Until about the mid-1870's—most aspiring lawyers did not attend law school and did not take a bar examination.
Read More »Employee Benefits Might Still Facilitate Abortions and Reproductive Choice in a Post-Roe v. Wade America
On May 2, 2022, the Supreme Court’s draft majority opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, was leaked to the public and suggested that the Court intends to overturn Roe. Although the Supreme Court’s draft opinion does not have any binding legal authority, some large, multi-state employers have announced steps to support employee access to abortion and related reproductive medical services, specifically for those employees residing in states that do (or will) restrict abortion.
Tagged with: abortion Employment Law Michael Best U.S. Supreme Court
Read More »Internet crime is booming (CHART)
Tagged with: cyber crime cybersecurity
Read More »FORUM STOPPING: How the presence of a U.S. citizen domiciled abroad defeats diversity jurisdiction
According to the most recent records published by the Administrate Office of the United States Courts, nearly 60% of new civil cases brought in the federal courts were based on diversity jurisdiction. If you remove cases in which the U.S. ...
Tagged with: Kohner Mann & Kailas
Read More »Managing Activism in the Workplace
In a politically charged era where activism is considered noble, HR managers are confronting new challenges in the workplace in an attempt to find balance between the expression of disparate views while maintaining a productive and cohesive workplace. Just Another ...
Tagged with: Activism Axley Attorneys Human Resource
Read More »Is your firm’s intake system working as well as it should?
Intake is one of the most critical aspects of any law firm. But far too often firms don’t give the intake process the special attention it deserves. When that happens, money goes flying out the door.
Tagged with: hiring
Read More »VALADEZ – PART 2: Returning to the subject of my most debated column
In all of the columns which I have written for this publication over the years (and there have been many) none have elicited more an angry response than my article on the Court of Appeals decision in Valadez v. Valadez, 2021AP1500: “The Valadez case: A bad start to the year."
Tagged with: Julie Valadez
Read More »Recent student expulsions provide important reminders to school districts
With just a few months left to the school year, we all look to a strong, positive finish to what again has been a challenging year for school districts. Though I hope we are moving past mask and vaccine mandate ...
Tagged with: von Briesen & Roper
Read More »No More Masks on Public Transportation (For Now) – Is Government Regulation of COVID-19 Ending?
Following a federal judge’s ruling last week, striking down the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) mask mandate in airports and other public transportation settings nationwide, the agency’s ability to impose future restrictions is in doubt.
Tagged with: Foley & Lardner Scott Allen
Read More »Initiative stocks African law libraries
A Minnesota-based initiative has shipped 115 law and human rights libraries to 24 African countries since 2008, and new initiatives seek to strengthen the collaborative enterprise involving law firms, government officials and a leading legal publisher.
Read More »Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearings provide many moments for reflection
The emotional kaleidoscope of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearing was nothing short of amazing. It was truly an exercise that allowed many of us to experience a range of emotions through a magnificently beautiful lens, as we witnessed the confirmation of our country’s first African-American female to the United States Supreme Court.
Tagged with: Ketanji Brown Jackson U.S. Supreme Court
Read More »It’s Complicated: The Evolving Regulation of “Forever Chemicals” in Wisconsin
For the past several years, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (“WDNR”) has engaged in a multi-media effort to regulate the class of chemicals commonly referred to as “forever chemicals” in waters and soils in the state.
Tagged with: Foley & Lardner
Read More »Citing Wisconsin case, SCOTUS declines challenge against Mich. State Bar
After a Michigan lawyer failed in her challenge to the requirement that she join the State Bar of Michigan and pay dues supporting advocacy activities with which she disagreed, she vowed to appeal to the highest court in the land.
Tagged with: Lathrop v. Donohue mandatory dues State Bar
Read More »Wellness for lawyers: How technology can help
It’s been more than two long years since the onset of the pandemic, and although things seem to be slowly, steadily improving, we’re not yet in the clear.
