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  • July 21, 2021

    Annual Wisconsin Law Blogs: WisLawNOW Creates Blogging Community

    More than 40 blogs are now on WisLawNOW, creating content in different practice areas and providing timely information on legal developments. Are you on the list?

    Joe Forward

    typewriter

    July 21, 2021 – “I have a lot of opinions and a lot of things to say,” says attorney Stacie Rosenzweig, who launched a legal blog called Ethicking in 2019. “I wanted a place to say them that was more formal than ranting on social media.”

    Rosenzweig, an attorney with Halling & Cayo S. C., says her blog posts are a little snarky at times, a reflection of her personality. When talking about legal ethics, you have to get creative, she says. Rosenzweig often uses current events as a springboard.

    “A lot of the topics are generally applicable,” Rosenzweig said. “Sometimes I use those national events as a jumping off point for a more nuanced discussion about what would happen in Wisconsin or what lawyers need to watch out for.”

    Rosenzweig is just one of more than 70 active legal bloggers in Wisconsin. In the last year, more than 40 of them have joined WisLawNOW, hosted by the State Bar of Wisconsin.

    WisLawNOW, launched a year ago, is an online community for Wisconsin legal bloggers. The platform brings together member-generated content under a single website. The site allows bloggers to increase their reach and visibility with a hassle free way for readers to find and subscribe to blogs they may be interested in following.

    Stacie Rosenzweig

    “I have a lot of opinions and a lot of things to say,” says attorney Stacie Rosenzweig, who launched a legal blog called Ethicking in 2019. “I wanted a place to say them that was more formal than ranting on social media.”

    State Bar members can visit WisLawNOW to see the latest content published by Wisconsin legal bloggers on a daily basis, with easy navigation and search tools to locate blog posts on specific topic areas. Members also receive an email digest bimonthly with some of the best content featured in WisLawNOW.

    WisLawNOW is also accessible to the public, which may be searching for subject matter experts in a given practice area. The mobile friendly and responsive platform is helping Wisconsin law bloggers connect with other lawyers and the public.

    More than 700 Posts

    In the last year, WisLawNOW bloggers posted more than 700 articles on a wide range of topics, including continuing coverage of COVID-19 related issues and developments in other areas of law. From big firms to solo lawyers, these bloggers are churning it out.

    For instance, the Wisconsin State Public Defender’s (SPD) blog, On Point, featured more than 320 articles on criminal case decisions from Wisconsin’s appellate courts.

    The On Point concept has been going since the 1990s when former SPD attorney Bill Tyroler started an email digest, summarizing citable cases from the appellate courts. He would email the summaries as an alert to those who wanted to receive them.

    “He developed a following,” said SPD attorney Colleen Ball. “His writing was funny and he really had a tremendous command of the law.”

    In 2010, Ball approached him about creating a blog to replace the email format, since blogging was hot. They called it On Point, and Tyroler wrote the blogs for several more years. Now, Ball and SPD attorneys Jefren Olsen and Andrew Hinkel write all the blogs.

    “We were around 320 posts this year but we are typically over 400,” Ball said. “Court output on decisions was lower the past year because of COVID-19.

    “We track cases but also try to write posts on new law review articles or new studies when we can, things that can help readers.”

    The blog has about 2,000 subscribers. “Our intended audience was staff attorneys and private bar members who are representing the indigent,” Ball said. “Over time, we have acquired judges, court staff, and even legislators as followers.”

    Ball also has her hands in another blogging venture. With the help of a grant, Ball and Wisconsin Supreme Court Commissioner Nancy Kopp created the Lavinia Goodell: Wisconsin’s First Woman Lawyer blog, also on WisLawNOW, which “aims to secure her rightful place in history.” The posts tell the story of Lavinia’s life.

    “The grant is long past but Nancy in particular was determined to keep it going,” Ball said. “Believe it or not, we just came into 250 new letters between Lavinia and her family members that no one has ever seen, outside the family.”

    Colleen Ball and Nancy Kopp with portrait of Lavinia Goodell

    Colleen Ball (left) is one of three attorneys who contribute to the State Public Defender’s blog, On Point. In another blogging venture, Ball and Court Commissioner Nancy Kopp (right) blog about Wisconsin’s first woman lawyer, Lavinia Goodell.

    Building your Audience

    Rosenzweig, also a WisLawNOW contributor, practices law in the area of ethics, professional responsibility, and licensing across the professions, including the legal profession. She also practices election law has a unique writing style that make her posts standout. She posted more than 30 articles at Ethicking in the last year.

