State Bar program brings legal clerk to local law firm

A pilot program that seeks to address a shortage of attorneys in rural communities has brought Justice to Medford, at least for the summer.

Appleton native and UW-Madison Law School Student Justice Moore, 23, is getting first-hand legal experience as a law clerk at Jensen, Scott, Grunewald and Shiffler Law Firm as part of the Rural Clerkship Program sponsored by the Wisconsin State Bar.

“The Rural Clerkship Program is an excellent effort by the State Bar of Wisconsin to expose law students to a rural Wisconsin law practice. There is a shortage of lawyers in rural areas especially in Northern Wisconsin. Our firm was excited to participate in the program. We are even more excited to have Justice join us in serving our clients. We interviewed many candidates to be our clerk this summer and she stood out immediately,” said attorney Bill Grunewald.

Moore recently completed her first year in law school and is hoping to gain experience of working in a rural community. She explained it has taken some adjusting to life here after having been living in Madison for the past several years attending UW-Madison for her undergraduate degree and then going into law school.

Moore explained that she knew she wanted to continue with her education after undergraduate and decided to go into law partly because she loves to read and write and felt these skills would benefit her in the legal profession. She said she learned about the new Rural Clerkship Program and applied for it.

“ I just wanted to see what are the areas of law are like that I could get into,” she said. He goal is to stay in Wisconsin and she noted that it is a huge reason why she selected UW- Law School because its graduates are waived from having to take the bar exam to practice in Wisconsin.

Jensen, Scott, Grunewald and Shiffler was one of the firms in the state that agreed to participate in the program to provide real-world work experience in a legal environment.

Moore went through an interview process with attorneys Bill Grunewald and Mike Shiffler and accepted the summer law clerk position.

“I just felt very connected to Bill and Mike. It just felt very right,” she said, explaining that she is considering doing rural practice when she graduates. She explained that there is a significant lawyer shortage in the state and that this is especially felt in rural areas.

She said a lot of people who get their law degree in Wisconsin are lured away to work in places like Chicago.

“Everyone deserves a lawyer and you should not be turned away just because there isn’t a lawyer available,” she said. For Moore, working this summer at Jensen, Scott, Grunewald and Shiffler is a chance to gain valuable experience which will help her determine if she would be interested in pursuing it after law school.

She began working at the firm on May 20 and will be there until August 16. She has primarily been doing legal research and as the summer progresses will sit in on meetings with clients and observing.

Moore said one of the benefits of having her clerkship through Jensen, Scott, Grunewald and Shiffler is that as a general practice firm, they do a wide range of legal practice. “I’m getting to see a lot of different areas,” she said, this will help her as she decides what areas of law to focus on as she goes through law school. She said she has an interest in estate planning, but does not want to restrict herself just yet and wants to see if there are other areas of civil legal practices she would enjoy.

Outside of work, Moore enjoys running. She ran cross country through high school and got back into it when she started law school as a way to have an activity outside of school. She is currently in training to run a half marathon in November.

“I needed something to just keep me going,” she said. She said that while it has been an adjustment to come to Medford after living in Madison, she said everyone has been very welcoming.

One of the challenges Moore has faced in her life is being born deaf. She received her first cochlear implant at age four and a second at age 11. She said that she has never allowed her disability to slow her down and is proud to serve as a role model for young people with deafness and hearing impairments. She said that she has benefitted from accommodations while an undergraduate but has had to lean on the Disabilities Club for support at UW-Madison in her first year at law school.

With a name like Justice, going into a legal profession doesn’t seem too farfetched. Moore’s older sister is named Liberty.

“My parents really wanted strong names for strong women,” she explained. Liberty, who is three years older, teaches deaf students.

“She works with little kids with cochlear implants,” Moore said, noting she moved to California last summer and is completing her first year of teaching deaf students there.

Moore said she is quickly adjusting to life in Medford. She has already attended a concert at the new Bandshell in the Medford City Park and has enjoyed checking out the local restaurants. She is looking forward to attending the Grass on the Black Bluegrass Festival while in Medford.

“I’m really excited about being here for the summer,” she said.

Justice Moore