Wisconsin Lawyer
Vol. 77, No. 8, August
2004
Supreme Court Orders
The Wisconsin Supreme Court will hold a public hearing on Oct. 27
regarding paralegal licensure and regulation in Wisconsin and regarding
adding two circuit court commissioners to the Judicial Branch Planning
and Policy Advisory Committee.
Paralegal Licensure
and Regulation
In the matter of the Licensure and Regulations of
Paralegals
Order 04-03
On Feb. 13, 2004, the Board of Governors of the State Bar of
Wisconsin filed a petition for the establishment of a system for
licensure and regulation of paralegals in Wisconsin.
IT IS ORDERED that a public hearing on the petition shall be held in
the Supreme Court Room in the State Capitol, Madison, Wis., on Oct. 27,
2004, at 9:30 a.m.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the court's conference in the matter shall
be held promptly following the public hearing.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that notice of the hearing be given by a single
publication of a copy of this order and of the petition in the official
state newspaper and in an official publication of the State Bar of
Wisconsin not more than 60 days nor less than 30 days before the date of
the hearing.
Dated at Madison, Wis., this third day of May, 2004.
By the court:
Cornelia G. Clark, Clerk of Supreme Court
Petition
To: The Honorable Justices of the Supreme Court of Wisconsin
The Board of Governors of the State Bar of Wisconsin, by R. George
Burnett, President of the State Bar of Wisconsin, hereby petitions this
Honorable Court to establish a system for the licensure and regulation
of paralegals in Wisconsin.
Petitioner respectfully requests that such licensure and regulation
be conducted by one or more of the agencies of the Wisconsin Supreme
Court; that all persons utilizing the title "paralegal" in Wisconsin be
subject to such regulation and licensure; and that all such persons
perform their services under the supervision of an attorney licensed to
practice law in Wisconsin.
Attached to this petition as Exhibit "A" is the supporting Final
Report of the State Bar of Wisconsin Paralegal Task Force dated December
2003. [Editor's Note: This report is available online at www.wisbar.org/bar/reports/2004/ptf_final_2004.pdf.]
192 KB
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the Board of Governors of the
State Bar of Wisconsin this 13th day of February, 2004.
R. George Burnett, President, State Bar of Wisconsin
Composition of Judicial Branch Planning and
Advisory Committee
In the matter of the Amendment of Supreme Court Rule
70.14(1)
Order 04-04
On May 11, 2004, the Wisconsin Association of Judicial Court
Commissioners and the Wisconsin Family Court Commissioner Association
filed a joint petition to amend Supreme Court Rule 70.14(1) by adding
two circuit court commissioners to the membership of the judicial branch
planning and policy advisory committee.
IT IS ORDERED that a public hearing on the petition shall be held in
the Supreme Court Room in the State Capitol, Madison, Wis., on Oct. 27,
2004, at 9:30 a.m.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the court's conference in the matter shall
be held promptly following the public hearing.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that notice of the hearing be given by a single
publication of a copy of this order and of the petition in the official
state newspaper and in an official publication of the State Bar of
Wisconsin not more than 60 days nor less than 30 days before the date of
the hearing.
Dated at Madison, Wis., this 24th day of May, 2004.
By the court:
Cornelia G. Clark, Clerk of Supreme Court
Petition
The Wisconsin Association of Judicial Court Commissioners and the
Wisconsin Family Court Commissioner Association hereby petition the
Supreme Court to amend Supreme Court Rule 70.14(1).
This rule determines the composition of the Planning and Policy
Advisory Committee. The committee's purpose is to advise the Supreme
Court and the Director of State Courts on matters relating to
"evaluating the administrative structure of the court system, including
recommending appropriate changes in the administration and methods of
operations of all the courts of the state, the volume and conditions of
business in those courts, and advise on the expeditious handling of
judicial matters in the future." SCR 70.14(4).
Currently, the committee has representatives from a wide range of
participants in the justice system. The committee consists of the Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court and other Justices as the Chief Justice may
designate, a court of appeals judge, 13 circuit court judges, a
municipal judge, two representatives from the State Bar, three
nonlawyers, a public defender, a court administrator, a prosecutor, and
a clerk of court. SCR 70.14(1)(a-j).
Court commissioners perform a wide range of judicial and
quasi-judicial functions in every area of the law. Larger counties rely
heavily on court commissioners to process high volume cases. For many
citizens, a court commissioner is the only judicial figure they may
encounter in court. Every county in the state uses court commissioners
in some manner. Although there are approximately 155 full and part-time
circuit court commissioners in the state of Wisconsin, court
commissioners are not represented on this important committee.
Consequently, the two statewide associations of circuit court
commissioners respectfully petition the Supreme Court to modify SCR
70.14(1) as follows:
Add (k) two (2) circuit court commissioners, with one designated
by the Wisconsin Association of Judicial Court Commissioners and one
designated by the Wisconsin Family Court Commissioners
Association.
Respectfully submitted this 11th day of May, 2004.
Stephen D. Meyer, President, Wisconsin Association of Judicial Court
Commissioners
Darcy E. McManus, President, Wisconsin Family Court Commissioner
Association
Wisconsin
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