Just a few quick thoughts to keep you all posted on some of the things going on with the Division. First, we have been having very fruitful conversations about ways to re-energize our committee structure and simultaneously increase the number of opportunities for members to get involved in the Division. You will probably be hearing more about this from me and from President-Elect Jessica King in the next few months. 

Second, the YLD has launched its email list. We are all very excited about the prospect of using this tool for communicating and organizing.

Third, Law Day is coming!  For those who don’t know, May 1 is Law Day, and it is generally our biggest public service project of the year. We will be sending lawyers into classrooms to discuss the importance of the law. If you are interested in helping us on an incredibly rewarding event, please contact Jill Kastner.

I want to renew my pitch for getting involved with this Division, or with the State Bar as a whole. You may have seen the flier in your Inside the Bar newsletter about committee assignments. While the March 31 deadline has passed, I have it on good authority that you can still submit an application. The State Bar only succeeds when there are people willing to volunteer their time to ensure that we can keep doing the business that is important to its members and to the public. Go to the Leadership Opportunities page on WisBar. From there, you can learn about the various volunteer positions available, including estimated time commitment, and can fill out a Committee Volunteer Interest Form. 

Serving on a State Bar Committee is a wonderfully beneficial experience. Not only will get to learn more about the State Bar and have the opportunity to make connections with other Bar members who you might otherwise never meet, but you will be helping to demonstrate that young lawyers are interested, engaged, and committed to making the Bar the best that it can be. 

Finally, mark your calendars for May 7-9. The State Bar Annual Convention will be in Madison and in addition to our usual Friday CLE presentation, which this year focuses on building your client base, we will also have a presence at the Presidential swearing-in ceremony on Thursday night. You won’t want to miss it! 

It is also at the Convention, on Friday afternoon, that we will be holding elections for the Young Lawyers Division Board of Directors. If you are interested, I strongly encourage you to be there for the meeting on Friday afternoon. If you cannot attend, but are still interested in serving on the board, please contact one of the current board members. We hope to see you there!

As I’ve said before, this is the time to get involved – with the Division, or with the State Bar. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or any of the Division’s board members. The future is shaped by those who show up and participate, so let’s do it!

Fifty years ago President Eisenhower proclaimed the first Law Day a "day of national dedication to the principle of government under law."   In his proclamation, President Eisenhower declared that such a day" would afford us an opportunity better to understand and appreciate the manifold virtues of such a government and to focus the attention of the World upon them.”

President Eisenhower challenged us to promote and participate in the observance of Law Day. In keeping with that spirit, the Wisconsin State Bar Young Lawyers Division (YLD) encourages each of you to celebrate this enduring principle during the 50th anniversary by participating in its Law Day program.

Lawyer Volunteers in the Classroom: This year, on May 1st, the State’s YLD will celebrate Law Day by sending attorney volunteers into classrooms throughout the state to help educate students about our legal system and the legal profession. 

"It's a great opportunity for students to have a positive interaction with an attorney," said one of last year's participants. "Many of our young people have never met a lawyer and all they know about the legal system is what they see on TV. For others who have interacted with an attorney, many have done so under less than ideal circumstances."

That is why the YLD believes it is important for students of all ages in both public and private schools across Wisconsin to have the opportunity to meet and ask questions of practicing attorneys. By doing this, students can gain a better understanding and appreciation of how the laws and the practice of law benefits them.

The Law Day Program:  On Law Day, each participating classroom will be visited by one or more attorney volunteers who will provide a brief, interactive presentation geared specifically for that age group.  The attorney volunteer then engages the students in a question and answer session regarding the legal system and what it is like to be a lawyer.  Generally, the program lasts for one class period (about an hour at most schools, though the attorney volunteers are flexible).

Still Time to Sign Up More Classrooms: The YLD is hoping to get as much participation as possible from Wisconsin's schools. If you know a teacher who may want to sign up or learn more about the YLD's Law Day program, please email Jill Kastner.

