Free HIV guides available in English
and Spanish
The newly released Spanish translation of HIV and Your Rights: A
Legal Guide to Wisconsin is being distributed by the AIDS Network
and various community organizations serving Spanish-speaking persons,
including Centro Hispano, UMOS, and hospitals with HIV clinics. The
English version, which was released in 1999, is available at hospitals,
testing sites, social service organizations, and libraries statewide.
Both versions also are available on the State Bar's Web site at www.wisbar.org/yld.
HIV and Your Rights provides persons living with HIV, and those
assisting them, with information about their rights and the many legal
issues associated with HIV. The guide is produced through the
collaborative volunteer efforts of the State Bar of Wisconsin Young
Lawyers Division (YLD), the AIDS Network, and select attorneys. HIV and
Your Rights covers legal issues including estate planning,
discrimination and civil rights, landlord-tenant issues, health
insurance, and government-provided benefits. It also contains a
statewide resource section with related programs and phone numbers.
"The majority of people living with HIV and AIDS in this state live
in poverty and are unaware of their legal rights or the legal resources
available to them," said Ilan Chorowsky, YLD AIDS Committee chair. "The
English version was very well received and prompted service providers to
request a Spanish version."
A companion guide, Your Rights in the Workplace: A Legal Guide for
People Living with HIV in Wisconsin, helps people who are working or
thinking about going back to work. It covers job hunting and
interviewing, the effects of work on public benefits, health insurance,
confidentiality in the workplace, accommodations, discrimination,
medical leaves of absence, and injuries on the job. There is also a
comprehensive resource section listing organizations offering services
or information about these topics.
"New medical advances have given many people living with HIV the
opportunity to return to rewarding and meaningful work," said Chorowsky.
"The companion guide was published as part of a WisTAF grant. The YLD
and the Dane County Bar contributed towards its translation into
Spanish."
These free guides may be copied. Spanish and English versions are
available at www.legalexplorer.com/legal/legal-QA.asp,
or contact Lynne Solomon, Legal Services Director, AIDS Network, (800)
486-6276, (608) 252-6540, ext. 47, or Lynne_Solomon@madisonaidsnetwork.org.
Ethical obligations are binding on Web
sites
A recent State Bar of California Ethics Opinion reaffirms lawyers'
ethical obligations when using their Web sites to advertise for clients.
The opinion concludes that statements made by the law firm on a Web site
must be truthful and not false or misleading. The opinion also concludes
that advertising on a Web site does not constitute direct communications
with a person known to be in need of legal services, since the
individual must access the Web site.
"This opinion reaffirms the general consensus among ethics committees
that the use of a Web site for advertising purposes is acceptable
provided the lawyer does not use false information or make misleading
statements," said Dean Dietrich, State Bar of Wisconsin Professional
Ethics Committee chair. "Lawyer advertising on the Internet is one of
many issues that state bar ethics committees are reviewing as the legal
profession adjusts to technology advances."
The Wisconsin Supreme Court Rules on Professional Conduct do not
specifically address Internet and Web site usage, but the rules will
generally apply to any lawyer communication, whether by email, Web site,
or traditional mail.
Web site instructs lawyers about
domain names
Want to learn more about domain names? Visit the Internet Corporation
for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Web site at www.ican.org.
ICANN is a nonprofit corporation that manages Internet domain names
and IP addresses. The site provides information on the "pro" domain
approved in November 2000 for use by lawyers, doctors, and accountants.
The site also provides information on resolution of domain-name
disputes, details on applicable rules and procedures, and information on
cases filed under the rules. There also is a link to the full text of
the decision or order.
How Americans choose legal
services
Americans
spend more time researching the purchase of new furniture and major
appliances than finding a lawyer, according to a survey conducted for lawyers.com, published by
Martindale-Hubbell®. The majority of Americans have hired a lawyer,
but most don't put much time into the process.
Time spent researching legal services. The minimum
average amount of time in researching a major purchase (23 hours)
exceeds the time in researching a lawyer (19 hours). Americans spend the
most time researching the purchase of a car (85 hours).
Americans consistently rely on personal recommendations and
Yellow Pages when looking for a lawyer. Seventy-five percent
would rely on friends and family as their first resource when trying to
find a lawyer; 49% would turn to friends and family for information and
advice concerning legal matters.
