Features

• • Ghostwriting for Pro Se Litigants: Supreme Court Weighing Petition
  • In 2014, the Wisconsin Supreme Court unanimously adopted a rule encouraging attorneys to help low-income, self-represented litigants draft documents. Subsequent legislation scrapped that rule. Now, the court is considering whether to restore it.

• • Lessons from Epic System's Arbitration Ruling: Classify Employees as Exempt Cautiously
  • Even with a recent U.S. Supreme Court victory, Epic Systems Corporation could still be paying hefty damages for misclassifying employees as exempt from overtime – and Epic is not alone. Jennifer Mirus and Brian Goodman discuss properly classifying employees as exempt from overtime in the context of recent rulings.

Media

• Firm and Fair: The Fine Art of Getting Paid Ethically

State Bar

• Boost Your Profile, Expand Your Network: Serve on a State Bar Committee

• Teen Courts: Keeping Teens Out of the Juvenile Justice System

• 50 or More Pro Bono Hours in 2019? Certify Now for Pro Bono Honor Society

• State Bar Seeks ABA Delegates for Two-year Terms – Petitions Due April 15

Member Services

• Need Advice from a Colleague? Turn to Lawyer-to-Lawyer Directory

Events

• Young Lawyers: Explore the Future of the Profession at March Conference

Rotunda Report

• State Bar Testifies on Assembly 'Ghostwriting' Bill

Practice

• West's Jury Verdicts, Bench Decisions, Settlements, and Arbitration Awards

• New Law Allows Genetic Testing to Administratively Determine Paternity

Court

• Sentencing Court Relied on Inaccurate Information but Error was Harmless

• Statute of Repose Bars Asbestos-related Claim by Former Power Plant Worker

• Drunk Man Injured While Ejected from Bar, Immunity for Man Who Ejected Him

• More Court News ...

Around The State

• 103 Teams to Compete in Wisconsin's High School Mock Trial Regional Competition

Official Notices

• Final Order 19-19: Amending Rules to Allow Online Access to Petitions for Review

Features

• • Election Ahead: Q&A with State Bar of Wisconsin President-elect Candidates
  • The candidates, both government lawyers, discuss what the State Bar can do to better serve government lawyers and help Wisconsin lawyers compete with market forces.

• • No Pretext: Wisconsin Employers Win Federal Appeals in Discrimination Cases
  • In two recent cases, the employee alleged that the employer provided pretextual reasons for taking discriminatory action. Those arguments were rejected in both cases.

Media

• Trends in Healthcare Delivery: Data and Data Breaches

State Bar

• Telling the Story of Wisconsin's Pioneering Black Lawyers

• State Bar to Host Supreme Court Candidate Debate on March 19

• State Bar Board Hears Remarks from Justice Hagedorn, Discusses 2021 Budget

• Law Foundation Grants Available for Charitable and Public Education Programs

• Why Serve on a State Bar Committee? You Can 'Do Amazing Things'

• State Bar Seeks ABA Delegates for Two-year Terms – Petitions Due April 15

Events

• Apply for Scholarships to the Family Law Workshop by April 1

Rotunda Report

• Legislature Expands Courts, Approves Merit Pay for SPD

Practice

• West's Jury Verdicts, Bench Decisions, Settlements, and Arbitration Awards

• Expand Your Search Results: Try Something Other Than Google

• Drafting Mediation Agreements after Ponfils Trust

Court

• Insurer Did Not Breach Duty to Defend, Followed Judicially Preferred Procedures

• More Court News ...

Around The State

• Supreme Court Seeking Applicants for Committees; Apply by April 10

Official Notices

• Hearing to Reinstate William J. Spangler

• Hearing Order 19-25: Increasing Annual Assessment for Wisconsin Lawyers' Fund for Client Protection

• Final Order 16-05B: Correction of the Interim Commercial Court Rule

Features

• • Working Remotely: Practical & Ethical Tips and Resources
  • Christopher Shattuck, Aviva Kaiser, and Tim Pierce provide five tips for protecting your clients and your firm while working remotely.

• • The New Normal? Navigating the Social Distancing World
  • From Eau Claire to Superior, from Milwaukee to Madison, lawyers are facing the challenges of uncertainty. But the State Bar is here to help.

Media

• Counseling Employers During the Pandemic

State Bar

• Coronavirus & Law Blog and Elist: Two New Tools to Keep You Updated

• Free Virtual Town Halls and COVID-19 CLE Programming, Other Resources

• State Bar Works to Ensure Legal Services Remain Exempt from 'Safer at Home' Order

• Who Will Be Making Your Healthcare Decisions?

• State Bar Elections: Cast Your Ballots by Email, Respond by April 24

Member Services

• Identillect Encryption Service Keeps Email Secure While Working Remotely

Rotunda Report

• Coronavirus and Civil Legal Aid

Practice

• Guidance on Remote Notarization; Execution of Estate Planning Documents

• DWD Issues Emergency Rule Regarding Unemployment Insurance Eligibility

• Working Remotely for the First Time? Here are Some Tips

• Law Library Closed: Now What?