    “I was blogging long before I started practicing law,” said Rosenzweig in a Zoom interview. “I’ve always been a writer, and I like writing on my own terms.

    Like Rosenzweig, Wisconsin legal bloggers have used their blogs to showcase their expertise and bring legal commentary and analysis on legal developments.

    WisLawNOW helps amplify the reach of those blogs and creates a digital library of member-generated content that others can access on a daily basis.

    It’s one of many communication vehicles available to State Bar members. Many other State Bar members find writing opportunities through the monthly Wisconsin Lawyer, InsideTrack, a bimonthly electronic publication, or State Bar section blogs.

    “I really like the [ethics] practice area, and I like nerding out on the nuances of the supreme court rules,” Rosenzweig said.” This gave me a way to do it and reach a larger audience.”

    While many legal bloggers use blogging primarily as a business development tool, that’s not the primary goal of Ethicking. Rosenzweig simply uses it as a forum for discussion.

    “When people tell me they like reading it because they like the tone and they think it’s accessible, I think that’s a sign of success,” she said.

    Helping People

    Through his Wisconsin Unemployment Blog, also available at WisLawNOW, Victor Forberger kept the public informed on unemployment issues during COVID-19.

    The Madison solo attorney posted more than 70 articles the last year. Forberger and was recently recognized by the State Bar’s Public Interest Law Section as “Pro Bono Attorney of the Year” for helping unemployed workers navigate a complicated and overwhelmed unemployment benefits system during the pandemic.

    Through his blog and in an interview with the State Bar, Forberger encouraged attorneys to help on unemployment issues.

    One of his posts shows how to navigate the Wisconsin Unemployment Insurance portal, and describes the only two ways to get useful documents. “Too many claimants cannot get these documents without this guidance, and an attorney cannot know what is going on in a case until these documents are seen by the attorney,” Forberger said in March.

    Forberger’s blog includes hundreds of posts since the pandemic began, addressing issues like unemployment claims questions, pandemic unemployment assistance programs, delays and problems, and access issues for the disabled.

    Victor Forberger

    Through his Wisconsin Unemployment Blog, also available at WisLawNOW, Victor Forberger kept the public informed on unemployment issues during COVID-19.

    The Annual Wisconsin Law Blogs List

    Other blogs on WisLawNOW cover numerous other practice areas. Readers can search key words or browse content by channels, such as labor and employment, civil litigation, family and divorce, government, health care, immigration, and intellectual property.

    Below is a list of the legal blogs on WisLawNOW, followed by a list of other legal blogs in Wisconsin, including the State Bar section blogs. Congratulations to Construction & Public Contract Law Section Blog, which posted the most articles of all sections.

    • You a legal blogger? Not on WisLawNOW? Join now.

    Law Firm and Other Legal Blogs on WisLawNOW

    Blog

    Firm or Affiliation

    Practice Area

    # Blog posts
    (7/1/2020 to 7/1/2021)

    1

    On Point

    State Public Defender

    Criminal

    321

    2

    Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren S.C. Blog

    Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren S.C.

    General

    101

    3

    Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown LLP Blog

    Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown LLC

    General

    92

    4

    Axley Publications

    Axley Brynelson LLP

    General

    83

    5

    Mahaney Law Blog

    Mahaney Law

    General

    81

    6

    Ruder Ware Blog

    Ruder Ware, L.L.S.C.

    General

    80

    7

    Wisconsin Unemployment

    Victor Forberger

    Unemployment

    74

    8

    von Briesen & Roper Blog

    von Briesen & Roper, S.C.

    General

    64

    9

    WisBlawg

    University of Wisconsin Law School

    Legal research

    64

    10

    Ogden Glazer + Schaefer Interact

    Ogden Glazer + Schaefer

    Business, intellectual property, food & beverage

    52

    11

    Lavinia Goodell Blog

    Nancy Kopp and Colleen Ball

    Legal history

    52

    12

    Tristen’s Landlord-Tenant Blog

    Petrie & Pettit S.C.

    Landlord-tenant

    37

    13

    WisBar Court Review

    Joe Forward, State Bar of Wisconsin

    Appellate court coverage

    35

    14

    Ethicking

    Stacie H. Rosenzweig, Halling & Cayo S.C.

