Legal News & Trends

OPeN for business - A new resource offers online access to records

The Online Professional Electronic Network (OPeN) is a new State Bar-endorsed resource that provides round-the-clock access to background information on individuals and companies. OPeN, a joint venture of the Ohio State Bar Association and the Kansas-based Professional Electronic Networks, is a subscriber-based information service that offers online access to public and proprietary databases, including:

• driver records;
• Social Security number verification;
• incorporation filings;
• education and degree verification;
• employment history verification;
• UCC filings;
• arrest and conviction records;
• real property records;
• consumer and commercial credit reports; and
• bankruptcy, lien, and judgment records.

OPeN serves thousands of companies and professionals - including attorneys, banks, collection firms, human resource professionals, and security companies - nationwide. Mequon attorney William Ardern of the State Bar Member Relations Committee, says the service "is very worthwhile. Attorneys can save time and effort with OPeN, accessing important - and correct - information quickly."

The discounted monthly membership fee for State Bar members is $10 for accounts of 20 or fewer users, and $13 for 20 or more users. There are additional (discounted) fees for accessing certain databases.

A subscription includes software, a user manual, toll-free technical support, training, a quarterly newsletter, and free printing and downloading of records. For more information on OPeN, check out WisBar at or call OPeN at (800) 366-0106.

New Catholic law school
to open in fall of 2000

The Ave Maria Foundation has announced plans to build a new Catholic law school in the Ann Arbor, Mich., area. The Ave Maria School of Law, opening in the fall of 2000, will offer students a comprehensive legal curriculum with a grounding in the teachings of the Catholic Church.

"The motto we have chosen, 'Fides et ratio,' is Latin for faith and reason," says Ave Maria Foundation Chair Thomas Monaghan. "This motto will demonstrate that one can pursue both academic excellence and a strong religious conviction."

The foundation has named Bernard Dobranski, currently dean of Catholic University School of Law in Washington, D.C., as Ave Maria's first dean. According to Dobranski, the school will offer students the latest technology and a law library that exceeds American Bar Association (ABA) requirements. "One of the most important aspects of any law school is the quality of its library. Our intention is to exceed all standards right at the start," says Dobranski.

The school also has retained the services of Thomas Morgan, a law professor at Brigham Young Law School, as its ABA consultant. Representatives of Ave Maria have already met with ABA and Department of Education officials, and the school is actively seeking ABA and Department of Education accreditation.

For more information on the Ave Maria School of Law, call (734) 930-4408.

Previous CLE courses may satisfy
new GAL training requirement

Supreme Court Rule 35, effective July 1, requires attorneys wishing to serve as guardians ad litem (GALs) in family court to complete 30 hours of approved GAL education. The rule further provides that attorneys may accept a GAL appointment if at the time of the appointment they have attended six hours of GAL-approved education. Those six hours may have been obtained during the current or the immediate preceding CLE reporting period.

The Board of Bar Examiners (BBE) has approved certain courses, conducted after Jan. 1, 1995, for GAL credit. If you have taken a course since Jan. 1, 1995 that you believe qualifies for GAL credit, you must submit CLE Form 5, available from the BBE, for approval.

Attorneys can receive up to 13.0 GAL credits by attending both days of the video replays of the State Bar CLE "GAL Training" courses, which are scheduled for June 16-17 and July 14 and 21. In addition, attorneys can receive up to eight GAL credits at an Oct.1 State Bar CLE seminar that will explore the roles of lawyers and psychologists in child custody disputes. For more information on State Bar CLE seminars, call (608) 257-3838 or (800) 728-7788.

For a copy of CLE Form 5, call the BBE office at (608) 266-9760 or send an email.

Fieschko receives annual writing award

Madison attorney Craig Allen Fieschko is this year's recipient of the Hon. Charles Dunn Author Award, which is presented annually by the State Bar Communications Committee. The award, named after Wisconsin's first chief justice, recognizes writing excellence in Wisconsin Lawyer articles.

Fieschko was lauded for his May 1998 article "The Great Computer Crash of 2000," which is "a well-written article on a timely subject," according to Don Wall, a Communications Committee Award Subcommittee member. "Fieschko shows how broadly a computer defect can affect the life and practice of virtually every lawyer from now through next year."

Fieschko, a registered patent attorney with DeWitt Ross & Stevens S.C., receives a plaque at the Board of Governors luncheon on June 23 during the State Bar Annual Convention in Green Bay.

WILMIC declares 15 percent dividend

Wisconsin law firms insured with Wisconsin Lawyers Mutual Insurance Co. (WILMIC) received a 15 percent dividend in April, the first dividend ever paid by the mutual company.

WILMIC's invested assets have grown to $19 million, most of which is held in reserve to pay incurred losses and loss adjustment expenses. According to Melvin G. McCartney, president and chief executive officer, claim losses and reserves have remained constant, but capital gains on investments have grown as a result of the strong investment market.

In addition to the dividend payment, the WILMIC board of directors recently authorized the company to redeem another 20 percent of mutual bond principal. To date, WILMIC has repaid $2.8 million, 80 percent of the principal of the mutual bonds issued to capitalize the company in 1986 and 1987.

WILMIC was founded in 1986 by Wisconsin lawyers, with the support of the State Bar of Wisconsin, who needed a stable alternative to the commercial market for professional liability insurance.

This month on the Web - "Picturing Justice" looks at media's view of lawyers

Sponsored by the University of San Francisco, "Picturing Justice" explores the media's portrayal of lawyers. The site posts reviews (written by contributing lawyers/authors) of movies and television shows that feature lawyers or legal issues.

Recent posts include reviews of "A Civil Action," "Pleasantville," "Ally McBeal," and "The Practice." The site also includes links to other film, TV, and law-related Web sites; and an area for readers' comments.

Wisconsin Lawyer