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    Wisconsin Lawyer
    June 01, 1999

    Wisconsin Lawyer June 1999: Book Reviews

    Book Reviews


    This Month's Featured Selections


    Courthouses Wisconsin's Historic Courthouses

    Marv Balousek & L. Roger Turner
    (Oregon, WI: Badger Books Inc., 1998).
    Hardcover. 140 pgs. Retail $35.

    Reviewed by Stacey A. Carlson

    This book takes us back in time to allow us a glimpse of early Wisconsin life and politics. L. Roger Turner does a wonderful job of photographing these historic monuments to accompany Marv Balousek's research on the history of Wisconsin's county courthouses.

    Wisconsin's Historic Courthouses is filled with photographs of our state's architectural treasures and obscure but scandalous details of towns pitted against one another in the struggle over where to locate the county seats. The book emits a faint wisp of the palm-greasing that surely was a necessary evil in acquiring at least some of these magnificent structures.

    While it is fast and interesting reading, this book is in need of proofreading and editing. The book is arranged alphabetically by county, with the result that time sequences are intermingled chronologically causing the reader to constantly flip around to see where things were when.

    As L. Roger Turner's photographs show, styles of the courthouses range from the elegant designs of the past to the stoic designs of the modern day. From simple wooden structures to grandiose Italian styles, the book provides a sample of the architectural tastes of the period.

    Marv Balousek has provided the reader with a time capsule account of these magnificent courthouses, some of which exist only in photographs today, and an extensive source appendix for further reading.

    This book serves as a worthy archive treasure in any library and is an excellent guidebook to touring our state treasures - Wisconsin's historic courthouses.

    Stacey A. Carlson is a legal assistant with Universal Foods Corp., Milwaukee.

    Business and Commercial Litigation in Federal Courts

    Litigation in   Federal     Courts

    152 litigators
    (Eagan, MN: West Group and
    American Bar Association, 1998).
    Six vols., 6,690 pgs., two disks of forms/jury charges.
    $480, 15% ABA member discount.
    To order, call (800) 328-9352.

    Reviewed by Troy D. Thompson

    In an impressive undertaking sponsored by the American Bar Association's Litigation Section, the 152 authors of this six-volume, nearly 7,000-page set have created an extensive resource for attorneys practicing in federal courts. The bound set includes sections on practice and procedure, substantive law, and tactics and techniques, and will be useful to both seasoned federal litigators and attorneys with only a modicum of trial experience before the federal bar.

    The volumes contain chapters on 28 of the most common types of commercial litigation in federal courts, including both substantive law and litigation strategy in those types of actions. Each chapter is practice-oriented and contains checklists, practice pointers, narrative discussion of liability, defenses, and damages, as well as case summaries, forms, jury charges, and other features that make the information more accessible to the reader.

    Although the publication includes sections on practice and procedure, it is not a complete substitute to the seminal treatises by either Wright and Miller or Moore. The publication should be used in tandem with these resources as a necessary supplement. I find that the real benefit of Business and Commercial Litigation in the Federal Courts is conferred through its lengthy discussions on pleadings tactics and discovery techniques. The authors go beyond the normal rudimentary discussions and ultimately detail and set forth sophisticated end-game strategies.

    In addition to the six bound volumes, the set also includes forms and jury instructions on two disks in WordPerfect format. Numerous sample complaints, answers, and affirmative defenses, and a host of instructions for various federal causes of action are included. Retainer agreements and guidelines for investigators are among the other miscellaneous, but practical, forms to be found. They are easily accessed.

    This publication lives up to its foreword, which promises "a goldmine of insights and advice about the dynamics of commercial litigation and how to apply expert lawyering skills and techniques to the specific case at hand." Its authors, acclaimed as "distinguished federal judges and the cream of the commercial litigation bar," have created a thorough, well-organized, and very relevant text that will serve as an important reference tool. Its subject matter will be equally applicable to many actions pending in state court. I highly recommend this publication to individuals of all experience and skill levels who practice before the federal bar.

    Troy D. Thompson, Marquette 1998, is an associate at Di Renzo & Bomier, Neenah. He practices in general litigation, personal injury, Worker's Compensation, and employment law.

    How to Build and Manage a Personal Injury Practice

    By K. William Gibson
    (Chicago, IL: ABA Law Practice Management Section, 1998).
    Paperback. 176 pgs. Retail $43.96.

    Reviewed by John Kornak

    I was a little skeptical that this 154-page book, including appendices and index, could possibly deliver what it advertises. Upon reading, I was surprised to find a concise, general guide for the novice attorney. Let me emphasize "general" and "novice." While this book offers a very general overview of some of the issues involved in a successful P.I. practice, it falls short of its promise as a "how-to" book.

    The book is divided into eight substantive chapters, the topics of which could each easily fill an entire book. An experienced P.I. practitioner, Gibson offers helpful hints to those needing some guidance, but only provides a thumbnail sketch of the important issues facing the P.I. lawyer. More time needs to be spent on marketing and managing the practice. Less time needs to be spent on choosing office space and deciding whether to go solo or practice with a partner.

    The appendices contain some helpful information for the novice practitioner, such as forms for the initial client interview, and samples of letters to clients, insurance companies, and doctors. Some of the appendix information regarding marketing analysis and task assignments appears to be little more than filler.

    If your goal is to read a book that guides you on how to build and manage a personal injury practice, reading this book is not a wise use of your time and money. If you need a point to begin your research, this book is a reasonable choice.

    John A. Kornak, Valparaiso 1986, is an associate at Salvi & Schostok P.C., Waukegan, Ill. Licensed to practice in Illinois and Wisconsin, he currently limits his practice to catastrophic personal injury.

    Wisconsin Lawyer


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