Tagged with: mental health
Read More »Rise of incarcerated women (CHART)
The Brown Jackson nomination hearings and what they say about the duty to represent bad people
The former news talk show “The Mclaughlin Group” used to give an annual award for the “Best Political Theater." If that show was still on the air, the nomination hearings for Ketanji Brown Jackson would win hands down.
Tagged with: Ketanji Brown Jackson U.S. Supreme Court
Read More »Michigan Adopts Uniform Bar Exam
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed HB 5541 that provides for the Michigan Bar Examination to consist of the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE), bringing Michigan in line with 40 other jurisdictions. The result will be to strengthen the bar examination to test lawyering skills in a manner not currently tested, provide for the transferability of bar exam scores, and continue to provide necessary accommodations for test takers with disabilities.
Tagged with: bar exam Gretchen Whitmer
Read More »The Brown Jackson confirmation vote (CHART)
Tagged with: Ketanji Brown Jackson
Read More »State of LGBTQ education laws in the US (CHART)
Tagged with: Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce
Read More »North Carolina jury awards $250K to woman hit by car during lights tour
A Union County jury has awarded $250,000 to a Marshville woman who was struck by a car while viewing Christmas lights.
Tagged with: verdicts & settlements
Read More »Fees and costs bring award to $1.3M in St. Louis civil rights case
A federal judge awarded more than $625,000 in attorneys’ fees and costs to a man who successfully sued a police officer who tasered him in his home, bringing the final award to nearly $1.3 million.
Tagged with: settlement
Read More »Recent Robinson-Patman Act Cases Demonstrate Size Doesn’t Always Matter
When you hear about the Robinson-Patman Act, you may remember it as a law that protects smaller product re-sellers (“mom and pop” stores, local dealers, etc.) by preventing product suppliers from giving better prices to larger re-sellers just because of their size.
Tagged with: Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren
Read More »Wisconsin man settles for $1.25M after he was injured at a concert
A Wisconsin man whose foot was injured at a Garth Brooks concert in 2019 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis has received a $1.25 million settlement, part of which will be paid by Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, which oversees the stadium.
Tagged with: settlement
Read More »Costliest types of cyber crime (CHART)
Tagged with: cyber crime cybersecurity
Read More »Why are COVID vaccine injuries treated differently?
There are significant differences in the process and compensation for those injured from the COVID-19 vaccine versus other vaccines such as the seasonal flu.
Tagged with: coronavirus
Read More »Kohl’s activists: Take a buyout – or else
While Kohl’s is juggling multiple proposals for a possible buyout, an activist investor group set a date for it to make a move, offering sharp criticism of management’s strategic plans.
Tagged with: Kohl's
Read More »Supply chain delay claims: A day late and a $1,000 short
This article discusses supply chain delay claims and steps owners, contractors, and material suppliers can do to help mitigate the effects of supply chain troubles.
Tagged with: Axley Attorneys Contracts
Read More »Court Finds an Employee’s Seizures Posed a “Direct Threat” Under the ADA
In a recent decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, the court explained how an employer should evaluate whether a disabled person under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) would pose a “direct threat” to others.
Tagged with: Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren
Read More »Will courts really enforce proposed financial information exchange rules?
In law, as in many things in life, some ideas are better in theory than in practice. It is not uncommon that the Legislature, which has precious few lawyers (most sessions have ten or fewer lawyers out of 133 state Senators and Representatives, and almost none of them has ever been in the private practice of law), passes legislation which sounds good on its face but has a different practical effect. The phrase which attaches to such legislation is “the law of unintended consequences.”
Tagged with: divorce Family Law Gregg Herman
Read More »THE VALADEZ CASE: She said her husband was abusive. A judge took away her kids and ordered her arrest.
After the judge in her Wisconsin divorce case ruled that her ex-husband — a man who had sought treatment for anger and alcohol issues — would get legal custody of and equal time with their four children, Julie Valadez vowed to fight back.
Tagged with: Julie Valadez Michael Aprahamian
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