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May Luncheon
TOPIC: "Fifteen Things Every Lawyer
Should Know About Bankruptcy," addressing
bankruptcy's impact on other areas of the law,
including divorce, estate planning, general civil
practice, and business law
SPEAKER: Attorney David
Krekeler
DATE:
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
L.A.W. will be applying for 1 CLE credit for this
program.
CANCELLATION
POLICY:
L.A.W. is charged for every meal ordered.
If you must cancel your reservation, please
send a check with payment for your meal
to:
L.A.W.
P.O. Box 2121
Madison, WI 53701-2121
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LUNCHEON REGISTRATION |
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Wednesday, May 13, 2009 |
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Registration begins at 11:45am; Lunch begins at 12:00
noon |
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12:30 - 1:20pm CLE Program
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The Hilton
Madison Monona Terrace, 14th Floor, 9 East Wilson Street, Madison,
WI |
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RSVP by noon Friday, May 8, 2009 to Margit Kelley via email: margitsandorkelley@gmail.com.
Please indicate whether you would prefer a meat or vegetarian
entree. |
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Price: $13 L.A.W. members and $17 non-members |
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Upcoming Luncheon Topics
On June 10, 2009, UW Law School Clinical
Professor Michele LaVigne will present ""When Your
Client Doesn't Speak Your Language," addressing
communication with non-English speaking clients.
There will be no LAW luncheon in July.
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CLE Approval
LAW received approval for 1 ethics credit for the
December 10, 2008 Luncheon, "Current Issues in the
Code of Judicial Ethics."
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President's Message
Dear LAW members and supporters:
Spring is a time for celebrating, organizing,
and looking forward. Since LAW's formation in 1983,
our mission has been "to promote the rights of
women in society and advance the interests of women
members of the legal profession, to promote equality
and social justice for all people, and to improve
relations between the legal profession and the
public." I am excited to report on various activities that
LAW is undertaking that relate directly to our purpose.
Margo Melli Achievement
Award
Last month, we gathered to
celebrate the work of Marsha Mansfield by awarding
her the annual Margo Melli Achievement Award for her
many contributions to women in the law. If you
attended the celebration, you know how entertaining
and inspiring it was to hear about Marsha's life and
career from Mary Beth Keppel, Betsy Abramson, and
Rachel Abhold. We were honored to also have Chief
Justice Abrahamson and Margo Melli there to share a
few words and present the award to Marsha. This was
more than a fun party; it was an opportunity for young
and seasoned lawyers, law students, and others to
demonstrate what we value and to share in the worthy
activities and accomplishments of Marsha. Thank you
to all who participated.
Later this year we will select another
outstanding individual in Wisconsin who has made
substantial contributions to the interests of women in
the law, has achieved professional excellence, and
has contributed significantly to the eradication of
gender bias in the legal system. You may know
someone who deserves this honor. If you would like
to nominate a colleague or acquaintance, please
contact Brittany
Ogden. Not only did she plan a great event this
year, but she can also give you more information on
the Melli Award and send you a nomination form for
the upcoming award.
Dane County's Best Places for Women in
the Law
Looking forward, the LAW Board
is working on developing an annual award for
the "Dane County's Best Places for Women in the
Law." We plan to survey all organizations in Dane
County that employ women attorneys in order to
recognize policies and practices that promote the
interests of women attorneys in their workplaces.
This is a large undertaking, and I need
your help. Currently, I am gathering information from
across the U.S. from others who have undertaken
similar initiatives in their legal communities. When we
distribute the surveys, we aim for a 100 percent
response rate. You can help us by mentioning the
award to a human resources contact at your firm or
organization and by sharing with me any suggestions
or insights you might have.
Networking with AWL and
Others
In
late April, I attended a conference of local and
specialty bar leaders across the State. There was a
lively exchange of ideas between groups that are
serving their local communities through a variety of
creative projects. It was especially helpful to meet with
Margo Kirschner and Cathy Grogan of the Association
for Women Lawyers (AWL) in Milwaukee to discuss
our respective activities and begin forging ties for
more collaboration in the future.
CLE Luncheons
As it gets
easier
and easier to earn CLE credits from our desks, State
Bar leaders continue to tout the benefits of in-person
meetings. LAW is working hard to make our monthly
CLE luncheons professionally, intellectually, and
nutritionally nourishing. Our spring topics-bankruptcy
in May and representing non-English speakers in
June-are in tune with the economy and the legal
needs around us. If you have suggestions regarding
future topics or luncheon formats, please share them
with Sonja or Tammy. Also if you have ideas for how to
maximize networking at the luncheons, please contact
me.
State Bar Resources
During
the conference I attended, we heard from Wisconsin
State Bar employees about what the State Bar can do
to support us in our professional endeavors. I was
reminded of the services that our annual State Bar
dues fund - programs that you support with your
annual membership dues.
For example, the Law Office Management
Assistance Program (Practice411) helps lawyers
manage the business aspects of their practices, from
technology to financial planning to personnel
management and everything in between. Practice411
is an especially useful resource for solo practitioners.
If you are considering opening up your own law office
and have questions, I recommend you contact the
State Bar.
Final Thoughts
One final
note: During these tough times, the State Bar is
working hard to promote legal assistance for people
in need. If you have the time and energy to take on a
case, the State Bar Pro Bono Coordinator, Jeff Brown,
would love to talk with you. Remember that the State
Bar offers malpractice insurance coverage and
access to LexisNexis research services to lawyers
who work pro bono. In addition, the State Bar has
extensive training materials, so you need not limit your
pro bono services to areas in which you already have
expertise.
As always, feel free to contact me for any
reason.
As 2009 progresses, I wish you all peace,
health,
challenge, and fulfillment.
Sincerely, Cara
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Current Issues
The Paycheck Fairness Act, passed in the U.S.
House and now pending in the Senate, aims to
strengthen current laws against wage discrimination
and require the federal government to be more
proactive in preventing and battling wage
discrimination. Among other things, the Paycheck
Fairness Act would also close a significant loophole in
the Equal Pay Act to allow for full compensation for sex-
based wage discrimination.
If you wish to e-mail Senators Feingold and Kohl
to urge them to co-sponsor the Paycheck Fairness Act
(S.182), you can do so here.
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