Stipulation could mean less discipline for Oshkosh attorney

The Office of Lawyer Regulation has reached an agreement that could result in a shorter license suspension than originally proposed for an Oshkosh lawyer.

The agreement stems from a complaint the OLR filed this year against Melinda Alfredson of Oshkosh-based Clausen Law. The agency charged her with breaking six attorney-ethics rules while handling two divorce cases.

In the complaint, the OLR asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to suspend Alfredson’s license for 4 months.

In a response filed in June, Alfredson admitted to three of the six counts of the misconduct that the OLR alleged she had committed and asking the court to take disciplinary steps that are less strict than the suspension the OLR is seeking.

However, in a stipulation reached with the OLR and filed on Oct. 12, Alfredson withdrew her answer and admitted to all of the facts and misconduct alleged in the complaint. The parties agreed to modify three of the alleged rule violations.

According to the stipulation, Alfredson wants the court and referee to know that, from June 2016 to mid-2017, she had family and medical troubles that affected her ability to practice.

Also in the stipulation, the OLR wrote that it wants the court and referee to know that information the OLR obtained during litigation resulted in the amendments to the original complaint and the agency director’s recommending a shorter license suspension.

Alfredson and the OLR agreed that Alfredson’s law license should be suspended for 3 months instead of 4 months.

An evidentiary hearing before the referee in the case, Nick Schweitzer, had been scheduled for Oct. 16, but was cancelled after the stipulation was filed, according to court records.

Next, Schweitzer will review the parties’ stipulation and decide whether to recommend the adoption of the parties’ stipulation. Afterward, the high court will review his recommendation and issue a final decision.