Former Dane County Bar president remains active

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When Madison lawyer Teresa Kobelt was looking for a part-time job practicing law 15 years ago, after taking a few years off to raise her two children, she focused on proximity.

She applied to the firm of Haley Palmersheim SC, which was only three blocks from her front door.

The move stuck, and Kobelt has been there ever since, now working as a full-time business lawyer.

While her commute has quadrupled – she now lives a mile away from the office – Kobelt, 50, said she knows she was in the right place at the right time those many years ago.

Though Kobelt will soon be an empty nester – her oldest son is about to head to college and her daughter is set to graduate from high school next spring – she has plenty to keep her busy beyond her practice.

She is an active member of the Dane County Bar Association, where she served as president from 2008-09. One of her ongoing objectives with the group is raising money to restore original artwork, including several composites of DCBA members dating back to 1939.

Kobelt took time to reflect on her career in this week’s Asked & Answered.

Wisconsin Law Journal: If you could develop one CLE course for credit, what would it be about?

Teresa Kobelt: I can’t think of anything that isn’t offered already. I’ve attended the Solo and Small Firm conference, and I’ve found the sessions on law office efficiencies, technology and client development to be the best, most useful I’ve ever encountered.

WLJ: What was your least favorite course in law school and why?

Kobelt: It was a lesson in details I will never forget. The professor had the class read a novel as part of the course, primarily because he thought it depicted the topic so well. We never really discussed it in class, but the final was one sentence, based entirely on that book. Thank god I had read it, but many in the class hadn’t. They just got up and left.

WLJ: What do you consider your biggest achievement to date and why?

Kobelt: Serving on the board of the Dane County Bar Association, including my year as president. I have tremendous respect for the DCBA as an organization and for all the people on the committees who work so hard to make things happen, not only for the lawyers in Dane County, but also the public.

WLJ: What is the one luxury item you cannot live without?

Kobelt: I’ve gotten pretty attached to my Blackberry.

WLJ: What is one thing attorneys should know that they won’t learn in law school?

Kobelt: Participate in bar events, and make an effort to get to know as many of the lawyers in your region as possible. There are a lot of really terrific people who you may otherwise never meet, because they practice outside your field. It also pays dividends in building your practice, and you’ll feel like you are part of a community.

WLJ: What is the first concert you went to?

Kobelt: When I was about 10 years old, my mom took my sister and me to see Donny Osmond. I thought that was pretty cool of her.

WLJ: If you could trade places with someone for a day, who would it be and why

Kobelt: George Clooney’s next girlfriend. No explanation needed.

WLJ: What is your motto?

Kobelt: It’s a quote I really like, attributed to John E. Southard: ‘The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you.’

WLJ: What is your favorite movie about lawyers or the law and why?

Kobelt: “A Civil Action.” It really demonstrates how some lawyers put everything on the line for their clients. I doubt there are many clients who give any thought to what their lawyers might be going through.

WLJ: If you hadn’t become a lawyer, what career would you have chosen?

Kobelt: I’m becoming increasingly concerned about the environment and climate change. I think as a nation we need to focus on finding alternative, cleaner energy sources. I probably wouldn’t make much of a scientist, so I’d likely be working on securing funding to support the research.

Jack Zemlicka can be reached at [email protected].