The new lawyer’s bookshelf

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Perhaps you are wondering what to get for that soon-to-be new law school grad. Or, maybe you are that grad, and are considering resources in which to invest as you begin your practice. Or, maybe you’re just young at heart, and are interested in some high-quality practice materials.

Wisconsin Law Journal asked some new and not-so-new attorneys about the books on their shelves that are the most dog-eared, which vital books date back to when they were young lawyers. Here’s what we learned.

Part of my extremely informal marketing plan was to gain experience by taking guardian ad litem appointments in divorce and paternity cases. It’s a fairly familiar career path for many family law practitioners.

One essential resource was the State Bar of Wisconsin’s “Guardian ad Litem Handbook.” This was before training was mandatory, so it was just about the only resource available — and it was invaluable. Now in its third edition, it’s available to bar members for $155.

For that matter, any of the State Bar’s step-by-step practice manuals are a must-have, says Gretchen Viney, of Viney & Viney in Baraboo, who also is a clinical professor and associate director of the University of Wisconsin Law School’s Lawyering Skills Program.

“It depends on what you want to do. If you plan on concentrating in family law, get the family law handbook. If you’re going to practice in real estate, get the real estate handbook,” she says.

As for your law school case books, Viney advises, “Sell them or throw them away. They have no further value because they’re not state-specific. Although you might want to hold on to the horn books.”

Joseph M. Cardamone III, of the Kenosha County Corporation Counsel’s Office, began his career as a prosecutor. He says an exception to Viney’s previous comment about the utility of law school texts in the real world was the bound, soft cover “Wisconsin Criminal Code and Selected Traffic Statutes,” which was required for the 1L criminal law courses at both law schools in the state. He used his constantly on the job. The 2009 version costs bar members $45.

In addition, one of his first purchases was the “Wisconsin Rules of Evidence Pocket Edition.”

“Maybe I’m superstitious, but to this day, I still carry it with me every time I go to trial,” says Cardamone, the past-president of the State Bar’s Young Lawyer’s Division. The 2009 edition costs $20 for State Bar members.

Unlike Cardamone, Jon P. Groth began his legal career in the civil, private-practice arena. He says at the small firm where he worked, he opened “Wisconsin Practice: Civil Procedure Forms,” by Jay E. Grenig and Nathan A. Fishbach, every day.

Currently in its third edition, this four-volume set is published by Thomson Reuters for $406.30. Individual volumes are also available for $112 each.

Now concentrating in plaintiffs’ personal injury, Groth, of Milwaukee’s Pitman, Kyle & Sicula S.C., says he doesn’t go a day without using “David Ball on Damages.” That’s only if one of his colleagues isn’t borrowing it. At any given time, there are at least 20 sticky notes to direct Groth to the parts he’s found to be especially helpful. It’s published by the National Institute for Trial Advocacy and costs $85.

Then there’s Dan Krause, of Krause Law Offices LLC in Oregon, who hung his own shingle not long after law school. He says “How to Start and Build a Law Practice,” Fifth Edition, by Jay G. Foonberg, has been his Bible for a few years now. The book’s list price is $69.95, but it’s available at Amazon.com for $44.07 and eligible for free shipping. Alternatively, each chapter can be purchased for as little as $.99 per chapter at Foonberglaw.com.

“Having no idea how to set up, the book gave me confidence that I was doing everything I needed to do. Once everything was set up, and the clients came in, changes could be made as necessary,” Krause says. “When starting a law office, I believe it’s not important that you do everything perfectly, but that you have a plan and follow it with confidence. Foonberg helped me make the plan and gave me confidence it could work.”

Speaking of plans, Milwaukee attorney Gwendolyn G. Connolly raves about the “Attorney and Law Firm Guide to the Business of Law: Planning and Operating for Survival and Growth,” Second Edition, because its main focus is how to create a detailed, successful business plan for a law firm.

The book, by Edward Poll, was her choice for the textbook when she recently co-taught the law practice management course as an adjunct professor at Marquette University Law School. It lists for $119.95, but you can get it at Amazon for $86.27 plus free shipping.

“The book asks you the important questions you should be asking yourself, whether you’re a new lawyer thinking of starting your own practice, or you’ve been practicing for 20 years,” says Connolly, of the Law Office of Gwendolyn G. Connolly.

“Business planning is so important. Yet, I’m always amazed by the number of lawyers who don’t do it, and then get halfway into a new practice and cannot understand why it’s not working.”

The good news for those near Madison and Milwaukee is, most of the books mentioned in this article are available at the law schools’ libraries or the State Law Library, if you can’t afford them right outside the gate.