President elected to the Fellows

On Jan. 25, Portland State University’s President Daniel O. Bernstine was recognized as a Fellow of the Wisconsin Law Foundation. The event took place in Milwaukee, Wis., with Bernstine in attendance.

The Fellows program acknowledges prominent members of the Wisconsin State Bar.

In a statement provided by Bernstine, the Fellows recognizes “certain individuals who have earned their status as a result of outstanding contributions to the profession, service to the public and earnest efforts to assist in the promotion and improvement of the justice system.”

Before Bernstine was appointed as the president of Portland State University in 1997, he was the dean of University of Wisconsin Law School. Bernstine served as the dean at University of Wisconsin Law School from 1990 to 1997.

Bernstine also received his LL.M from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1975.

The Fellows was organized to honor members of the State Bar of Wisconsin.

Fellows elected must be lawyers, judges or teachers of law who are known in the legal profession for outstanding achievement. Lawyers nominate their peers to be Fellows of the Wisconsin Law Foundation.

There are 20,000 lawyers who make up the membership of the State Bar of Wisconsin.

A nomination and invitation to join the Fellows is a “meaningful distinction.” The Fellows set the standard of excellence for all members of the State Bar of Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin Law Foundation Fellows is modeled after the American Bar Foundation.

According to the statement given by Bernstine, “the purpose of the Fellows is to assist the Wisconsin Law Foundation in carrying out its objective of making gifts to charitable or educational programs which promote public understanding of the law, improvement of the administration of justice or other law related public service.”

Members of the Fellows are required to provide personal and financial support to the foundation.