Wisconsin Lawyer
Vol. 78, No. 11, November
2005
Legal News & Trends
Lawyers and public members needed to serve on
district committees
The Wisconsin Supreme Court's Appointment Selection Committee seeks
applicants for lawyer and public appointments to district committees.
These 16 committees, each composed of one-third non-lawyers, assist in
the investigation of certain cases involving complaints against
attorneys. The committees ensure local input into the grievance process
and provide both complainants and respondents with a convenient,
economical means of peer review.
Lawyer applicants are sought for State Bar Districts 1, 4, 5, 8, 11,
and 12. Public applicants are sought in districts 2, 4, 10, and 15.
Appointments are for three-year terms. Terms begin Jan. 1, 2006.
Lawyers must have at least five years of practice experience and no
record of public discipline. Public members from all walks of life are
eligible to apply.
Send a letter of interest and/or resume to: Appointment Selection
Committee, c/o Cornelia Clark, Clerk of the Supreme Court of Wisconsin,
P.O. Box 1688, Madison, WI 53701-1688, fax to Clark's attention at (608)
267-0980, or email cornelia.clark@wicourts.gov.
OLR Web site expands - offers guidance on
trust account issues
The Office of Lawyer Regulation (OLR) recently added information to
its Web site relating to trust accounts, including a manual regarding
recordkeeping requirements and samples of required records. The site now
offers tips relating to trust account issues that arise in bankruptcy,
real estate, personal injury and criminal law, provides guidance on the
proper handling of advanced fees, and identifies upcoming OLR seminars
on trust account management. It also offers a newly formatted online
version of the trust account rule. Visit the site at www.wicourts.gov/olr.
Free resource helps attorneys screen for
domestic violence
The ABA Commission on Domestic Violence recently released "A Tool for
Attorneys to Screen for Domestic Violence," a four-page brochure to help
attorneys who provide individual representation identify clients who are
victims of domestic violence. Clients may not always disclose they are
in violent relationships, which can have an impact on the legal service
attorneys provide.
The free publication contains suggested questions to integrate into
interview questions, as well as guidance on how an attorney can provide
support and resources to clients who are victims of domestic
violence.
According to a U.S. Department of Justice study, an estimated 1.5
million women are physically assaulted by an intimate partner annually.
One in every four women in the United States will be the victim of
domestic violence in her lifetime.
For more information or to download a free copy, visit www.abanet.org/domviol.
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