Around The State

• Grants Available for Civil Legal Services to Low Income, Native American, and Agricultural Workers

Official Notices

• Hearing Order 19-25: Wisconsin Lawyers' Fund for Client Protection (Public Hearing Postponed)

• Order 20-01: CLE Requirements (More On-Demand Allowed)

• Hearing Order 20-02: Suspension of Deadlines for Non-criminal Jury Trials

• Appellate Court Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic

• Jury Trials During COVID-19 Pandemic

• Remote Hearings During COVID-19 Pandemic

• Admission to the Bar During the COVID-19 Pandemic

• Remote Depositions During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Features

• • Supreme Court Restores Attorney Ghostwriting Rule for Pro Se Litigants
  • Effective July 1, 2020, attorneys may draft or assist in drafting a pleading, motion, or document filed by an otherwise self-represented litigant without signing it. The document must only note that it was "prepared with the assistance of a lawyer."

• • Amidst Uncertainty: 8 Tips to Stay Mentally Strong and Productive
  • Simple things, such as practicing gratitude and understanding your thought processes, can provide mental health benefits during stressful times.

Media

• National Lawyer Well-Being Week: With Lindsey Draper

State Bar

• State Bar President-elect Post Goes to Cheryl Daniels

• Annual Court Assessments and Dues: Option to Pay in Four Installments

• State Bar Responds to Impact of Pandemic; No Change in Dues for FY 2021

• Theresa Elliott on Social Distancing and Remote Learning for Wisconsin Lawyers

• Know a Legal Innovator? Nominate by June 30

Member Services

• Suddenly Without Health Coverage? New Rule Extends Enrollment Timeframes

• Referral Service Connects Lawyers with Clients in the Age of Coronavirus

Rotunda Report

• Bar Advocacy Efforts Go Digital

Practice

• West's Jury Verdicts, Bench Decisions, Settlements, and Arbitration Awards

• Legal Research: Are Your Clients Flying Drones Legally?

• Family Finances under the CARES Act

Court

• Constructive Trust Could Be Remedy for Divorce Agreement Breach on Life Insurance Proceeds

• Supreme Court Upholds Jury Verdict in Medical Malpractice Case

• Supreme Court Order re Remote Witnessing of Estate Planning Documents

• Wisconsin Supreme Court Extends Order Allowing Remote Depositions

• Supreme Court Extends Order on Remote Hearings, Clarifies Order for Juvenile Cases

• More Court News ...

Official Notices

• OLR Hearing to Reinstate Daniel Parks

Features

• • Reopening the Courts: COVID-19 Task Force Report Provides Local Guidance
  • Remote hearings will continue and jury trials are still suspended, but counties now have guidance and discretion to reopen their courts from the Wisconsin Courts COVID-19 Task Force and recent Wisconsin Supreme Court orders.

• • Annual Legal Blog Roundup: Wisconsin Legal Bloggers Fill Legal News Void
  • Wisconsin legal bloggers mobilized quickly to provide crucial information during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Many are featured on this 6th annual list of Wisconsin law blogs, a statewide community of legal bloggers.

Media

• Reopening the Courts: Conversation with State Courts Director Randy Koschnick

State Bar

• Jill Kastner: 'Change Does Not Happen When We Are Comfortable or Complacent'

• Judge John Anderson: Deeply Rooted in Bayfield County

• Spotlight: Madison Attorney Elisabeth Fletcher and Pro Bono during COVID

• Assessments and Dues: Sign Up for Optional Installment Payments by June 9

• Remember the Wisconsin Law Foundation on Your Dues Statement to Support Vital Statewide Programs

• Turbocharging Change: Who are Wisconsin's Legal Innovators?

Practice

• West's Jury Verdicts, Bench Decisions, Settlements, and Arbitration Awards

• Solo or Small Firm? Connect Differently, Find New Opportunity During Downturn

• Legal Research: Using Alerting and Tracking Tools to Maintain a Competitive Edge

• 5 Key Differences in Wisconsin and Federal Laws Employers Should Know

• Reopening Your Firm Carefully and Compassionately in the COVID-19 Era

• Adding Bankruptcy to Your Practice in Tough Economic Times

Court

• U.S Supreme Court Won’t Hear Wisconsin Case on Mandatory Bar

• Supreme Court Order re Final Report of the Wisconsin Courts COVID-19 Task Force

• Supreme Court Order re Extension of Orders and Interim Rule Concerning Continuation of Jury Trials, Suspension of Statutory Deadlines for Non-Criminal Jury Trials and Remote Hearings

• Supreme Court Order re Extension of Orders Concerning Remote Depositions, Remote Hearings and Filing Documents in Appellate Courts, and Appellate Court Operations

• Supreme Court Order re July Bar Exam

• More Court News ...