We Need You to Volunteer: We are looking for lawyers across the state to volunteer their time for this program.  Ideally, we'd like to match up one or more attorney volunteers with every classroom that would like to participate. No special skills are needed. Very little preparation is required. The YLD (with the help of the ABA Law Day Program) has designed age-appropriate, interactive presentations that the attorney volunteer can use. 

If you want to learn more about volunteering an hour or so of your time on May 1st to spend with some eager students, please contact Jill Kastner.

We need your help to make this another successful year.

Law Day Planning Guide Online

The 2008 Law Day Planning Guide is now available for download. You can select products, prizes and Thank You gifts for your program when you visit the Law Day store!

The Young Lawyers Division (YLD) of the State Bar of Wisconsin is pleased to announce that it has added a new communications tool to the list of services provided to its members. The YLD has rolled out its newly created email list (e-list) which is intended to provide young lawyers from around the state with a means to communicate and draw on the experience of others. The primary purpose of the e-list is to give young lawyers the opportunity to openly discuss the issues unique to their practices.  The e-list is expected to be popular among to attorneys practicing in rural areas of the state who may not have access to the advice of more experienced colleagues.

The YLD Board projects that the e-list will be utilized by its members to share both information regarding particular practice areas as well as the experiences of young lawyers as they  progress through the various  phases of their careers from newly hired associate to partner. It is also envisioned that the e-list will function as a means to provide the YLD membership with information regarding CLEs, public service projects, employment opportunities and YLD-sponsored events.

"We understand that organizations  are increasingly turning to e-lists to promote and facilitate information sharing and communication across a geographically diverse membership," commented Board member Nick Vivian. "With the launch  of the e-list, we hope to connect lawyers in Superior and Madison, Green Bay, Milwaukee, LaCrosse and Wausau. Young lawyers across the state will benefit from the knowledge and experience of their colleagues."

Collectively, the Young Lawyers Division is comprised of more than 5,000 attorneys who are either under the age of 36 or in the first five years of practice.  "In the information age of Blackberrys and  laptops, it's second nature for young lawyers to email  a quick question to their YLD counterparts rather then to conduct what may result in timely research. Many YLD members already participate in other State Bar-sponsored e-lists. However, many find it intimidating to actual post questions. The YLD e-list will be user friendly and will promote the free exchange of ideas unique to the young lawyer experience," said Vivian.

The Young Lawyers Division Board is interested in your comments on how it can better communicate with its members throughout the state. Please feel free to email all comments to Nick Vivian.

A Board of Governors (BOG) meeting was held on February 29, 2008. YLD Past President Amy Wochos represented the YLD as a voting member. At that meeting, the BOG took the following actions, among others:

1. Failed to approve a motion to amend the Keller dues reduction amount to include the costs of the public image campaign. Approved by voice vote a motion to approve the proposed Keller dues reduction amount.
2. Unanimously approved by voice vote a motion that “resolved that the State Bar of Wisconsin strongly supports the preservation of the attorney-client privilege and work product doctrine as essential to maintaining the confidential relationship between client and attorney required to encourage clients to discuss their legal matters fully and candidly with their counsel.” This was in response to an ABA request to take a public policy position on S. 186, the Attorney-Client Privilege Protection Act.
3. Approved by voice vote amendments to the Nonresident Lawyers Division bylaws.
4. Approved by a 27-9 roll call vote the request of the Government Lawyers Division to file an amicus brief with the Wisconsin Supreme Court on behalf of the division in Watton v. Hegerty.
5. Approved by voice vote a motion to table a motion to terminate State Bar involvement with the Wisconsin Judicial Campaign Integrity Committee and other actions. Approved by voice vote a motion that the Board of Governors ratifies the action taken by the president (of the State Bar) regarding the creation of the Wisconsin Judicial Campaign Integrity Committee.

