Legal News & Trends
Minority, female law school enrollment climbs as overall enrollment
drops
Despite a decrease in the number of law
students attending accredited law schools, the number of female and
minority students increased in the fall of 1998, according to statistics
released by the American Bar Association (ABA) Legal Education and
Admissions to the Bar Section.
Overall enrollment for juris doctor degrees dropped slightly, from
125,886 in 1997 to 125,627 in 1998. This drop came despite the addition
of three schools to the list of ABA-approved institutions; there are now
181 ABA-approved law schools.
At 53.9 percent of J.D. enrollment, men still constitute the majority
of law students. Women, however, continue to gain ground and now make up
46.1 percent of enrollment, up from 45.2 percent in 1997 and 44.4
percent in 1996.
Minorities now constitute 20.1 percent of all J.D. students, compared
to 19.6 percent in 1997.
And although overall J.D. enrollment decreased, the total number of
first-year law students increased 1.5 percent, from 42,186 in 1997 to
42,804 in 1998. Minority and female first-year enrollment mirrored that
increase, with first-year women law student enrollment up 4.7 percent
from one year ago, and first-year minority enrollment up 6.9 percent.
Male first-year enrollment dropped 1.3 percent.
The statistics also reveal that the vast majority of law students
attend school full time. Currently, 82 percent attend full time; 82.3
percent attended full time last year.
Techno Tips
Preventive maintenance can keep your computer running smoothly
At the State Bar's Annual Convention in June, the seminar "60 Legal
PC and Management Tips in 60 Minutes" provided attendees with just that
- straightforward, easy-to-understand tips, tricks, and suggestions to
maximize your computer's efficiency while minimizing your effort.
MicroLaw's Ross Kodner offered some common-sense suggestions on
preventive maintenance you can perform on your PC to keep it running
smoothly:
- Empty your recycle bin - it can be a real space hog.
- Update your anti-virus software by downloading new virus databases
or signature files from your software's Web site. Do this at least
monthly in order to detect and kill the latest damaging viruses that
might infest your system.
- Test your data backup system at least once a month. Backup systems
that aren't working properly have the insidious characteristic of
looking like they're working just fine. Select a few documents and
restore them to the system (move the originals first to a safe folder or
a floppy so that you have an empty area to restore to) and then see if
you can access them - that is, pull up a WordPefect document in
WordPerfect.
- Keep your PCs and printers clean. Dust, paper particles, and other
miscellaneous PC-hostile gunk can trash PCs and cripple laser printers.
Use a can of compressed air that you can get at any office supply store
to blow out the crud from inside your laser printer. Take the covers off
your PCs and clean out their insides as well.
On the Web
Currency converter provides timely exchanges rates
The Universal Currency
Converter™ contains exchange rate information on more than 175
currencies, including the Euro, gold, platinum, and silver. Need to know
how many South Korean Wons there are in a U.S. dollar? Simply highlight
the two currencies on the extensive list, click "Perform Currency
Conversion," and you'll get the current exchange rate - rates are
updated every minute. The Interactive
Currency Converter™ allows you to plug in any date from Jan.
1, 1995, forward and view the exchange rate for that date.
The site also offers the Currency Update Service, which sends free
daily currency rate updates via email, in the base currency of your
choice.
Pamphlet helps legal service consumers make informed choices
Percentage of U.S. elderly who rely upon Social Security for half or
more of their income: 62
Source: Wisconsin Law Review, Vol. 1999, No. 1.
Percentage of U.S. elderly whose only source of income is their
Social Security: 15
Source: Wisconsin Law Review, Vol. 1999, No. 1.
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Should I hire a lawyer? How do I find one? What services can I expect
and how will I be charged? Not knowing the answers to these questions
may prevent potential consumers of legal services from contacting a
lawyer - even when it is in their best interest to do so. The State Bar
Consumer Protection Committee's new pamphlet, "Hiring and Working With a Lawyer,"
answers these questions and more.
Thomas Zilavy, Consumer Protection Committee chair, says the
committee saw a distinct need for this information. "So many people
don't know the basics of engaging a lawyer. They also don't realize that
they have recourse if they work with a lawyer and he or she performs
poorly or unethically. This pamphlet allays their fears and lets them
know what to expect."
Written by attorneys Mitchell Hagopian, Andrew Chevrez, and William
Slate the publication explains: when you should consult a lawyer; how to
find the best lawyer for your case; how lawyers set fees; what you
should expect from your lawyer and what your lawyer will expect from
you; and what happens if you disagree with your lawyer's bill or have
questions about the lawyer's conduct.
"Hiring and Working with a Lawyer" joins the State Bar's 17-pamphlet
consumer pamphlet series, which
gives attorneys a low-cost way to dispense basic legal information to
clients and the public. Titles are available in packages of 50 and are
$18 for State Bar members, $20 for nonmembers.
For more information, contact the State Bar at (608) 257-3838 or
(800) 728-7788.
Office Tips
Save money, time and the environment
by recycling toner cartridges
With all the document printing that goes on, many offices run through
toner cartridges for their printers and copiers faster than you can say
"Control-P."
Did you know you can refill and re-use your old cartridges, rather
than buying new ones? According to Milwaukee attorney Diane Loftus, a
company called Environmental Innovations at (414) 358-7760 not only
picks up the empty cartridges and delivers filled ones, but does so for
about 2/3 the price of new cartridges.
For companies in your area that recycle toner cartridges, check your
phone book under "Computers - Computer Equipment - Service and
Repair."
Supreme court seeks volunteers for BBE/BAPR
The Wisconsin Supreme Court seeks lawyers and
nonlawyers to serve on the Board of Bar Examiners (BBE), the court
agency responsible for managing admission to the practice of law,
monitoring Wisconsin-licensed attorneys' CLE compliance, and approving
courses for CLE credit.
In accordance with SCR
30.01, five slots on the BBE's nine-member board are filled by
lawyers, the other four by judges, law school faculty, and the public.
BBE members serve a maximum of two three-year terms. There currently are
two openings for lawyers.
The court also seeks lawyers and nonlawyers to serve on the Board of
Attorneys Professional Responsibility (BAPR), the court agency that
investigates grievances involving possible attorney misconduct or
medical incapacity. The BAPR board and staff also participate in efforts
to educate attorneys on professional responsibility.
BAPR is composed of eight lawyers and four public members; each
member serves a maximum of two three-year terms. Currently, there are
openings for one lawyer and one public member. BAPR meets in various
locations around the state approximately every six weeks.
Applicants interested in either agency should send a cover letter and
resume to the Clerk of the Supreme Court, P.O. Box 1688, Madison, WI
53701-1688. Applications will be reviewed for current openings and kept
on file for future consideration.
Wisconsin Lawyer