Clinical Experience Changes Lives
Warren Woessner ’81 and Iris Freeman hold a shared belief that clinical experience can change lives and professional paths.
Freeman’s own field placements as a social work graduate student “hooked” her and shaped 50 years of work. And Woessner’s path — from an uncertain chemistry student to biotech patent pioneer and law firm founder — was shaped by opportunity, mentorship and the freedom to reinvent himself. Their respective journeys inspired them to create the Warren Woessner and Iris Freeman Fellowship Fund for Public Service, which opens similar doors for students, ensuring they have the support to seize transformative experiences of their own.
The fund supports students pursuing public interest law, with a focus on family legal advocacy and victim services across the lifespan.
“We want to encourage students who may not see public interest law as a career objective to experience the rewards with a summer internship,” said Freeman. “We recognize that jobs in legal aid and the public sector are notably lower paid, and for students who are carrying a good deal of debt from their education, the problem is real. The summer internship provides an opportunity to become familiar and committed to careers in public service.”
One summer, one placement, one chance can alter a student’s entire career trajectory.
At least, that’s how it was for Freeman, whose background has been in elder care and elder abuse protection.
During her first year, Freeman had a front-line placement in a busy county hospital, giving her insight into areas like elder abandonment and exploitation, compounded by dementia. The second year, she was at the state health department with a field placement director wholly engaged in issues of family violence.
“She generously shared with me absolutely invaluable opportunities and experiences to work on issues affecting older clients and adults with disabilities,” Freeman said. “Those two field placements have had as much influence on my career as living with my grandparents growing up. We hope the fellowships we support are open doors and horizons. Certainly, for me, clinical and policy experience had an incalculable effect on my own career passions. I got hooked.”
Woessner’s path is a unique one.
He was a self-proclaimed “less than average student” who received a Ph.D. in chemistry from University of Wisconsin–Madison; he followed that with a postdoctoral fellowship in the School of Pharmacy and then work at a laboratory. When corporate changes at the office threatened his future in Madison, he made a pragmatic decision: enroll at University of Wisconsin Law School and pair his science degree with a J.D., focusing on patent law.
For Woessner, enrolling in law school marked a turning point.
The second oldest in his class, he developed the discipline he hadn’t cultivated earlier.
“I got better study habits and became the research and writing editor of the Wisconsin Law Review, which gave me experience in proofing and editing, both good disciplines for me to have,” he explained. “When I started law school, I knew it was time to get down to business.”
He became even more inspired to succeed after he received the highest grade in small group contracts.
“That was a bit inspirational,” he recalled. “I had never gotten anything like that before, so it made me want to work harder.”
The faculty at UW Law made it easy for students like Woessner to want to succeed, he said.
“Some of the professors certainly deserve shoutouts for being good with their students; getting to know them and helping them work on opportunities,” he said. “Many of my professors were great, and the few times I went back after graduation, I visited them.”
“(Iris and Warren’s) commitment to supporting the next generation of public service lawyers is inspirational.”
After graduation, Woessner went on to help build a biotechnology-focused intellectual property practice. He secured groundbreaking agricultural biotech patents and co-founded what became one of the largest non-litigation intellectual property firms in the country.
As his career flourished, Woessner never forgot the second chance and momentum he discovered at UW Law — a transformation that ultimately inspired him and Freeman to give back to his alma mater.
“My heart is with UW Law School,” he said. “I’m a double Badger, and both my parents graduated from UW, so it was an easy decision.”
Both Woessner and Freeman have dedicated much of their lives to service. Their generosity, which extends to other opportunities at Freeman’s own alma maters, is driven by many factors, including the reward of seeing younger generations pick up the mantle.
“We’re very dedicated to our schools and to enabling students in a tough economy to have the opportunities we had,” said Freeman. “Both Warren and I are in fields that are on the newer ends of the spectrum of law and policy. Young people entering the field have the opportunity to shape their professional fields of practice and build history. It is beyond clear that these problems won’t be solved in our lifetimes. So, there is both great reward and promise in whatever we can do to introduce students to these fields and to the feeling of purpose we have each had in our careers.”
UW Law is grateful to Woessner and Freeman for their investment in future generations of Badger lawyers.
“Their commitment to supporting the next generation of public service lawyers is inspirational, and we couldn’t be more appreciative for their support,” said Olivia Staruck, associate director of development.
