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  • InsideTrack
  • August 21, 2013

    Meet Aviva: New Ethics Counsel Expands Ethics Support to Members

    Aviva Kaiser, long-time U.W. Law School professor, is the State Bar’s new assistant ethics counsel. The State Bar ethics program provides a confidential forum for attorneys to discuss complicated ethical challenges they face every day.

    Aviva KaiserAug. 21, 2013 – Aviva Kaiser joined the State Bar as assistant ethics counsel in July. Kaiser spent most of the last 25 years educating U.W. law students about the Rules of Professional Conduct for Attorneys. As the State Bar’s new assistant ethics counsel, Kaiser brings that experience to State Bar members.

    Ethics Counsel Tim Pierce is delighted that Kaiser increases the State Bar ethics counsel team to a count of two. Since 2004, Pierce has staffed the State Bar Ethics Hotline, served as staff liaison on the Professional Ethics Committee, followed the activities of the Office of Lawyer Regulation, and advised State Bar members on legal ethics and professional conduct matters.

    Kaiser hopes to help strengthen the ties among the members, the bar, and the law schools. “The challenges in the practice of law today can be overwhelming, from the economic pressures to the rapid changes in technology,” said Kaiser. “I look forward to talking with our members and learning from them how we can best help them face these and other challenges.”

    “The State Bar Ethics Program provides attorneys a confidential forum to discuss complicated ethical challenges they face,” said Member Services Director Larry Martin. “Aviva is a wonderful addition to this very important member service, which strives to help our members be skilled legal professionals. The Ethics Hotline receives thousands of calls annually. With Aviva joining Tim, the State Bar will provide more timely responses to member questions, add new ethics materials to the WisBar Ethics webpage, and publish more ethics opinions annually.”

    While she will miss teaching and particularly her students, Kaiser will continue her role as an educator. She looks forward to meeting lawyers at ethics presentations throughout the state. She looks forward to rekindling old connections and finding out how her former students are doing.

    Kaiser also hopes she can find a way to encourage more student involvement with the bar. “While I certainly understand how busy students are, I would encourage them to attend State Bar of Wisconsin PINNACLE® seminars. Though they don’t earn CLE credits, attending seminars will offer them the opportunity to enrich their law school educational experience by exploring different subject areas and learning about the issues facing lawyers in their daily practice of law,” she said.

    About Kaiser

    Born and raised in a coal mining town in southwest Pennsylvania, Kaiser received her B.A. in Chinese from the University of Pittsburgh and her J.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo Law School. She clerked for the Hon. Louis B. Garippo in People v. John Wayne Gacy and clerked for the Hon. Maurice Perlin in the Illinois Appellate Court.

    Kaiser practiced law in Chicago before beginning her full-time teaching career at IIT Chicago/Kent College of Law. She came to the U.W. Law School in 1987, teaching professional responsibility and ethical and professional considerations in writing, problem solving, and risk management. Kaiser was the Legal Research and Writing Program Director from 1992 to 2002.

    Kaiser served as a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin Professional Ethics Committee from 2007 to 2013 and on the Encourage Placement of Minority Lawyers Committee from 1997 to 2004.

    Kaiser welcomes member calls; email her or call her at (608) 250-6158 or (800) 444-9404, Ext. 6158.


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