Babe carries on family tradition in Pewaukee

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When Katie Babe opened her own practice, Lakeland Law Firm LLC, in 2008, she knew she wanted to be in Pewaukee, where her family has a lot of history.

Her grandfather, father and an uncle all have served for the Pewaukee Fire Department, and she has lots of family and friends there. As a child, Babe said, she would hang out at the fire station and go on calls sometimes.

“It didn’t seem strange that my father drove around taking care of people,” she said. “Only later did I found out that’s not the norm.”

Now, Babe, 29, takes care of the people in Pewaukee in a different way   — handling their legal needs.

“Everyone knows that, if they have a problem, they can call me,” she said, “and if I can’t help them, I’ll steer them to the right person.”

More than half her practice is criminal law, but Babe also has a mix of family law, estate planning, divorce mediation, guardianships and probate. While her practice is primarily local, she has represented clients as far away as Burnett County.

Babe is also active in the community, serving as secretary of the Sussex Lioness Club and raising money for special needs children.

— David Ziemer

What was your most useful law school course?

Not a course, but internships with Judges Lynn Adelman and Patricia Curley.

Who is your favorite Supreme Court justice?

Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson

If you hadn’t become a lawyer, what would you have done?

Earned a Ph.D. in communications

What is your favorite thing to do in Wisconsin?

Camping, we have a lot of great state parks here.

Who is your favorite writer?

Jeannette Walls

What is the first concert you went to?

In 4H Club, I went to see Sawyer Brown at the Waukesha County Fair.

What trait do you most like in others?

Honesty. In our line of work, if people are honest, it gives us the ability to help them.

What word in the English language do you wish you had invented?

Doppelganger

Which foreign countries have you visited?

Switzerland, Canada, Mexico, Germany, Austria and France

What is the most insane question you’ve ever been asked?

‘Is that really your last name?’