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Features

The changes in Wisconsin sentencing laws are substantial and were a long time in coming. With the passage of 2001 Wis. Act 109, the pieces are in place for the full implementation of truth-in-sentencing as originally envisioned by Wisconsin lawmakers.

Wisconsin's 'Stream of Commerce' Theory of Personal Jurisdiction

Kopke v. A. Hartrodt S.r.l. expands the jurisdictional reach of Wisconsin courts by subjecting foreign companies to jurisdiction if they could have known that the goods they handle could injure Wisconsin citizens. Kopke thereby signals the demise of "minimum contacts" as a check on the state's power to exercise jurisdiction over foreign defendants in the personal injury setting.

Concepts of Freedom: The Life of Justice Byron Paine

A study of Justice Byron Paine's life is indispensable to understanding how the Republican ideal took root in Wisconsin and how it evolved during the state's industrial era following the Civil War. This is the second in a series of articles that will appear through 2003 to commemorate Wisconsin's legal history.

Opinions, Voices & Ideas

Inside the Bar
Community service is a hallmark of Wisconsin lawyers and Bar staff.

Legal News and Trends

President's Message
The Bar's Strategic Planning Committee has developed a long-term business plan to ensure that all Bar programs further our mission and goals.

Legislative Watch
What is the Legal Services Corporation?
The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is a private, nonprofit corporation established by Congress in 1974 with bipartisan sponsorship and the support of the Nixon administration. Its mission is to seek to ensure equal access to justice under the law for all Americans by providing civil legal assistance to those who otherwise would be unable to afford it.

Editorial
Proximate Cause and Municipal Liability
Frostman, the leading case on the interaction of the proximate cause doctrine and municipal immunity under section 345.05, is based on flawed logic because it treats the two distinct concepts as interchangeable.

Ethics
Drawing the Line on Discovery Abuse
The line between zealous advocacy and unethical behavior in the discovery process is fuzzy at best. Generally, if the conduct advances the client's interests, it is unlikely to be considered a violation of the Supreme Court Rules.

Problems with the New Truth-in-Sentencing Law
The enactment of the second half of truth-in-sentencing (TIS) legislation in 2001 Wis. Act 109 has been a long time coming. What ultimately was included in Act 109 does not include many of the changes and reforms proposed by the State Bar Criminal Law Section. The section's proposals would have addressed problems with Wisconsin's "no parole regime," helped control the increasing prison population, and provided more resources for rehabilitation of incarcerated persons.

Practice Tips
Tax credits can help employers offset the cost of accommodating an employee's disability, which may be just the incentive a business needs to help it diversify its workplace.

Letters to the Editor

Legislative Watch
In 2003, Wisconsin's civil legal services programs will lose 15.55 percent of their federal funding. The funding picture gets worse when substantial decreases in projected IOLTA income are factored into the equation.

Legislative Watch
State Bar Supports LSC Funding
Why does the State Bar of Wisconsin support the goals of the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) so strongly? Because we believe that when important rights are at jeopardy, both sides in a legal conflict are entitled to competent legal representation, regardless of ability to pay.