By the Numbers
5
The number Jayden Daniels wore when he won the 2023 Heisman Trophy at Louisiana State University (LSU) and the number he expected his alma mater to retire.
Last month, the Daniels family sent LSU a cease-and-desist letter after learning a sophomore cornerback now wears No. 5.
Nobody has worn the number since Daniels began his NFL career with the Washington Commanders. The cease-and-desist informs LSU that it can no longer use Daniels’ name, image, or likeness for Tiger football.
Speaking of college football, the season kicks off in September, including the Badgers’ opener against Notre Dame.
Source: ESPN; New York Times
On the Radar
September is Juror Appreciation Month
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has declared September “Juror Appreciation Month,” recognizing the right to a jury trial as a “cornerstone of our system of justice.”
Each year, thousands of Wisconsin residents step away from their jobs, families, and daily responsibilities to serve on juries. By carefully evaluating testimony and other evidence and applying the law as directed by the judge, jurors help protect the right to a fair trial and maintain public confidence in the courts.
The observance also recognizes the employers and family members who support individuals called to serve.
Throughout September, Wisconsin courts will thank current and former jurors for accepting this important civic duty and contributing their judgment, time, and attention to the fair administration of justice across the state.
Read the declaration, as well as proclamations by the legislature and the governor, at: wicourts.gov/services/juror/appreciation.htm.
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Good Idea?
Bill Would Let New Yorkers Sue Over AI Legal Advice
A New York bill proposal would expose chatbot companies whose products masquerade as attorneys and cause harm to users who rely on the information provided.
Senate Bill S7263, sponsored by state Sen. Kristen Gonzalez, would cover responses that amount to legal advice or other licensed professional services.
A company could not shield itself merely by telling users that its chatbot is not human. The measure also extends to fields like medicine and mental health.
As of March 5, 2026, the bill had cleared the New York Senate’s Internet and Technology Committee. Gonzalez called it the first proposal of its kind in the nation.
Source: Reuters
Spotlight
Former Prosector Now Leads Conference of Women Religious
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel profiled Sister Debra Sciano, new president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, an organization representing 66% of U.S. Catholic sisters.
Sciano spent 13 years as an assistant district attorney in Milwaukee County Children’s Court. She is also a longtime leader at the School Sisters of Notre Dame. She earned her law degree at St. Thomas University in Miami.
“I knew from childhood on I wanted to be a lawyer,” Sciano told the Journal Sentinel.
“My first calling, really, was to go into law and to work with families, particularly children, and those who were oppressed and in need.”
In March, she met Pope Leo XIV in Rome. In June, the Brewers selected her to throw out the first pitch at American Family Field.
Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; Global Sisters Report
Did You Know?
Private Equity in Law Firms
Private equity firm Uplift Investors announced partnerships with personal injury firms in Rhode Island, Georgia, and Louisiana. As of June, Uplift has signed with three law firms.
Professional ethics rules in most states, including Wisconsin, bar non-lawyers from owning a stake in law firms or sharing legal fees. The rules are intended to “protect the lawyer’s professional independence of judgment.” See SCR 20:5.4 cmt. 1.
Under the Rhode Island and Georgia deals, the firms partner with Uplift’s managed service organization (MSO), Orion Legal MSO. The lawyers retain 100% ownership of their firms, while Orion receives fees for non-legal services, “including marketing, finance, technology, talent, and administrative infrastructure.”
Similar arrangements are common in healthcare, where laws and regulations are designed to protect physicians’ independent medical judgment.
Louisiana-based personal injury lawyer Chad Dudley founded Orion Legal MSO.
Source: Business Wire; Reuters
» Cite this article: 99 Wis. Law. 8 (September 2026).