Features

• • Shifting Gears: Pro Bono in a Pandemic
  • Lawyers are not typically thought of as first responders, but the pandemic highlights the essential nature of lawyers and pro bono service.

• • Leveraging Technology to Increase Access to Justice
  • Courts and the legal community must leverage technology to address the access to justice gap for self-represented litigants who face technical barriers.

Media

• Wrongfully Convicted Lawyer Discusses Criminal Justice

State Bar

• Law Foundation Grants Support New Lawyers Representing Underserved Populations – Apply by Aug. 21

• Celebrate a Leader: Nominations Due Sept. 11 for Solo and Small-firm Award

• Executive Committee Takes Up Keller Dues Evaluation Aug. 21 for Fiscal Year 2022

Rotunda Report

• Grassroots Advocacy: How to Help Make Change

Practice

• Good Writing Is Good Advocacy: Insights from Best Brief Competition

• Navigating COVID-19 Summer Employment Issues

• Lawyers Needed: Cooperative Law with Jeff Glazer

• Legal Research: Online Regulatory Resources

• West's Jury Verdicts, Bench Decisions, Settlements, and Arbitration Awards

Court

• State Supreme Court Largely Upholds 2018 Lame Duck Legislation

• Divided Wisconsin Supreme Court Rules on Governor’s Partial Vetoes

• Federal District Court Dismisses Lawsuit Challenging Mandatory Bar

• WI Supreme Court: Police Traffic Stop Did Not Violate the Fourth Amendment

• Supreme Court: Police Impound, Search of Vehicle was Unconstitutional

• Judge Created Serious Risk of Actual Bias by Facebook “Friending” Litigant

• Supreme Court: No Exception to Actual Innocence Rule in Legal Malpractice Case

• More Court News ...

Official Notices

• Final Orders 19-06 through 19-12: Amending Supreme Court Rules Pertaining to Attorney Disciplinary Proceedings

Features

• • Annual Review: Wisconsin Supreme Court 2019-20 Term
  • Several high-profile cases involved clashes between the executive and legislative branches during the Wisconsin Supreme Court's 2019-20 term.

• • It's Time to Address Racial Inequities in Elder Law
  • Carol Wessels discusses areas of apparent racial inequity within the elder care system in U.S. society.

Media

• Tip: The Advantage of Being a Small Law Practice

State Bar

• Pro Bono: Alexander Lodge Leads Expungement Clinics

• Lawyers Help Kids via Wisconsin Law Foundation's McNulty Grants

• WisLawNOW Brings Together Wisconsin's Community of Legal Bloggers

• Executive Committee Takes Up Keller Dues Evaluation Aug. 21 for Fiscal Year 2022

Rotunda Report

• Rotunda Report Live: Overview of State Bar's Lobbying Program

• Rotunda Report Live: 2020 State Senate Elections Preview

Practice

• West's Jury Verdicts, Bench Decisions, Settlements, and Arbitration Awards

• Dilemma: Is it OK to Encourage Client Online Reviews?

• Businesses Brace for Employee Absences as Classrooms Go Virtual

• What Employers Should Know About OSHA PPE Guidance during COVID-19

Court

• Appeals Court Denies Jurisdiction Argument in Slenderman Case

• More Court News ...

Official Notices

• Court Approves Remote Attendance of State Bar Board Meetings

Features

• • 5 Legal Marketing Tips to Stay Above Your Competitors
  • How is your marketing strategy during COVID-19? Learn how to leverage the internet to market your practice to the clients you want to attract.

• • Lawyers as Poll Workers: Assisting in the 'Lifeblood of Our Country'
  • Meet four Wisconsin lawyers who are dedicated volunteers on Election Days. The ABA says lawyers are needed as poll workers – find out why they are particularly good at it. Also, here are resources to help you answer clients' questions about voting.

Media

• Cybersecurity: Don't Be the Weak Link in the Security Chain

State Bar

• 2020 Election Voting Guide: Help Keep Your Communities Informed

• Make Connections, Find Opportunity: Run for State Bar Officer or Board Positions

Events

• You're Invited: Honoring Justices Louis Butler & Jon Wilcox

• Reinvigorate Your Practice at 2020 Solo & Small-firm Conference

Rotunda Report

• Rotunda Report Live: Wills for Heroes

Practice

• West's Jury Verdicts, Bench Decisions, Settlements, and Arbitration Awards

• Ethical Dilemma: Fees in Family Law Cases: Judgment or Arbitration?

• CDC and HHS Order Halts Evictions for "Covered Person" through 2020

Court

• On the Docket: Wisconsin Supreme Court to Decide Election Law Cases

• Supreme Court Order Allows Dane County Schools to Reopen In-Person

• Supreme Court: Green Party Candidates Won’t Appear on Nov. 3 Ballot

• More Court News ...

Official Notices

• Hearing Order 19-23: Performing the Duties of Judicial Office Impartially and Diligently

• Hearing Order 19-25: Annual Assessment of Attorneys for the Wisconsin Lawyers' Fund for Client Protection