Yellow Pages are the favored secondary resource to find a lawyer -
50%, versus the Internet - 32%. Only 3% viewed the Internet as a primary
resource. However, 62% want access to legal resources on the
Internet.
Americans of different ages use different resources when
finding a lawyer. People 52 and older are less comfortable
using the Internet as a resource when looking for a lawyer, with 39%
desiring access to legal resources on the Internet compared to
approximately 7 of 10 in all other age groups.
Americans aged 26 to 29 are less likely to use the Yellow Pages as a
secondary resource for finding a lawyer (49%) than those aged 41to 51
(52%).
Americans overwhelmingly require the element of trust when
choosing a lawyer. Americans rely on their assessment of a
lawyer's personal skills when making their choice in legal
representation.
Nearly 88% of Americans report that trusting a lawyer is important,
and 57% report that they inherently trust their lawyer. Seventy-five
percent of Americans agree that it is hard to know who to trust when
choosing a lawyer, and 25% report that not trusting their lawyer is
enough grounds to fire them.
More women (79%) agree that trust is an important criteria compared
to men (69%).
Price and legal experience influence lawyer
selection. Eighty-three percent consider expertise in a
particular field of law important when selecting a lawyer. Seventy-seven
percent consider years of experience and other cases and clients
handled. Women (62%) are more concerned with practice in a particular
field than are men (54%).
Fifty-nine percent of prospective clients consider how much a lawyer
charges when selecting a lawyer - 45% of women to 37% of men.
People associate hiring a lawyer with a number of different
events. Seventy-one percent anticipate needing a lawyer between
one and five times during their lifetime. Fifty-seven percent agree that
everyone should have a lawyer just in case they should ever need one.
Ninety-seven percent believe someone is most likely to retain a lawyer
when charged with a crime, 95% in a divorce, and 86% in an injury.
Fifty-three percent do not have wills, and only 6% believe a lawyer
should be retained to make one.
Men and women hire lawyers equally as often but anticipate
needing a lawyer for different reasons. Seventy percent of men
and 66% of women have hired a lawyer. Women are more likely to hire a
lawyer for estate planning - 55%. Men are more likely to hire a lawyer
for criminal or civil reasons - 30%.
Majority have been satisfied with their choice of
lawyers. Of those who have retained lawyers, 29% were extremely
happy with their choice, 67% would hire the same lawyer again, and 9%
were dissatisfied with their choice. Of those 9%, 75% were unhappy
because their lawyer was not getting the desired results.
For more information or a complete copy of the report, call (908)
665-3577 or email michael.gibeault@martindale.com.
New chief judges take office in
August
The Wisconsin Supreme Court recently appointed three new chief
judges. They assumed their new duties on Aug. 1, and are eligible to
serve until 2007 (a maximum of three two-year terms).
Hon. L. Edward Stengel, Sheboygan County Circuit
Court, will serve in District Four (Calumet, Fond du Lac, Manitowoc,
Sheboygan, and Winnebago counties). Stengel has been on the bench since
1985. He previously was Sheboygan County district attorney.
Hon. Michael N. Nowakowski, Dane County Circuit
Court, will serve in District Five (Dane, Green, Lafayette, and Rock
counties). He has been on the Dane County bench since 1985 and currently
sits in the Civil Division. Nowakowski previously spent 11 years in
private practice. He has been active in the effort to build a new
courthouse and sits on the Justice Center Planning Oversight
Committee.
Hon. Michael J. Rosborough, Vernon County Circuit
Court, will serve in District Seven (Buffalo, Crawford, Grant, Iowa,
Jackson, La Crosse, Monroe, Pepin, Pierce, Richland, Trempealeau, and
Vernon counties). He has been on the bench since 1986. He previously
served in the state public defender's offices in Wisconsin and
Illinois.
Wisconsin is divided into 10 districts. Each district has a
management team consisting of a chief judge, a deputy chief judge, and a
district court administrator.
Chief judges manage the flow of cases, supervise personnel, develop
budgets, and meet monthly as a committee to discuss issues of statewide
importance. With the exception of Milwaukee, where the chief judge is a
full-time administrator, chief judges and their deputies maintain court
calendars in addition to handling administrative matters.
Wisconsin
Lawyer
