March 2004
Convention programs encompass Sarbanes-Oxley, proposed changes to
ethics code, and more
2004 Annual Convention, May 5 - 7 at the Monona Terrace Convention
Center in Madison, offers more than 25 CLE programs sponsored by State
Bar sections, committees, and divisions focusing on topics affecting the
legal profession today. CLE programming begins on Wednesday and
concludes on Friday. Here are a few highlights.
Wednesday. The Alternative Dis-pute
Resolution Section offers presentations for effective use of
mediation and arbitration services and a "Speaker's Prerogative" with
Hon. Janine P. Geske, Marquette Law School.
The Business Law Section program features UCC
Article 2, how Sarbanes-Oxley will affect private companies, and
more.
The Children and the Law, Individual Rights and
Responsibilities, and Public Interest Law
sections program, also sponsored by the Milwaukee Branch of the
NAACP, focuses on educating students with disabilities, and protecting
students from discrimination and harassment. After a presentation on
whether Wisconsin students receive an adequate education, Hon. William
A. Bablitch will discuss Vincent v. Voight and the supreme
court's adequacy standard.
The Family Law Section program focuses on parenting
coordinators, coparenting counseling, vocational consultants in
maintenance cases, and experts in mediation and arbitration.
The Health Law Section program addresses the effect
of Sarbanes-Oxley and related regulations and emerging legal and ethical
issues.
The Solo and Small Firm Practice Committee program
addresses physi-cian referrals in personal injury cases and low-cost
marketing methods.
Thursday. The CLE Spotlight
Program, "Brown v. Board of Education: 50 Years
Later," with keynote speaker Julian Bond, NAACP chair, will be followed
by a panel discussion on the effects of this case on Wisconsin law.
Earn a CLE credit at lunch at one of two lunch programs. Attend the
Speaker Showcase, "Access to Justice: How Do We Make It Happen," with
Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson, Gov. James Doyle (invited),
Attorney General Peggy A. Lautenschlager, and Rep. Mark D. Gundrum; or
attend the Intellectual Property Law Section's "Year in
Review" luncheon.
The Diversity Outreach Committee and
Government Lawyers Division program features three
panels of judges and attorneys who will discuss the hopes, dreams, and
goals of Brown v. Board of Education; equality in education -
do all children in Wisconsin have access to an education that can
prepare them for their future; and why alternatives to traditional
public education were developed and the goals of those alternatives.
The Flexible Work Options and Gender
Equity committees will unveil the revised
State Bar flexible work options book, presented by State Bar President
George Burnett and Gender Equity Committee member Gwendolyn Connolly.
Ellen Ostrow, Ph.D., LawyersLifeCoach™ founder, will discuss
career planning and flexible work options for lawyers.
The Legal Assistance Committee program focuses on
using technology to increase efficient delivery of low-cost and pro bono
services and unbundling of legal services using a client-centered
approach.
The Senior Lawyers Division program focuses on
financial, estate, and charitable planning for retirement. (Note:
rescheduled from Friday.)
The Litigation Section offers 10-minute vignettes on
topics including advocating for the elderly, examining witnesses, and
referral agreements.
The Appellate Practice Section program topics
include post-conviction motions, criminal appeals, oral argument, and
more.
Friday. The Professional Ethics
Committee will hold a town meeting to discuss proposed
changes to the Rules of Professional Conduct. Members of the Wisconsin
Supreme Court-appointed Ethics 2000 Committee will present a summary of
the proposed changes to the Rules they will present to the supreme court
this fall.
The Elder Law and Taxation
sections and Senior Lawyers Division
program begins with nationally re-nowned CLE educator Jay Foonberg, who
discusses knowing when to exit your practice, followed by a nuts and
bolts discussion of exiting a practice, and perspectives on
retirement.
The Administrative and Local Government Law Section
features open records and open meeting law developments, fair housing
restrictions, and conflicts of interest.
The Business Law Section topics include escheat laws
and multimillion dollar penalties, environmental laws, white-collar
crimes, and more.
The Young Lawyers Division offers a toolbox for
career and life satisfaction with Ellen Ostrow, Ph.D., founder of
LawyersLifeCoach™.
To register or for more
information call (800) 728-7788.
Inside the Bar