    Legal ethics

    32

    15

    WILMIC Blog

    Wisconsin Lawyer Insurance Mutual Company

    Liability insurance

    32

    16

    KEW Tips

    Kramer, Elkins & Watt LLC

    Business & employment

    31

    17

    The Center for Health & Wellness Law Blog

    Barbara Zabawa, The Center for Health & Wellness LLC

    Health

    31

    18

    Banking Misconduct Blog

    Brian Mahaney,

    Mahaney Law

    Banking

    8

    19

    Tax & Wealth Advisor Blog

    O’Neil, Cannon, Hollman, Dejong & Laing S.C.

    Tax

    18

    20

    Family Law Update

    Gregg Herman, Loeb & Hermann S.C.

    Family law

    16

    21

    Hawley, Kaufman & Kautzer, S.C. Blog

    Hawley, Kaufman & Kautzer, S.C.

    General

    16

    22

    Kelchen Consulting Blog

    Kelchen Consulting

    Legal marketing

    15

    23

    Steimle Birschbach Blog

    Steimle Birschbach, LLC

    Probate & estate

    15

    24

    Stafford Rosenbaum Blog

    Stafford Rosenbaum LLP

    General

    14

    25

    Employment Law Scene Blog

    O’Neil, Cannon, Hollman, Dejong & Laing S.C.

    Employment

    12

    26

    Hurley Burish, S.C. Blog

    Hurley Burish S.C.

    General

    8

    27

    M&P Blog

    Murphy & Prachthauser, S.C.

    Personal injury

    8

    28

    The Law Center S.C. Blog

    The Law Center S.C.

    Family

    7

    29

    Wisconsin Business Law Blog

    Schober Schober & Mitchell S.C.

    Business

    3

    Active State Bar Section Blogs on WisLawNOW

     

    Blog

    Section

    Practice Area

    # Blog posts
    (7/1/2020 to 7/1/2021)

    1

    Construction & Public Contract Law Section Blog

    Construction & Public Contract Law Section

    Construction

    13

    2

    Labor & Employment Law Section Blog

    Labor & Employment Law Section

    Labor & employment

    12

    3

    Business Law Section Blog

    Business Law Section

    Business law

    12

    4

    Elder Law & Special Needsa Section Blog

    Elder Law & Special Needs Section

    Elder

    11

    5

    Public Interest Law Blog

    Public interest Law Section

    Public interest

    11

    6

    Children & the Law Section Blog

    Children & the Law Section

    Children & family

    10

    7

     

    Environmental Law Section Blog

    Environmental Law Section

    Environmental

    10

    8

    Health Law Section Blog

    Health Law Section

    Health

    10

    9

    Dispute Resolution Section Blog

    Dispute Resolution Section

    Dispute resolution

    9

    10

    Litigation Section Blog

    Litigation Section

    Litigation

    8

    11

    Agricultural Law and Rural Practice Blog

    Solo & Small Firm & General Practice Section

    Agricultural

    8

    Other Wisconsin Law Blogs*

    Blog

    Firm Affiliation

    Practice Area

    1

    Appleton Area Law Blog

    Peterson Berk Cross S.C.

    Personal injury law

    2

    Appleton WI Bankruptcy Law Blog

    Helbing Law Office LLC

    Bankruptcy law

    3

    Boller & Vaughan Blog

    Boller & Vaughan LLC

    Personal injury law

    4

    Bucher Law Group Blog

    Bucher Law Group LLC

    Criminal defense, family law, personal injury

    5

    Carlson Dash Blog

    Carlson Dash LLC- start here

    Business, labor & employment, real estate, estate planning

    6

    Comics Lawyer Blog**

    Dirk Vanover, Vanover Legal LLC

    Entertainment law

    7

    Doar Drill & Skow Blog

    Doar Drill & Skow

    General

    8

    Estate Planning Perspectives Blog

    Willms-O'Leary S.C.

    Estate planning

    9

    Herrling Clark Law Firm Blog

    Herrling Clark Law Firm Ltd

    Personal injury, family law, estate planning

    10

    Krause Donovan Blog

    Krause Donovan, LLC

    Probate and estate planning law

    11

    Lin Law LLC Blog

    Lin Law LLC

    Business & estate planning

    12

    Milwaukee Criminal Defense Attorney Blog

    Meyer Van Severen S.C.

    Criminal

    13

    Milwaukee Employment Law Blog

    Alan C. Olson & Associates

    Employee rights law

    14

    Milwaukee Wisconsin Motor Vehicle Accident Law Blog

    Martin Law Office LLC

    Personal injury law

    15

    MWH Law Group Blog

    MHW Law Group

    General

    16

    Paul Ksicinski Blog

    Paul A. Ksicinski, Attorney at Law

    Criminal defense

    17

    Probst Law Blog

    Probst Law Offices S.C.

