Each year, the Communications Committee, which serves as the Editorial Advisory Board for Wisconsin Lawyer magazine, recognizes writing excellence. The Hon. Charles Dunn Author Award is named in honor of Wisconsin’s first supreme court chief justice. On April 30, 1836, President Andrew Jackson commissioned Charles Dunn as chief justice of the Wisconsin Territory. Dunn continued in this office until the territorial courts were superseded by the state courts in 1848. He was a member of the 1848 Wisconsin Constitutional Convention, where he chaired the judiciary committee.

The 2021 Charles Dunn Award goes to Kelly Mould and Kate Trudell, who authored the article #FreeBritney: When Protections Turn Toxic. The committee also recognized several authors who went above and beyond to pen excellent articles in what was a very unusual and often challenging year. Six other articles deserving “special commendation” for writing excellence are also noted.

Best of the Best: Protecting Vulnerable Individuals

Article: “#FreeBritney: When Protections Turn Toxic” (Oct. 2021)

Award: Hon. Charles Dunn Author Award

Authors: Kelly Mould & Kate Trudell

Judges’ comments: Using a news story that has made headlines across the country as a hook, the authors clearly explain how Wisconsin residents facing similar situations fare under state law. The article, which is quite obviously the product of significant research, appeals to the compassion in all of us and makes relevant for a wide legal audience an issue that few people ever experience personally. In short, the article demonstrates why Wisconsin lawyers from all practice areas should be attuned to the ways vulnerable individuals are denied their decision-making authority.

Kelly Mould, U.W. 2011, is senior vice president wealth fiduciary advisor at Johnson Financial Group, Racine, and a former guardian ad litem. She lives in Racine with her husband and little dog Charlie.

Kate Trudell, Marquette 2016, is vice president wealth fiduciary advisor at Johnson Financial Group and a former guardian ad litem. She lives in Kenosha with her husband and three children.

Six Articles Deserving Special Commendation

Article: “A Litigation’s Reprise: Strategies for Requesting Attorney Fees” (Jan. 2021)

Award: Special Commendation

Authors: Christa D. Wittenberg & Dean P. Laing

Judges’ comments: This overview of the basics of attorney fee requests provides practical, easily applicable information that lawyers should know but may be uncomfortable addressing.

Christa D. Wittenberg, Michigan 2012, is a shareholder with O’Neil, Cannon, Hollman, DeJong & Laing S.C., Milwaukee. She represents individuals and businesses in a variety of civil litigation matters, including health care and complex contract disputes, shareholder disputes, and consumer litigation.

Dean P. Laing, Marquette 1983, is a shareholder with O’Neil, Cannon, Hollman, DeJong & Laing S.C., where he concentrates in personal injury and commercial litigation. He is board certified as a Civil Trial Specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He is a frequent author and speaker on insurance, evidence, tort, and general litigation issues. He is regularly recognized as one of the top litigators in Wisconsin, and was selected as the Lawyer of the Year in 2019 by the Milwaukee Bar Association.

Article: “A Fight Over Beloit Land Rights: Lincoln Versus Carpenter in Beloit” (April 2021)

Award: Special Commendation

Author: Steven M. Biskupic

Judges’ comments: In school we all learned that President Lincoln split rails before heading to the White House. We pay little attention to the fact that he was also a successful attorney. This article, which tells the story how Lincoln the lawyer’s involvement in a property dispute in Beloit secured him an important ally in later years, offered the Wisconsin Lawyer audience both entertainment and education.

Steven M. Biskupic, Marquette 1987, is a partner at Biskupic & Jacobs, Mequon, specializing in litigation.

Article: “Disability Accommodations at Work: No Nationwide Consensus” (Nov. 2021)

Award: Special Commendation

Author: Storm B. Larson

Judges’ comments: Lawyers representing job applicants, employees, or employers in workplace disability accommodation claims must understand what plaintiffs must prove to prevail. This article provides an excellent overview of the topic with a focus on Wisconsin-specific issues, giving Wisconsin lawyers a useful reference.

Storm B. Larson, U.W. 2018, with Boardman & Clark LLP, Madison, primarily practices in labor and employment law, commercial litigation, and municipal law.

Article: “The ERA: Where Are We Now?” (March 2021)

Award: Special Commendation

Author: Storm B. Larson

Judges’ comments: Wisconsin, and Wisconsin lawyers, have played an important role in the push for equal rights. This article explores that history and emphasizes that there is still work to be done. This article earned a second special commendation by the same author in a single year.

Storm B. Larson, U.W. 2018, with Boardman & Clark LLP, Madison, primarily practices in labor and employment law, commercial litigation, and municipal law.

Article: “The [Cite] Goes On: Citations to Pop Music in Wisconsin Case Law” (Jan. 2021)

Award: Special Commendation

Authors: Chad Baruch & Hon. Mark W. Klingensmith

Judges’ comments: This lighthearted look at the number and variety of judicial citations to music in Wisconsin court cases really struck a chord.

Chad Baruch, Minnesota 1991, is an appellate attorney with Johnston Tobey Baruch in Addison, Texas. He grew up in Stevens Point and is admitted to practice in Wisconsin.

Hon. Mark W. Klingensmith, Levin College of Law 1986, serves on the Fourth District Court of Appeal in Florida and is the author of Lyrics in the Law: Music’s Influence on America’s Courts (2020).

Article: “Battle for the Ballot Box” (April 2021)

Award: Special Commendation

Author: Leslie A. Freehill

Judges’ comments: The 2020 election was the most contentious election in recent memory. There were many twists and turns, with lawyers playing important roles. This article clearly summarizes what was a flurry of legislative and courtroom activity, providing an understandable overview of what actually happened and the issues we should all remain aware of moving forward.

Leslie Freehill, U.W. 2015, Pines Bach LLP, Madison, practices in environmental and land use law, employment law, and civil litigation and appeals. She is experienced in representing clients in state and federal courts, before administrative agencies, and in private arbitration proceedings. She and her colleagues at Pines Bach represented individuals and groups in the 2020 election cases as noted in this article.