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Natural curiosity led Priebe to practice law

By: WISCONSIN LAW JOURNAL STAFF//February 16, 2009//

Natural curiosity led Priebe to practice law

By: WISCONSIN LAW JOURNAL STAFF//February 16, 2009//

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As a child, Catherine M. Priebe amazed — and occasionally annoyed — her parents with her favorite question: Why?

“I always wanted to know the reasoning behind everything,” laughs Priebe, who chairs the Trusts, Estates & Succession Planning Practice Group at Davis & Kuelthau S.C. in Milwaukee. It was her natural curiosity — not a family tradition of attorneys or TV lawyers — that led her to law school.

Priebe quickly emerged as a leader among Wisconsin’s estate planners after her 1994 graduation.

Among her career highlights, Priebe served on the D&K team representing the city in Maciolek v. City of Milwaukee Employe’s Retirement System Annuity and Pension Board, 2006 WI 10.

In that case, the Wisconsin Supreme Court held that, in the absence of an agreement between a holder of property and a person seeking its transfer, a holder may require compliance with the statutory provisions outlined in Wis. Stat. sec. 867.046(1m) to effect a transfer of the property, despite a marital property agreement with a “Washington Will” provision, intended to allow the direct transfer of property that would otherwise require probate.

It was a favorable ruling for her client, and shortly afterward, directly influenced by the case, the state Legislature amended the statutes at issue to make the summary disposition of assets easier.

Priebe has also been very active member with the Association for Women Lawyers throughout her career, serving on the Board of Directors and as president. Perhaps her best-known work with the group was overhauling its mentoring program, for which she received AWL’s 2008 Mentoring Award.

The Professionalism Committee had annually organized an event at Marquette University Law school to help students find mentors and learn more about real-world practice. Priebe changed its format — “so it’s almost like speed-dating” — where student small groups meet with attorney small groups, talking about topics such as substantive practice areas, the employment options, pro bono, etc. After a pre-defined, brief period of time, a bell rings and the students rotate to the next group.

Priebe’s passion for mentoring stems partly from the influence of her two mentors.

The first is Todd J. Mitchell, who introduced her to estate planning. “I felt really connected to the area. I saw how it could help people through a very difficult time”

The second is Dianne S. Cauble, a D&K colleague who chaired the Trusts and Estates practice group before her — “and taught me that career fulfillment goes much beyond just the billable hour.”

— Jane Pribek

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