    Family law

    18

    Schloemer Law Firm Blog

    Schloemer Law Firm

    Estate planning, tax and business law

    19

    Securities Law Blog

    Halling & Cayo, S.C.

    Securities law

    20

    Stangl Law Blog

    Stangl Law Offices S.C.

    Ciminal defense

    21

    Western Wisconsin Law Blog

    Mudge Porter Ludeen & Seguin S.C.

    Personal and workplace injury

    22

    Wisconsin Bankruptcy Law Blog

    Miller & Miller Law LLC

    Bankruptcy & creditor/debtor law

    23

    Wisconsin DUI Law Blog

    Melowski & Singh, LLC

    DUI defense

    * Blog affiliated with a law firm with less than 20 attorneys. At least 12 posts in 2020 and at least five posts in 2021. If the blog does not have an actual name, the law firm name is used.

    ** These are “independent” blogs. They are not affiliated or branded by a law firm. However, this list still notes the law firm or entity of the independent blogger listed.

     

    Wisconsin Large Firm Blogs*

     

    Blog

    Firm Affiliation

    Practice Area

    1

    Dewitt Ross & Stevens Blogs

    Dewitt Ross & Stevens S.C.

    8 blogs, various topics

    2

    Foley & Lardner Blogs

    Foley & Lardner LLP

    Various blogs, various topics

    3

    Hall Render Blog

    Hall Render Killian Health & Lyman P.C.

    Health law

    4

    Husch Blackwell Blogs

    Husch Blackwell LLP

    Various blogs, various topics

    5

    Michael Best Blog

    Michael Best & Friedrich LLP

    Various topics

    6

    SmithAmendsen Labor & Employment Blog

    SmithAmundsen LLC

    Labor & employment

    7

    Writing on Wisconsin Legal Rights

    Hawks Quindel S.C.

    Labor and employment; family law; employee benefits; and personal injury

    * More than 20 or more lawyers. At least 12 posts in 2020 and at least four posts in 2021. Some larger firms maintain multiple blogs. They are not listed separately. If the blog does not have an actual name, only the law firm name is noted.

    Wisconsin Academic Law Blogs

    Blog

    Affiliation

    Practice Area

    1

    M.U. Law School Faculty Blog

    M.U. Law School

    General

    2

    ScowStats Blog

    Alan Ball, Marquette University

    Statistics on the Wisconsin Supreme Court

    WisLawNOW Brings Together Wisconsin’s Community of Legal Bloggers

    WisLawNOW brings together blog content written by State Bar of Wisconsin members under a single website.

    This network is developed in partnership with LexBlog, a legal blogging network of more than 25,000 bloggers nationwide.

    Many Wisconsin legal bloggers have already joined this legal blogging community to expand their reach, showcase their expertise, and contribute to this digital collection of legal information in many practice areas.

    Why WisLawNOW?

    1. Creates community of Wisconsin legal bloggers that readers can access in one place.

    2. Improves member access to a growing, timely library of legal knowledge that is searchable and responsive to mobile devices. And, members can find or subscribe to content of specific interest through practice-area channels.

    3. Uses technology to expedite information delivery and extend the reach of member-generated content, potentially leading to lawyer-to-lawyer and consumer referrals.

    No Cost to Join WisLawNOW

    WisLawNOW is a benefit of State Bar membership. Legal bloggers who join WisLawNOW continue to publish on their regular platforms, and RSS technology will automatically pull their blog posts into the WisLawNOW website.

    The blog author’s law firm and profile are highlighted in the post, linking back to the original blog post. See an example below. See entire blog post.

    blog author and name box from WisLawNOW 

    Blog posts must meet the Blog Post Inclusion Criteria. WisLawNOW will feature blogs related to the practice of law, including substantive legal developments, analysis of legislation or regulatory change, practice management and technology issues, lawyer ethics, lawyer well-being, and other topics that relate to the work of Wisconsin lawyers.

    To increase readership of this blog content, the State Bar distributes an email digest to members every other week to showcase the best of this content.

    This email means greater distribution of your blog post. In essence, WisLawNOW allows Wisconsin legal bloggers to amplify their message, creates a community of legal bloggers, and allows readers to access all Wisconsin legal blogs in one place.

    The State Bar is continually onboarding member-bloggers. To be included in WisLawNOW, members must complete a short online form.

    After filling out the form, the blog will be reviewed for substance and technical requirements. For more information, read WisLawNOW’s FAQ.

    Join now

    ​​​​​

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