The YLD received a Special Recognition Award of Achievement from the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division at the ABA Annual Meeting held this past August.  The award was in recognition of the Wisconsin YLD’s 2007 Law Day project.  On Law Day, the YLD sent approximately 40 young lawyers into local classrooms in several counties.   The project also included a 16-page newspaper insert regarding Separation of Powers, distributed by Gannett Publishing in its Wisconsin newspapers.  The insert was distributed to approximately 250,000 households.  The award is on display at the State Bar Center.

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I wanted to take a few moments to let you know about some of the things the Young Lawyers Division is working on for this year, and how you might be able to get involved.  First of all, we are working on developing a new public service program this year, which will focus on estate planning for first responders and military personnel. The program is called “Wills for Heroes” and while we are still working on the details, the general idea is that we will provide CLE programs on preparing simple wills for individuals willing to commit to doing one for a qualified individual.  Keep watching this space for further information as it becomes available.

Second, we are intending to develop new electronic means of communicating and organizing.  To that end we are hoping to get an email list up and running within the next six months, which will allow young lawyers to seek advice and answers to questions which they might not feel comfortable asking of a senior partner.  There are also some ideas being kicked around about a YLD blog.  We are also looking into putting together a database of pro bono/public service opportunities, so that those so inclined will have somewhere to go to see what needs to be done.

Speaking of which, I just want to remind everyone about the opportunity to help out flood disaster victims.  Thank you to everyone who has already stepped up, and if you haven’t but are interested, see the State Bar’s WisBar Web site or contact Jeff Brown at the State Bar (800) 444-9404, ext 6177, or (608) 250-6177.

Finally, mark your calendars for May 7-9, 2008.  The State Bar’s Annual Convention will be in Madison and the Young Lawyers Division plans to have more of a presence than ever before.  Stay tuned for all the exciting details.  You won’t want to miss it!

As you can see, we have a number of things in the early planning stages for what promises to be a very exiting year.  Keep watching this space, let a board member know if you see something you want to work on immediately, and don’t forget that this is the year to get involved.

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A Board of Governors (BOG) meeting was held on September 14-15, 2007.  YLD Past-President Amy Wochos participated as the YLD representative to the Board.  In addition to receiving reports on subjects such as the budget and administration, BOG discussed and voted on a number of issues.

BOG voted unanimously to approve a public policy position in support of restoration of federal funding for the nation’s child support program.  The federal budget included a dramatic decrease in funding for child support services, which could have the effect of reducing the staff and services of the child support program here in Wisconsin.

BOG voted unanimously in favor of an amendment to clarify language in proposed amendments relating to creation of a comity rule for continuing legal education under SCR 31.04 to be included in a petition to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The amendment would, generally, extend comity to those out-of-state bar members who comply with CLE requirements in the state they primarily practice in if those requirements are similar to Wisconsin’s requirements.

Unanimously approved a motion to support a public policy position in opposition to consolidation of state attorney positions into the Department of Administration. The Department had proposed consolidating state attorney positions that are currently housed in specific state departments into the Department of Administration.

Unanimously approved by a motion to support Supreme Court petition 07-05 amending SCR 32.09 regarding continuing education for judges.  The amendment does not change current practice, but attempts to resolve some ambiguity in the current rule.

The BOG next met on December 7, 2007. Those proceedings will be reported on in the next issue of YLD News. Questions regarding the Board of Governors and YLD’s role on it can be directed to Amy Wochos.

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This was my first American Bar Association Conference, and I was excited to go.  Admittedly, I really didn’t have any idea what to expect, aside from a lot of programs for a lot of lawyers.  As it turns out, I was correct in that there were a lot of programs and a lot of lawyers, but what I didn’t expect was the incredibly wide array of high quality programming offered at the convention.  I was also pleased to discover the collegial atmosphere.  This was clearly a conference for professionals interested in promoting and advancing the goals and visions of the ABA.

Throughout my time there, I was welcomed into the family of conference attendees, which only served to whet my interest about the ABA/YLD.  The enthusiasm of all the participants was infectious.  I attended the “Best Practices” seminar for YLD sections.  At that meeting, I learned about programs that were implemented by the Young Lawyers Sections around the nation.  Many of the programs would serve the young lawyers of Wisconsin, and I was excited to share these programs with the other members of the WisBar YLD Board members at our first meeting.

I also attended a program on cross-examination techniques.  As a new lawyer, it was a great experience for me to hear from the best and brightest of the profession.  The techniques they spoke about would translate, not only to my days in court, but also to my daily life. 

