Sworn In: A COVID Coup
VT Law Grads Make History in White River Junction
October 2022
White River Junction, VT — Back on July 14, 2021, in the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, when you couldn’t find a jury trial to watch for fun, there was a bright spot in the Windsor District Courthouse Building in downtown White River Junction. Late that summer afternoon, three graduates of the Vermont Law & Graduate School (VLGS) Class of 1992 met for a brief but significant moment.
One member of the VLGS Class of 1992, a Vermont superior court judge, administered the Oath for Admission to the Bar to his very own classmate to swear her in as a member of the Vermont Bar, while a third member of the same law school Class of 1992 looked on.
Windham County Superior Court Judge Michael Kainen administered the Oath to his VLGS classmate, Margaret Olnek. Olnek had moved back to Vermont from Colorado to join the faculty at VLGS. Joining them was this writer, Dave Celone, also a VLGS Class of 1992 graduate.
Mike, Margaret and Dave, were friends back in their law school days, and happily reconvened for this classmate-to-classmate swearing in ceremony for the Vermont Bar.
For the record, Judge Michael Kainen earned his master’s degree and JD from Vermont Law School. He is a superior court judge in Windham County. He also serves on the civil division of the Bennington County Superior Court. Kainen was appointed to the court by Gov. Peter Shumlin (D) on January 4, 2016. He served as state's attorney for Windsor County prior to his appointment to the court. He previously served as deputy state's attorney in Orange County and was an attorney in private practice.
Margaret Olnek earned her JD degree from Vermont Law School. She is an Assistant Professor of Law at Vermont Law & Graduate School. Olnek practiced law in Colorado for more than 20 years, returning to Vermont in 2018. She began a divorce coaching practice in 2017 and now has clients from coast to coast. According to her website at divorcecoachusa.com, Margaret is a professionally trained divorce coach and former family law attorney. She specializes in helping women who are struggling with a difficult spouse so that they can gain clarity, regain control, and make informed decisions about their future. She now coaches women dealing with parental alienation and other emotionally and financially stressful situations.
Finally, Dave Celone received his JD from Vermont Law School in 1992. Today he helps local non-profits thrive in his role as director of development & community relations for West Central Behavioral Health, the community behavioral health center serving the lower Grafton County (Upper Valley) and Sullivan County regions of NH. Dave previously worked as director of development at Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business. He owned and managed Long River Gallery & Gifts in White River Junction, and he practiced law in Vermont.
Dave Celone writes from Sharon, VT, where he remains awed by the autumnal colors on display at this October moment. Contact Dave by email at: djcelone@gmail.com.