Two Hot Topics Presented at the ABA YLD Midyear Meeting in Los Angeles, February 7-10, 2008

The ABA YLD House of Delegates had the hard task of voting on resolution 113, which considers the sufficiency of a law school’s bar passage rate as an accreditation requirement, at this year’s Midyear meeting in Los Angeles, California. The Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar brought the resolution to the House of Delegates. One of the clauses within the resolution states that “the school must report bar passage results from as many jurisdictions as necessary to account for at least 70 percent of its graduates each year.” Another topic that interests young lawyers is diversity. ABA entities met to talk about ways to ensure retention of diverse young lawyers.

• Read more about Resolution 113 and news from the ABA Midyear Meeting that impacts you

FEATURES

By Jill Kastner, YLD Public Service Co-Chair

Is there really a need for pro bono services in rural Wisconsin? If you didn't know that the answer is a resounded “YES” you haven't been paying attention to the findings of the Access to Justice Report and you certainly haven't talked to Jamie Kratz-Gullickson, our featured attorney.

“People may not know of the need,” said Jamie, who is a member of the Legal Assistance Committee of the State Bar. “That's why we are trying to educate them . . . and hoping attorneys will volunteer their time” particularly with project’s like the State Bar’s Just Take Two Program.

Although stories focusing on the unmet legal needs of the poor in the inner cities often get more press, the need is just as great (if not greater) in rural Wisconsin.  That is why attorneys, like Jamie, are working hard to help meet those needs. 

Jamie works as the Legal Advocate for People Against a Violent Environment (PAVE) in Dodge County, a non-profit organization aimed at helping victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. In this role, Jamie helps victims by providing legal information (particularly on restraining orders and family law issues) helping to connect them with community resources (housing, job searches) and just dealing with personal crises. Although Jamie works with a dedicated staff at PAVE, they can always use more attorney volunteers willing to take on cases.

“We just don't have a lot of attorney volunteers,” says Jamie, often because “many local attorneys are solo practitioners or with small firms” and need to be very focused on running their businesses. Jamie also thinks some may not want to volunteer for domestic violence cases because they are afraid of getting crisis calls and “dealing with a lot of non-legal problems.” Jamie’s position at PAVE allows her to deal with crisis calls so that the attorney volunteers can focus on the legal issues.

Pro bono and public interest work is an integral part of Jamie's life. Even before graduating from Marquette Law School in 2002, Jamie was an active volunteer with the Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WCADV).  She has also taken cases for the Immigrant Project of Wisconsin. Last year, Jamie participated in the Young Lawyers Division's (YLD) successful Law Day Program. As part of Law Day, Jamie helped educate school kids about our legal system and the legal profession.

Jamie's volunteer work isn't limited to the legal arena. Jamie has also coached youth sports  for the YMCA, is part of the Master Gardener Volunteer Program in Dodge County and, as a proud mom, is a member of the Parent-Teacher Organization at her daughter’s elementary school. 

For information about PAVE or how you can volunteer, visit www.peopleagainstaviolentenvironment.com  or contact (920) 887-3810.

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Fitzgerald Addresses Treatment of Jurors in Fairchild Lecture

By Karen Siettmann, UW Law School Liaison

Patrick J. Fitzgerald, whose work as special prosecutor probing the leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame’s identity drew national attention, will deliver the annual Thomas E. Fairchild Lecture at the UW Law School on Friday, April 18.

Fitzgerald’s lecture, titled “Thoughts on How the Legal System Treats Jurors,” will be held in Room 2260 at the Law School at 4 p.m.

Fitzgerald tackled volatile, high-profile corruption, mob and terrorism cases, earning a reputation as a thorough and relentless prosecutor. In the Plame case, Fitzgerald’s work led to the conviction of I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby on perjury and obstruction charges.

Fitzgerald took part in the prosecution of Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman and several associates who participated in a conspiracy that involved the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center and plots to bomb several other New York City landmarks and assassinate Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

Additionally, Fitzgerald won convictions against four defendants in the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, which claimed the lives of 224 people. He also indicted Osama bin Laden as part of a terror conspiracy that included those embassy bombings.