In addition to meeting fabulous people, and learning more about the innumerable opportunities offered by the ABA/YLD, I was also interested in its 2007-2008 Public Service Project, entitled “Wills for Heroes.”  The Wills for Heroes program provides free wills, living wills, and healthcare and financial powers of attorney to first responders and their spouses or domestic partners.  The ABA/YLD encouraged its affiliate members to bring this unique, much-needed program to their local first responders.  Currently, the program has been implemented in several areas around the nation.  We hope to bring the program to Wisconsin within the next couple years.

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One of the main attractions for young lawyers attending the ABA/YLD Annual Convention, is the events that occur during the Assembly session.  The ABA/YLD was fortunate to have Paula Boggs, General Counsel and Secretary of Starbucks Company, address the YLD.  Her talk to the Assembly was delightful and thought provoking for young lawyers. 

The other significant happenings during the Assembly were the passage of three resolutions drafted by young lawyers.  The first resolution sought to encourage all law schools to use audit and other non-degree programs already available under the ABA Standards for the Approval of Law Schools to encourage those from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds to attend law schools.  The second and third resolutions dealt with standards under which long distance continuing legal education is accepted.  The resolutions encouraged the elimination of any cap on the number of hours that individuals may earn from distance education and encouraged those states that do no accept distance education to accept them.  All three resolutions will be go before the House at the 2008 Midyear meeting in Los Angeles. 

Finally, outgoing YLD Chair Jay Ray turned the gravel over to incoming chair, Justin Goldstein for the 2007-2008 term.  It appears the ABA/YLD will have a busy year promoting the new public service project and continuing its great efforts to reach out to its affiliates.

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This year, Young Lawyers groups from around the Midwest held their Regional Conference in Deadwood, South Dakota – home of the wild west and resting place of Wild Bill Hickok.  Okay, so there were no shoot-outs (for the adventurous) or any 5-star hotels (for the pampered), but it was a great time and a great opportunity to network with other young attorneys.

For those who have never attended the Midwest Conference, it is an extended weekend (generally running Thursday evening to Saturday night) hosted every year by a different midwestern state.  In the mornings and early afternoons, there are often educational classes (CLEs) and/or programs where young leaders can learn about different public interest and pro bono programs being put on throughout the midwest and the nation.  This year, we learned about a Young Lawyers Division who helps members get referrals and answers to questions through a Young Lawyer ListServ.  We also learned about the Wills for Heroes program where lawyers are dedicating time to draft wills for first responders, volunteer fire fighters and other heroes in their community.  Your State Bar of Wisconsin YLD Board is working to implement similar programs.

All work and no play makes a very dull Young Lawyers conference, so the evenings are devoted to fun-filled networking opportunities.  In Deadwood, we socialized with other young lawyers while touring Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial.  We also had a great formal dinner in an historic mansion.

If you are interested in learning more about the Midwest or other ABA Young Lawyers Conferences, please contact us.

Growing up in Sheboygan County as a kid, I didn't know any lawyers.  No one in my family had graduated college, much less gone to law school.  If my family had needed legal advice, where could they go – other than the phone book – to find a good lawyer or seek legal advice? 

Today, we all know lots of lawyers and we know how to advise our family and friends when legal issues arise.  We always need to remember, though, that most people are not so lucky.  When faced with legal issues, most people need information on how to find a lawyer, what questions to ask, and how the process works.  The Lawyers Helping People program is working to protect families and people in need by providing that information.

The Lawyers Helping People program, run by the Family Resource Centers (FRC) of Sheboygan County, is designed and sponsored by the FRC and the Young Lawyers Division in 2001 to assist people in understanding and navigating the legal system more effectively.  It also helps people find appropriate legal assistance and educational resources.  

One part of that program is having a list of volunteer attorneys who are willing to field calls and provide some initial advice for people coming into the center.  These are confidential calls where the calls are placed by the FRC staff members and no names or contact information are shared. The program owes its success over the past  six years to the involvement of YLD members and other volunteer lawyers.

To keep it a success the YLD and the FRC need you!  To help out, all you need to do is sign up as a volunteer willing to take calls for certain areas of the law – from civil litigation to family law to estate planning to bankruptcy to landlord tenant issues to criminal law.  When a need arises, someone from the center contacts you, tells you a bit about the issues and asks if you'd be willing and have the time to take a call.  If you say yes, a time is scheduled for you to speak with the individual/s in need.  The individual will ask you questions about the legal issues and the process.  In my experience, this is generally no more than a 30 minute conversation.

