan Sanders (2014-15)

Joanne Lin (1997-98)

Megan Ballard (1994-95)

Gabrielle Lessard (1992-93)

David Jacobs (1991-1992)