As U.S. attorney in Chicago, Fitzgerald has also supervised the continuing public corruption investigation known as Operation Safe Road. Begun in 1998, the operation has resulted the convictions of more than 70 defendants, including former Illinois Gov. George Ryan.

The Fairchild lecture was established in 1988 at the UW Law School as a tribute to Fairchild, a 1937 graduate and former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice. Fairchild later served as chief judge and was a senior circuit judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Due to limited seating capacity, reservations for Fitzgerald’s lecture are required. Make your reservation online.

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Law Suit Drive in Full Force for 2008

By Stacia Conneely, YLD Board Member

The YLD will again be accepting donations to the Law Suit Drive at the State Bar’s Annual Convention. The Law Suit Drive is the YLD’s ongoing service project, wherein used professional clothing is collected and donated to those in need of clothes for job interviews or other formal events. In the past, donations have been given to various non-profits in the state, including:

• Community Action Coalition of South Central Wisconsin,
• Head Start New Home Program in Madison,
• Salvation Army Homeless Shelter in Madison,
• Office of the State Public Defender in Madison,
• Rock Assembly of God Church clothing closet in Janesville,
• Neighbor’s Place in Wausau,
• Milwaukee Women’s Center,
• Repairers of the Breach in Milwaukee,
• and the Bottomless Closet in Milwaukee.

We were excited by last year’s donations at the State Bar Annual Convention of over 275 suits and other pieces of professional clothing. To help make sure this year’s Law Suit Drive is as successful, bring your used professional clothing to the Annual Convention and drop it off at the Law Suit Drive booth.  

Thank you in advance for helping make the Law Suit Drive a continued success. Feel free to contact Stacia Conneely for more information or to refer a recipient site. She can be reached at (608) 256-3304.

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LOCAL BAR NEWS

Dodge County Bar Association Update

The Dodge County Circuit Court is going to be experiencing some changes in the near future. With a new branch being adding and Judge Klossner’s retirement, half the bench is about to change. The Dodge County Bar Association is recognizing these changes by sponsoring a Circuit Court Forum at the Beaver Dam High School so that members of the community can ask questions and get information about the candidates.

The local bar association is also making an attempt to revive Law Day in Dodge County. On May 1, 2008, some members plan to present educational programs at local schools to better education students on this year’s topic “The Rule of Law.”

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Milwaukee Young Lawyers Association (MYLA)

MYLA performs charitable and educational activities for the Milwaukee community, advances the professional education and welfare of young lawyers, promotes fellowship between young lawyers and members of the Bar as a whole, advances the standards of the legal profession and the administration of justice and promotes the general welfare of the community.

For the remainder of the 2007-2008 MYLA year we have the following activities planned, inter alia:

1. Law Day 2008
2. CLE opportunities
3. Social Events
4. Annual Meeting

If you want to learn more about MYLA and our upcoming events, you should visit the MYLA Web site or contact MYLA’s President, Jonathan A. Gruhl, at (262) 785.9606 for more information.

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MEMBER SERVICES

CLE Corner

Mark your calendars for May 9, 2008 at the 2008 State Bar Annual Convention, held at the Monona Terrace Convention Center in Madison.

Build Your Book of Business: Tips for Building Your Client Base

Presented by:

• Atty. Steven R. Kohn, Kohn & Smith Law Offices, Milwaukee
• Atty. James S. Swiderski, Weiss Berzowski Brady LLP, Milwaukee

Get tips on how lawyers, particularly newer lawyers, can develop and grow their client base.

More information

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Email the editor, Isa Gonzalez-Zayas, at Isa.Gonzalez-Zayas@milwcnty.com. Young Lawyers News is published by the State Bar of Wisconsin, 5302 Eastpark Blvd., Madison, WI, 53718-2101, http://www.wisbar.org/divisions/yld, (800) 728-7788.

To update your email address for all State Bar electronic communications and the Wisconsin Lawyer Directory, email service@wisbar.org or call (800) 728-7788.

© 2008, State Bar of Wisconsin