For the lawyer volunteer, it's easy and a very small commitment of time.  For the person receiving the advice, it is a great benefit to have someone knowledgeable in the law willing to answer their basic questions and to help guide them.  The center also follow-ups by helping the person find legal counsel or resources, if needed, and helping them navigate the system.

Because the lawyer volunteer is contacted over the phone, the lawyer can be anywhere in the country to take a call.  Although the centers are located in Sheboygan County, many of its volunteer attorneys work and reside outside of Sheboygan County.

The YLD strongly encourages all of its members to sign up as a volunteer for this service.  For more information on how you can volunteer for the Lawyers Helping People program or to find out more about the Family Resource Centers of Sheboygan County, you can email frc@exel.net or call (920) 892-6706 or (920) 457-1888.  You can also visit the FRC of Sheboygan County Web site.

The mission of the Family Resource Centers of Sheboygan County, Inc, (formerly known as the Plymouth Every Child Coordinating Council, Inc. (PECCC, Inc.) is to encourage collaboration of resources for parents and professionals alike in order to enhance the quality of life for families in Sheboygan County. Our motto is to “build strong families and strong communities.”  The purpose is to help healthy families stay healthy, help families with questions find answers, and to help families who want to share ideas find each other. The Family Resource Centers of Sheboygan County, Inc. provide parenting education programs for families’ birth through the teen years and has two county locations, one in Plymouth and one in Sheboygan. It oversees approximately 60-90 different parenting programs, parent and child activities and support groups annually in addition to the Parents as Teachers home-visiting program. 

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The UW Law School Pro Bono Project is set to begin in this fall. Clinical Professors Marsha Mansfield and Ben Kempinen of the Law School’s Frank J. Remington Center, who developed the project with the help of several law students, plan a program to provide legal services to under-served members of the community by partnering students with local public service organizations and individual lawyers in varied practice areas. The project will begin with a small number of partnerships matching second- and third-year law students with local attorneys and legal service organizations, with the intention of expanding the number of students and attorneys involved in future years.

"Reaching out to under-served populations has long been a core interest of the University of Wisconsin Law School, reflected in its admission criteria, the range of clinical offerings, and the focus of many student organizations," Kempinen and Mansfield wrote in their proposal.

All work in the project is voluntary. Attorneys would receive no fee from their clients and students would receive neither pay nor credit for their work. Cases may be either referrals from local legal service organizations or existing pro bono matters for which a participating attorney seeks student assistance. Students will assist their partner organizations or attorneys up to ten hours per week and may participate for one or two semesters. Once a student is partnered with a participating lawyer on a project case the student can arrange his or her schedule and work location with the supervising attorney. The participating lawyer is the attorney of record in the case and will be responsible for supervising the student and reviewing their work.   For more information regarding participating in the program, please contact Kristin Davis at the UW Law School Career Services Office.

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In July, the YLD was happy to donate around 100 pieces of clothing to the Rock Assembly of God Church in Janesville.  It has a free clothing giveaway once a month on a Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. or as needed in emergencies.  The Rock Assembly filled the need of the Janesville community when the ECHO Annex closed, which was one of the few places for needy families to get free clothing.  More information can be found at http://www.therockag.org/ or by calling (608) 756-2232.

Donations of suits, dress shirts, khakis, polo shirts, or other casual wear are still needed and are always accepted at the State Bar Center in Madison.  Leave the clothing in the coat room on the first floor, under the YLD Law Suit Drive banner.  County bar associations, law firms, and other organizations are encouraged to conduct drives of their own, and the YLD will assist with collection and help the donations find a home.  For more information or to suggest a recipient organization, please contact YLD Board Member Stacia Conneely at (608) 256-3304.

In 2008, Cecelia Klingele (UW Madison Law School 2005) will have the opportunity to what many of us have only dreamed of doing – clerk for a Supreme Court Justice.  This great achievement, however, is not the reason why Cecelia is this quarter's featured attorney. 

Yes, Cecelia's academic credentials are excellent and she has distinguished herself as a clerk for Chief Judge Barbara Crabb of the Western District.  But, the reason we selected Cecelia is because while she was working hard and excelling at school and during her clerkship, she still took the time to give back to her community.

Community service "is just something I've always done," says Cecelia.  "I think it really helps to bring balance to our lives."

