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Commentary: Coming Soon: The Intentional Tort of Texting
by Jonathan Groth on March 18, 2010 15:53 CDT
Every legal theory has to start somewhere. Punitive damages for drunken drivers didn’t arrive overnight. Punitive damages for intentionally disregarding the rights of others in general didn’t arrive overnight. It took a tragedy at Milwaukee’s Miller Park for the Wisconsin Supreme Court to decide in the victim’s favor on punitive damages.Click for more | Comments (2)
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More public defender appointments to open up for private bar
by Jack Zemlicka on March 18, 2010 14:24 CDT
Starting in the summer of 2011, private bar attorneys interested in State Public Defender appointments can expect to see an increase in opportunities to defend low-income clients.A new law signed by Gov. Jim Doyle on March 15 expands the 23-year old eligibility standards that determine who can qualify for a public defender.
Click for more | Comments
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Change in ways ‘cures’ breach of contract
by David Ziemer on March 18, 2010 14:18 CDT
No matter how egregious a dealership’s breach of contract, if it changes its ways, it has “cured” the breach and cannot be terminated.Click for more | Comments
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Firms flexing their hours to retain talent
by Jack Zemlicka on March 16, 2010 14:15 CDT
When attorney Ann M. Rieger graduated from law school in 1988, the concept of flexible work schedules was something of a novelty.Click for more | Comments
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Sick leave heads to Wisconsin Supreme Court
by Sean Ryan on March 18, 2010 14:07 CDT
The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Wednesday accepted the lawsuit over Milwaukee’s sick leave law.Click for more | Comments
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Fewer slices of the pie: Local firms cut partner elections, mirror national trend
by Allison Retka, Missouri Lawyers Weekly and Jack Zemlicka, Wisconsin Law Journal on March 17, 2010 13:56 CDT
Making partner at a law firm is like finally biting into a juicy piece of a pie you've spent years laboring to bake.Click for more | Comments
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Appeals in Milwaukee County skyrocket
by David Ziemer on March 19, 2010 09:49 CDT
Case filings from Milwaukee County courts in 2009 reveal a number of interesting trends.Click for more | Comments
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ABA sides with law school
on March 19, 2010 09:41 CDT
Washington (Dolan) — In a Supreme Court battle between the right of a law school to enforce rules barring discrimination and students’ First Amendment right to free association, the American Bar Association has taken the side of the law school.Click for more | Comments
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Official: Not enough votes for expulsion of Wisconsin lawmaker
on March 19, 2010 09:33 CDT
Madison (AP) — A plan to expel a Wisconsin assemblyman charged three times with driving under the influence appeared to have failed Tuesday after a key lawmaker said supporters failed to make their case.Click for more | Comments
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Newspaper’s lawsuit against Doyle dismissed
on March 11, 2010 14:07 CST
Madison (AP) — A judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by The Capital Times newspaper that claimed Gov. Jim Doyle’s office improperly delayed the release of public records.Click for more | Comments (2)
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BOG candidate looks for voice in mandatory bar discussion
by Jack Zemlicka on March 9, 2010 14:02 CST
The State Bar of Wisconsin released its list of candidates vying for two-year terms on the Board of Governors starting on July 1.Click for more | Comments
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Court supports unauthorized practice petition
by Jack Zemlicka on March 11, 2010 13:52 CST
The state Supreme Court unanimously voted on March 8 to support in principle a petition filed by the State Bar of Wisconsin that would clearly define what constitutes the unauthorized practice of law.Click for more | Comments (3)
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Trek Bicycle can’t sue Trek Winery in Wisconsin
by David Ziemer on March 9, 2010 13:48 CST
If high-end bicycle manufacturer Trek wants to pursue a claim for trademark infringement against tiny Trek Winery in California, they will have to find a forum outside of Wisconsin to do it.Click for more | Comments
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High Court ruling that lawyers are ‘debt relief agents’ gets mixed reaction
by Kimberly Atkins on March 10, 2010 13:19 CST
Washington – Bankruptcy attorneys may be more careful about how they advise their clients after the U.S Supreme Court’s holding this week that the communication and disclosure rules that apply to debt relief agents also apply to them.Click for more | Comments
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Repeal of sentencing guidelines retroactive
by David Ziemer on March 15, 2010 13:11 CDT
State court defendants looking for resentencing based on a court’s failure to consider the sentencing guidelines are out of luck.Click for more | Comments
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Coping with recantation: Shaky testimony can benefit, burn defense
by Jack Zemlicka on March 15, 2010 13:03 CDT
In a criminal trial, a nervous or upset witness can forget answers to the most mundane questions.Click for more | Comments
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Commentary: Telling the brief tale
by Diane Slomowitz on March 12, 2010 10:58 CST
Most lawyers have neither the time nor the resources to produce extensively researched and intricately crafted legal briefs. The process is often viewed as a time-eating money loser, and so assigned to young, inexperienced associates. Briefs, however, and the research that goes into them, are critical to successful litigation.Click for more | Comments
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Law firm can't block bankruptcy dismissal
on March 12, 2010 10:40 CST
Boston (Dolan) — A law firm that acted as counsel for the creditors’ committee in a Chapter 11 bankruptcy lacked standing to challenge dismissal of the case, the 7th Circuit has ruled.Click for more | Comments
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Former judge defends sentencing guidelines
by David Ziemer on March 12, 2010 10:39 CST
The federal sentencing guidelines are now advisory, rather than mandatory. But district judges should still be cautious in departing from them, advised Hon. Mark R. Filip, a former federal judge and former Deputy Attorney General.Click for more | Comments
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Board of Governors opposes lifetime ban on practice
by Jack Zemlicka on March 2, 2010 13:28 CST
Lawyers who lose their licenses should still have the ability to apply for reinstatement after five years.Click for more | Comments (1)
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Videotape can be played during closing
by David Ziemer on March 3, 2010 13:08 CST
Prosecutors can play witnesses’ videotaped statements during closing arguments.Click for more | Comments
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Attorney-client privilege claim denied
by David Ziemer on March 4, 2010 13:06 CST
The Seventh Circuit has maintained a high bar for obtaining appellate review of adverse decisions on the attorney-client privilege.Click for more | Comments
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Court takes up another gun law challenge
by Kimberly Atkins on March 3, 2010 12:59 CST
Washington – The U.S. Supreme Court appears poised to hold that the Second Amendment protections established two years ago in D.C. v. Heller apply to cities and states through the Fourteenth Amendment. But whether the extent of those protections requires the Court to strike down Chicago’s handgun ban remains unclear.Click for more | Comments
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Wisconsin attorneys pursue cases tied to Toyota recall
by Jack Zemlicka on March 5, 2010 11:42 CST
As the recall totals of Toyota vehicles continue to climb, personal injury attorneys around the country are getting involved in suits against the automaker.Click for more | Comments (1)
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Take care in classifying employees
by Jane Pribek on March 8, 2010 11:39 CST
Karla Osolin was disappointed with her first paycheck from Turocy & Watson LLP, a boutique intellectual property firm in Cleveland, Ohio.Click for more | Comments (1)
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