Cuzzo presents keynote at Minnesota Women Lawyers luncheon

From front, Kay Biga, current Northeastern Chapter Minnesota Women Lawyers Association Liaison member of Board of Directors, Maria Stalzer Wyant Cuzzo; back row: UW-Superior Legal Studies students Arabella Gigliotti, Edriana Dennard and Autumn Bass.

The Minnesota Women Lawyers Association has over 1,300 members across Minnesota

Woman lawyers often tell stories to support each other’s professional journey.  The Northeastern Chapter of the Minnesota Women Lawyers Association invited Maria Stalzer Wyant Cuzzo, professor of legal studies and program coordinator for the legal studies and criminal justice program at UW-Superior, to share her story as the first woman attorney in Douglas County, Wis., in 1984. The event occurred in Duluth on October 9, 2018.

Cuzzo used a copy of the front page Superior Telegram news story published on October 9, 1984, that featured her as the new 25-year-old, first-woman lawyer in town. She anchored her comments by quotes in that news story in a message titled “Messages to the Younger Me.” Some advice to other women lawyers included be yourself, do not compromise your identity as a feminist, be brave, be resilient and be gracious to all. Journalist Deb Krieg authored the original news story in the Telegram.

Three women legal studies majors – Arabella Gigliotti, Autumn Bass and Edriana Dennard – attended the event as guests. The students received positive advice from the women lawyers who attended this meeting.

“Women gathering with women has always been a key part of the mentoring and support system to provide mutual support and aid,” said Cuzzo. “When we tell our stories, we empower each other and ourselves.  Sharing those stories with young women in our profession ensures that the legacies will be preserved and remembered.”

The Minnesota Women Lawyers Association has over 1,300 members across Minnesota and plays an active role in Minnesota's legal community, providing a voice for women lawyers and working to advance the success of women attorneys and strive for a just society. Minnesota Women Lawyers salutes and offers its sincere gratitude to the women who have come before as guides and role models in the legal profession and in our communities.

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