For five years during college and law school, Cecelia and her husband opened their home to poor and disadvantaged children by becoming foster parents in Dane County.  Eventually they adopted a special needs child and continue to care for him along with their four other children.  As if this weren't enough to keep her busy, Cecelia has also given her time: to mentor young women; to teach at UW Law School; and also to participate on the ABA's Committees on Sentencing and Corrections, serving on the  Corrections Committee's  Prisoner Health Care Task Force.   

"I went to law school because of my experience with the child welfare system," says Cecelia, who originally planned to be a guardian ad litem to help children in need.  As with most of us, however, law school opened Cecelia's eyes to other areas of law, including the criminal justice system" which has many similar problems as the child welfare system," says Cecelia. 

Cecelia encourages all young lawyers (and law students) to be active in their community. "Public service should enrich your life and not be a burden... . Find things that matter to you and do meaningful work," says Cecelia.  There is a great need for people willing to help for every major issue – from pro bono work providing legal services to the poor, to mentoring, to advocating for policy changes, to giving time to help those in need.

After graduating UW Law School in 2005, Cecelia clerked for Chief Judge Barbara Crabb of the Western District for two years.  This September, Cecelia began a one-year clerkship for Judge Susan Harrell Black of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in Jacksonville, Florida. After that, Cecelia will begin her work for US Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens.

For other young lawyers and students interested in clerkships, Cecelia encourages that they talk to other clerks before applying.  "It's a great opportunity to grow as a lawyer," says Cecelia, "and you certainly learn quite a bit."

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If reading Cecelia Klingele’s story has made you wish you had applied for a clerkship as a 3L, find relief in knowing that it might not be too late.  It is possible to apply for clerkships after graduating from law school.  There are not as many openings, but opportunities may arise because a vacancy opens up at an unexpected time or because a judge would rather have a clerk with a few years’ experience.

Both of Wisconsin’s law schools have information on clerkships on their Web sites.  The University of Wisconsin Law School has a webpage dedicated to finding post-graduate clerkships.  Marquette University Law School has a guide available to alumni and students on its Career Services page.  Also check out the information on NALP’s Web site for advice and suggestions on applying.

Greetings.  My name is Donald C. Dudley and I have been practicing law for 5 years.  I graduated from the Catholic University of America – Columbus School of Law in 2002.  Studying law in Washington, D.C. is an experience that is unique because there is no other place in this country where a student of the law or attorney can be exposed to such a wide range of experiences that can shape a lawyer.

I grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and graduated from Pius XI High School in 1994 and completed my undergraduate work in political science at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 1998.  I currently live in Wauwatosa with my wife, Alexia, and my daughter, Isabella.

I joined the Young Lawyer’s Division Board in 2007 with the hope of becoming more active within the State Bar.  I believe that young attorneys should give back to the community and work to show to the public that the legal profession is valuable to society with its members actively striving to make the community better each day. 

My practice areas focus on helping individual people face the myriad of obstacles in working with the court system.  I represent clients in criminal proceedings, guardianship matters, juvenile proceedings, and child custody hearings.  Each day I endeavor to provide a legal service to my clients that helps them obtain the best possible legal result and for the client to feel that he is not a faceless person running through the system but an individual person with unique legal issues and problems. 

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I was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and I went to law school the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  Wisconsin will always be my home, but for now I’m wreaking a little havoc defending insureds in Chicago. 

I joined the YLD Board because I wanted to keep close ties to Wisconsin, and I wanted to be proactive in volunteering my time to another organization.  I also hoped that a nonresident voice might bring another perspective to the table.

I hope that during my time on the Young Lawyers Division Board there will be even more collaboration between the many divisions and sections of the State Bar.  With so many people to meet and projects to implement, I look forward to an exciting and busy experience.  And I expect we’ll have some fun doing it!

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Hello!  I am so pleased to be part of the Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar of Wisconsin.  I am, indeed, a young lawyer and am exited to help others with the struggle and joy that comes with this title.

I was born and raised in Wisconsin.  I grew up in a small town north of Green Bay and I received my undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.  I headed west and received my law degree from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota.  Although I loved being in the Twin Cities, after graduating with my J.D. I moved back to Wisconsin and took an associate position with Bakke Norman, S.C. where I concentrate in litigation and work primarily in creditor work as well as family law and criminal defense.

I like to think that I bring a unique perspective to the board as I live and work on the western side of the state.  (Some people refer to this as " out-state" like it's some place in the boonies!)  Only myself and one other member of the board represent this area.  I hope to add value to the board by discussing issues and implementing strategies to assist the broader portions of the state.  I'm excited by what the board has accomplished thus far and look forward to what we can bring in the future.