Israeli Attorney Is 1st Foreign Law School Grad to Become Wis. Lawyer, Under New Rule
An Israeli attorney who earned her law degree from Bar Ilan University Law School in her home country is the first graduate of a foreign law school to win admission to the Wisconsin bar under a new rule that no longer requires graduation from an American Bar Association-accredited institution.
Deborah Opolion-Elovic was sworn in last month, following a ruling (PDF) last year by the state supreme court that graduating from an ABA-accredited law school is no longer mandated, recounts the State Bar of Wisconsin.
The court is working on a new rule that specifies the criteria under which foreign law school graduates can establish that they are qualified to take the Wisconsin bar. Meanwhile, Opolion-Elovic was granted a waiver.
“I’m very proud to be a member of the bar and hope to use my legal training and expertise to benefit those in my community,” says the new Wisconsin lawyer. Her practice focuses on real estate and estate planning matters, both in Israel and in Wisconsin.
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Wis. Supreme Court Upholds Bar Exam Waiver for In-State Law Grads”
