Basting sworn in as 52nd State Bar of Wisconsin president.

• Author: Zemlicka, Jack

Byline: Jack Zemlicka

Kitchen jokes, timely quips and definitive goals highlighted the swearing-in ceremony for Thomas J. Basting Sr., the new State Bar of Wisconsin president. Basting was sworn in as the 52nd president by Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson at the Mid-west Express Center on May 10. He will succeed Steven A. Levine and begin his one-year term on July 1, 2007. "It's a privilege to be elected to this position, but it's not about me, it's about the goals of the Bar," said Basting, who is with Midwest Mediation, LLC, in Madison. Prior to Basting taking the oath of office, Abrahamson wryly asked him to clarify the pronunciation of his last name, to which he replied, "like what you do to a turkey." "I don't cook" deadpanned Abrahamson, who went on to praise Basting's four decades of legal expertise, and recent involvement in several State Bar committees which successfully revised the code of professional responsibility and the trust account rules. Basting's objectives were crystal clear as he pledged development of legal needs recommendations for the poor, consumer protection from unqualified legal representation and judicial campaign reform. A staunch supporter of the recent "justice gap" study released in February, Basting was encouraged, but not yet satisfied with the evolution of the proposals adopted by the Board of Governors on May 8. "I'm going to do everything I can to make sure this program moves forward in the next year," said Basting, who suggested Wisconsin look at neighboring states for inspiration. Each of the states surrounding Wisconsin contributes significantly to legal services for the poor. "Wisconsin contributes zero," said Basting. "Families should not be done harm by the hand of our legal justice system ... it's time to step up like our sister states." Basting noted that Gov. Jim Doyle's budget has proposed $1 million for legal services and the incoming State Bar president hoped that number would increase biennially. Peripheral to increasing access to justice, Basting is supporting measures to improve public protection as well. In the coming months, a State Bar petition will be submitted to the Supreme Court for adoption of rules defining the practice of law and creating an...