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Columns

Jun 1, 2009

Trial court in best position to exercise discretion

Part II of II Nothing is worse for a columnist than boring cases. With precious few family opinions coming out of the Wisconsin appellate courts, I thank the Court of Appeals for its recent decision in Heppner v. Heppner, No. 2008AP2020 (Wis. Ct. App. May 5, 2009) (recommended for publication). In the case, as discussed […]

May 25, 2009

Maintenance must continue, consider stocks

Part 1 of 2 Earlier this month, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals issued one of the most … er … interesting decisions in family law in a long time. The opinion, written by Judge Ralph Adam Fine, is Heppner v. Heppner, from the District I court, No. 2008AP2020 (Wis. Ct. App. May 5, 2009) (recommended […]

May 25, 2009

Even the smallest law firms can be sold

The global financial crisis has created fear and confusion for countless lawyers who, like many others, suddenly have seen nest eggs shrink dramatically and fear they may outlive them if they don’t continue working. The only way many lawyers see that they will be able to retire is to significantly reduce the retirement expectations and […]

May 25, 2009

Cheap summer travel advice for the vacationing attorney

With the Memorial Day weekend almost behind us, summer is officially here and it is time to think about making an escape. I am off to Ireland in two weeks, thanks to the the efforts of a colleague and friend of my sister who found a great deal on Travelzoo.com. I paid $1,092 for a […]

May 18, 2009

Pandemic preparedness in the workplace

Lately, it seems as though none of us is able to turn on the television or radio without hearing the words “pandemic” or “swine flu.” While parties continue to debate about the seriousness of the H1N1 virus, it certainly brings some important issues to the forefront for employers. What can a company do to prepare […]

May 18, 2009

Don’t worry about losing clients, work to keep them

Law firms today are so preoccupied with their own survival that not enough of them are asking their clients, “How am I doing?” As a result many lawyers, unfortunately, never figure out that their client is unhappy. If they don’t hear from a client after completing a matter, they just think that the client has […]

May 11, 2009

Law firms take advantage of Craigslist’s free ads

You can get good help these days. For free, with Craigslist.org. Craigslist is online classified advertising. It’s free in most cities, including Wisconsin’s 11 most highly populated areas. Brenda A. Majewski, the firm administrator at the Kohn Law Firm in Milwaukee, says they’ve been successfully using Craigslist to find staff for about a year now. […]

May 4, 2009

Large-firm layoffs create ripples in the pond

The drumbeat of stories about lawyer and staff terminations at large corporate law firms has some solo and small firm practitioners scratching their heads. These folks are accustomed to tough competitive conditions, and have never felt “entitled” to six-figure salaries or bonuses. The general reaction of many, often expressed on listservs and in social media, […]

Apr 27, 2009

Taking your practice paperless can be painless

Nobody’s perfect. Fond du Lac lawyer Kristi M. Fry’s Achilles heel is, “If you put a piece of paper in my hand, I can’t find it five minutes later.” Fortunately, there’s a relatively quick, simple, and most importantly, cheap way to correct that weakness. Fry, of Fry Law Office S.C., took herself and her three […]

Apr 20, 2009

Collision of expert witnesses, social media

Ask a random group of attorneys what they think of social media, and you’ll get some funny looks. Several of them will turn up their noses, while an equal number will have no idea what you’re talking about. A few may have a favorable opinion of social media, and a couple may even participate in […]

Apr 20, 2009

Court: Ease up religious affiliation inquiry

For the past few years, Carroll University in Waukesha has found itself in the midst of a legal debate regarding how much evidence of a religious presence and influence a college or university with a religious affiliation needs to show in order to be exempt from collective bargaining requirements under the National Labor and Relations […]

Apr 13, 2009

Looking for low-cost supplies? You better shop around

I turned to the pros for this one. The question is where can a lawyer get high-quality, inexpensive business cards, envelopes, letterhead, and other office supplies? I posed that to a number of individuals who make a living by knowing the answer to such inquiries. They are legal administrators or office managers. Margaret Angel, who […]

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