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  • InsideTrack
  • January 17, 2018

    Lawyer-to-Lawyer Directory: Where Nearly 400 Lawyers Have Your Back

    The Lawyer-to-Lawyer Directory is your network of peer support. A free, online resource for Wisconsin lawyers, it lists lawyers willing to spend 10 minutes to help you answer practice and career questions.
    business man takes phone call

    Jan. 17, 2018 – Steve Sorenson needed help: a longstanding client was purchasing real estate, but too far from Sorenson’s practice in Oshkosh. He needed to find a local lawyer to assist his client with the purchase.

    So he turned to the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Lawyer-to-Lawyer Directory. “It’s the best way to find other lawyers, by location and practice area,” he said.

    Sorenson, president of the Senior Lawyers Division, is listed in the directory in the areas of real property and alternative dispute resolution. And, he’s been in the directory since the 1980s when it was first delivered in print format to help lawyers avoid malpractice traps.

    “You can trust the lawyers in there,” Sorenson said.

    A Longstanding Network of Peer Support

    Steve Sorenson

    Atty. Steve Sorenson needed help finding a local lawyer to assist his client with a real estate purchase. So he turned to the State Bar’s Lawyer-to-Lawyer Directory. “It’s the best way to find other lawyers, by location and practice area,” says Sorenson.

    Now in an online, searchable format, the Lawyer-to-Lawyer Directory lists nearly 400 lawyers willing to consult with other lawyers who have questions or need guidance in an area of practice.

    “As a rural practitioner, I don’t often have colleagues nearby to talk to,” said Sorenson. “The directory is my conduit to other lawyers in my areas of practice, who I might want to bounce ideas off of or learn if they are facing similar issues.”

    Lawyers listed in the directory agree to share their knowledge in particular areas of law with other lawyers through free, brief consultations (generally for 10 minutes) by email or phone.

    The online directory, formerly published in the print Wisconsin Lawyer Directory, allows lawyers to readily search by topic, location, or name to find other lawyers willing to share their knowledge in nearly 50 specific areas of law – from administrative law to worker’s compensation.

    With a growing number of lawyers using mobile devices, finding help in an unfamiliar area of law or getting listed in the directory now can be done any time through WisBar.org.

    A Source of Knowledge, Potential Referrals

    Lawyers who seek advice from their colleagues incur less risk of malpractice, says Tom Watson of Wisconsin Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company. “It’s a safer way to practice, and it helps lawyers better serve their clients.”

    Sorenson also uses the directory to contact colleagues in other counties, to get to know more about the local district attorneys when handling a traffic or criminal case there.

    He’s received many referrals – and given them – via the directory. “I used it just the other day, looking for a lawyer to handle a family matter in the Hayward area,” he said. “I went right to the directory – it’s very easy to use in the new searchable format.”

    “I’ve gotten lots of business from it over the years; likewise I’ve sent a lot of business out,” he said.

    Sorenson urges colleagues to use it – and to sign up. “Ten minutes – that’s all it takes to help a colleague,” he said.

    To search for a lawyer or to get listed, go to wisbar.org/lawyertolawyer. You can also find the directory on WisBar.org, by clicking on “Directories” at the very top of the page (near “Lawyer Search” and “Legal Research.”)

    How to Get Listed

    To be listed in this free directory, you must be an active member of the State Bar of Wisconsin, have experience in a particular field of law, and be willing to conduct brief consultations by email or phone (roughly 10 minutes in length), free of charge, with other attorneys having less experience in that area of practice. This directory is for member-to-member use only; it is not a referral guide for the public.

    Not currently in the directory? Click here to register online! Be sure you to log in to WisBar.org. You can register or change topics at your convenience. Note: Each registrant is limited to a total of 10 topic areas (that includes general topics as well as subtopics).

    Need help? Please contact Customer Service at (800) 728-7788.


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